Run with VIP: WordPress for Government Summit

SAVE THE DATE

Join us Thursday, Aug. 24 in Washington DC for the inaugural Run with VIP: WordPress for Government Summit. 

The event will feature flash talks, a happy hour, and networking opportunities. Come and hear from various government agencies about how they run the web securely, safely, accessibly, and reliably with WordPress and WordPress VIP. 

Time: 5:30-9 PM ET

Location: The Hotel Washington, 515 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20004

Date: Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023

Schedule of Events:

5:30-6:00 PM – Networking 

6:00-7:30 PM – Flash talks & panel discussion

  • Opening remarks: “The future of WordPress for Government” Nick Gernert—CEO, WordPress VIP
  • Flash Talk: “Scaling with WordPress” with:
    • Blaine Wasylkiw—Deputy Chief Technology Innovation Officer, California Department of Technology
  • Panel Discussion: “Modernizing Government and Civic Tech with WordPress” with:
    • Jake Goldman—President and Founder, 10up
    • Jason Michael Perry—CTO, Mindgrub
    • Amber Hinds—Founder & CEO, Equalize Digital
    • JJ Toothman—Founder and CEO, Lone Rock Point
    • Doug Axelrod—Senior Developer Lead, WDG

7:30-9:00 PM – Happy Hour

Speakers

Nick Gernert—CEO, WordPress VIP

With more than two decades working across the open web, Nick is responsible for WordPress VIP’s overall business strategy. His passion lies in enabling enterprises to create valuable customer experiences.

Blaine Wasylkiw—Deputy Chief Technology Innovation Officer, California Department of Technology

Prior to his current position as Deputy CTIO, Blaine Wasylkiw served as CDT’s Chief Web Officer and led the teams that developed and supported solutions including the California COVID-19 Digital Vaccine Record, the CAWeb Publishing Service, the California Design System, and the State of California Web Template. Previously he was Director of Technical Solutions at the California Dental Association, and Director of Digital Media for The Sacramento Bee.

Jake Goldman—President and Founder, 10up

Jake is the President & Founder of 10up, a digital agency that finely crafts websites and tools for content creators, leveraging open platforms like WordPress. Over the last 12 years, Jake organically grew 10up from a 1 man show to ~300 fully remote, full-time team members.

Jason Michael Perry

Jason Michael Perry—CTO, Mindgrub

Jason Michael Perry has over 20 years of experience as an engineer and consultant, CTO, and Vice President of Engineering, Jason keeps the train on time, oversees the web and mobile engineering teams, and provides technical direction for strategic client initiatives.

Amber Hinds

Amber Hinds—Founder & CEO, Equalize

Amber Hinds is the CEO of Equalize Digital, Inc., a Certified B Corp specializing in WordPress accessibility, maker of the Accessibility Checker plugin, and lead organizer of the WordPress Accessibility Meetup and WordPress Accessibility Day conference.

J.J. Toothman

J.J. Toothman—Founder and CEO, Lone Rock Point

J.J. Toothman has 20 years experience building digital interactive experiences. He developed NASA’s first WordPress-powered public blog and, in 2016, founded Lone Rock Point, a digital agency that specializes in the government sector and ecosystem with a focus on web modernization, accessibility, and user experience.

Doug Axelrod

Doug Axelrod—Senior Web Developer, WDG

Doug Axelrod currently serves as the Senior Development Lead at WDG where he has been an instrumental force in the company’s success with enterprise-level WordPress Gutenberg development.