Cathy Mitchell has worked with WordPress since 2007 and launched her business, WPBarista, in 2008. What began as a maternity-leave project grew into a long-term involvement with the platform and its people. Recently she’s taken on a leading role organizing WordCamp Canada for 2026, and her experience highlights why WordPress events matter beyond code and commerce.
Open, accessible entry
Cathy’s path into the community started where many do: asking questions in forums and learning from experienced contributors. That early openness — experts answering beginners’ questions without gatekeeping — shaped her view of WordPress as unusually welcoming compared with many corporate or volunteer environments. She was surprised, and pleased, that volunteers are often given responsibility quickly: if someone shows up and wants to help, the default response is usually “yes, we’ll find a way to get you involved.”
This low barrier to entry makes it easy for newcomers to contribute in many ways, not only through coding. Non-technical roles — organizing, hospitality, mentoring, teaching — are essential. For businesses, involvement can pay off indirectly: sponsoring or contributing to open source can improve hiring pipelines, demonstrate commitment to the ecosystem, and deepen trust with potential customers.
Community, camaraderie, and wellbeing
Both Cathy and the interviewer, Nathan Wrigley, reflect on how WordPress gatherings become meaningful parts of life. For many people, events and online groups provide social connection, shared purpose, and opportunities to practice useful skills. Cathy emphasises that volunteerism is not only about helping the project; it’s also a powerful antidote to loneliness. She cites public health findings showing loneliness is a serious issue across age groups, and argues that service and community offer tangible benefits: belonging, direction, and the satisfaction of doing something meaningful.
These benefits align with research on happiness: spending time with other people and giving without expecting return are strong predictors of wellbeing. Volunteering at WordCamps or in local meetups delivers both — you’re around people and you’re contributing altruistically — which explains why many find the experience deeply rewarding despite occasional stress and busy moments.
Changing sponsorship and economic realities
The WordPress ecosystem enjoyed significant growth for many years, and sponsorship was once easier to justify because the platform’s expansion created obvious value. In recent years that calculus has shifted. Economic uncertainty, rising competition, and new obligations around trademark and brand usage mean sponsors are more choosy and expect clearer returns on investment.
Cathy describes this as a “perfect storm”: tighter budgets, more competitive markets for agencies and products, and a more measured approach to sponsorship. She views the situation not as a catastrophe but as a leveling-off. Events and community initiatives will need to demonstrate value more clearly and explore broader ways to engage supporters beyond straightforward sponsorship packages.
Investing in the next generation
A recurring theme in the conversation is the need to involve young people. Cathy is passionate about bringing students and early-career contributors into open source. Initiatives like Campus Connect and offering university credits for open-source work can build pathways for students to contribute to WordPress and other projects as part of their education. This feeds the ecosystem with new contributors, helps employers find talent, and sustains open-source momentum.
Cathy plans to feature education-focused programs at WordCamp Canada, aiming to create opportunities for universities and colleges across North America to participate. The goal is practical: let students earn credit for meaningful contributions and expose them to a welcoming community that hires and mentors newcomers.
Open source, AI, and the future
Despite uncertainties around sponsorship and broader technological shifts such as AI, Cathy remains optimistic about open source. She believes open platforms and AI will continue to intersect in ways that make openness valuable. Preserving and growing an open, supportive community will be crucial to ensuring future innovation remains accessible.
Practical takeaways and how to get involved
– Volunteering is accessible. You don’t have to be a coder to contribute; community teams need organizers, hosts, accessibility helpers, and mentors.
– Volunteer work brings personal rewards: new friendships, useful skills, and a sense of purpose.
– For businesses, engagement can deliver long-term benefits like improved hiring and stronger ties to users and contributors.
– Events are powered by volunteers; the polished, professional experience attendees see is usually the result of many people volunteering time and expertise.
– Involving students and young people is essential for the ecosystem’s future; education partnerships can provide credit-bearing contributions and pathways into the community.
Cathy’s experience demonstrates how WordPress events foster connection, purpose, and collective effort. Her message is both practical and hopeful: the community’s openness is a strength worth protecting, and with intentional outreach to younger contributors and thoughtful engagement with sponsors, events like WordCamp Canada can be a bright spot for the project’s future.
Find Cathy online at WPBarista and details about WordCamp Canada at canada.wordcamp.org. For more episodes and show notes, visit wptavern.com/podcast.
