Cathy Mitchell has been part of the WordPress world since 2007. What began as a hobby during maternity leave grew into WPBarista in 2008, and years later Cathy finds herself leading the organising team for WordCamp Canada 2026. On the Jukebox Podcast she talks about why WordPress events matter — not just for code and commerce, but for connection, purpose, and the long-term health of the ecosystem.
An unusually open community
Cathy describes the WordPress community as refreshingly open compared with many corporate or volunteer organisations. Rather than long application processes and rigid gatekeeping, people who show up are often given meaningful responsibility quickly. That “default yes” culture means newcomers can try organising, speaking, or volunteering without decades of credentials. The result is an ecosystem where people can dip in and out, learn on the job, and find a place to contribute their strengths.
For many, that’s transformative. Both Cathy and host Nathan Wrigley share how serendipitous first encounters — a WordCamp ticket, a help request in a forum, or an invitation on Slack — turned into long-term friendships, projects, and sources of belonging. For people in life transitions, such as becoming an empty nester, these community roles provide structure, camaraderie, and purpose.
Volunteering as an antidote to loneliness
The episode also explores a broader social theme: loneliness. Cathy and Nathan note that modern life and ubiquitous technology have changed how people connect. In that context, volunteering and serving a shared cause can be a powerful remedy. Participating in an organising team, teaching a class, or helping at an event delivers social interaction, clear goals, and a sense of meaningful contribution — all things that boost wellbeing.
Nathan points out two surprising predictors of happiness: time spent with other people, and altruism. Volunteering at WordPress events blends both: it’s social, and it’s about giving time without an immediate return. Cathy sees service as a practical, secular way to counter loneliness: volunteers practice skills, form bonds, and move toward shared objectives together.
Why businesses and sponsors should care
Cathy asks the pragmatic question many companies face: what’s the business case for sponsoring open source events? She highlights several ways sponsorship pays off beyond direct sales or leads. Supporting the community helps keep the ecosystem healthy, which is valuable when your products and services are built on that platform. Sponsoring also improves hiring and recruitment: organisations that are visible in the community attract talent and gain better ways to vet prospective employees.
That said, Cathy acknowledges sponsorship is getting harder. Economic uncertainty, increased competition, and higher expectations for measurable ROI have made corporate wallets tighter. WordPress itself has also matured its trademark and sponsorship policies, which changes how events and sponsors present themselves. Cathy describes this as a natural levelling rather than a catastrophe: rapid growth can’t continue forever, and a recalibration may be healthy for the long term.
The future: bring young people into open source
A recurring theme is the need to involve the next generation. Cathy is enthusiastic about Campus initiatives that give students real open source experience and even academic credits for contributing. She wants WordCamp Canada to be a place where universities, students, and young professionals see open source as an approachable, rewarding pathway — not just for coders but for marketers, designers, organizers, and community builders too.
Cathy argues that getting young people into open source benefits everyone: it injects fresh perspectives into projects, builds a future talent pool, and helps ensure the long-term vitality of projects like WordPress. This kind of outreach — at conferences, in classrooms, and through credits or formal programmes — is one of the best investments for the ecosystem.
What keeps organisers going
Why commit time to volunteer organising? For Cathy it’s a mix of personal fulfilment and being able to do something she’s good at. She enjoys the collaborative problem-solving and the satisfaction of pulling lots of moving parts together for a shared result. Nathan adds that people often stick with WordPress because the community simply feels like a “nice” place to be: supportive, helpful, and low on the sales-speak that can make other events feel transactional.
Practical takeaways
– WordPress events are about more than product launches or marketing — they’re community-builders that sustain open source.
– Organisations sponsoring events should think long-term: visibility, recruitment, and community health can justify sponsorship beyond short-term ROI.
– Volunteering offers personal benefits: learning, social contact, purpose, and well-being — especially important amid rising loneliness.
– Bringing young people into open source through campus programmes and credits is vital for the future.
Get involved
If you want to learn more about Cathy or WordCamp Canada, find her at WPBarista and on the WordCamp Canada site (canada.wordcamp.org). For the full conversation, check the Jukebox Podcast episode at wptavern.com/podcast.
Whether you’re a newcomer curious about contributing, a business thinking about sponsorship, or someone seeking community and purpose, the episode makes a clear case: WordPress events matter because they create connections, foster generosity, and build the future of open source — one volunteer at a time.