Cathy Mitchell has been part of the WordPress world since 2007. What started as a side project during maternity leave became WPBarista in 2008 and a long-running involvement with the wider WordPress community. Recently she joined the WordCamp Canada organizing team and now leads the 2026 event. In a conversation with Nathan Wrigley for the Jukebox Podcast, Cathy reflects on why WordPress events matter — for individuals, businesses, and the project itself.
From forums to conferences
Cathy’s first interactions were in support forums, where experienced contributors patiently answered questions from newcomers who lacked HTML or PHP knowledge. That open, helpful culture drew her in and later translated into in-person involvement. She contrasts that ease of entry with many traditional organizations where bureaucracy delays meaningful participation. In WordPress, volunteers often get responsibility quickly, and the community rallies to help if needed.
Why people volunteer
Two broad motivations stand out. For newcomers, volunteering is a way to learn, meet people, and find purpose — especially during life transitions like empty-nesting. For business owners, sponsorship and volunteering can feel like an investment in the ecosystem that supports their revenue. Cathy notes practical benefits too: sponsoring and contributing to open source makes it easier to recruit and vet talent, as companies become known inside the community.
The community culture
Nathan and Cathy agreed on one distinctive feature: the community’s international, welcoming, and low-barrier culture. People show up simply to help, without heavy sales pitches or corporate posturing. Events offer a shared experience that many find deeply rewarding — the human connection of being in a room with others who care about similar things. That camaraderie, the habit of saying yes to volunteers, and a willingness to fail together are central to why people keep returning.
Service as an antidote to loneliness
Both hosts discussed loneliness as a growing social problem and how volunteering can be an effective counter. Cathy cited public health commentary that describes loneliness as a significant health issue, and she sees volunteerism as an antidote: you learn or practice a skill, you contribute to something meaningful, and you spend time with like-minded people. Nathan added that research about happiness highlights two strong predictors: social interaction and altruism. Volunteering at events delivers both.
Challenges for sponsorship and the evolving landscape
The conversation also addressed changing economic realities. During WordPress’s rapid growth years, companies often joined events without needing to justify sponsorship in fine detail. Recently, however, tighter budgets, more market competition, and new priorities mean sponsors expect clearer returns. WordPress itself has also tightened sponsor and trademark rules. Cathy describes this as a kind of leveling off rather than the end of growth, and she frames WordCamp Canada as a response: a tangible place to demonstrate the value of community and open source.
Open source, AI, and the future
Cathy remains optimistic about open source as central to the future, particularly as AI development increasingly benefits from open datasets and collaborative projects. She believes that WordPress and open-source communities have an important role to play, but that the project’s long-term health depends on engaging new contributors, especially young people.
Engaging the next generation
A recurring theme is the need to bring students and newly trained technologists into open source. Initiatives like Campus Connect and course credit for contributing are gaining traction in some regions, and Cathy wants those programs highlighted at WordCamp Canada. Giving students meaningful ways to earn credit while contributing to open source builds a pipeline of skilled, community-oriented people who can sustain the project.
What keeps organisers going
Organizing a major WordCamp is a huge volunteer effort, but it can be deeply rewarding. Cathy finds satisfaction in pulling people together, coordinating teams, and watching everything come to life. The ability to contribute meaningfully at a stage in life where she has both time and experience makes volunteering especially meaningful.
A culture worth protecting
Both hosts returned to the same core idea: the WordPress community has a culture that is rare and valuable. It welcomes newcomers, trusts volunteers, and prioritizes service and openness. That culture is both fragile and resilient — fragile because it needs newcomers and sponsors to keep it alive, resilient because of the many volunteers who continually step up.
If you want to get involved
Cathy encourages people to find a way to serve, whether by contributing code, helping at events, sponsoring, or simply attending and meeting people. She points listeners to WPBarista and the WordCamp Canada website for more information. Small acts of service build skills, connections, and a healthier community — and in the process, they often make volunteers happier and more connected.
Final thought
WordPress events are more than technical meetups. They are places where community is practiced: strangers collaborate, skills are shared, and volunteers give time with no guarantee of reward. That combination of connection and altruism is what keeps the project alive and points toward a hopeful future for open source.