Speakers

Nick Pelton

Nick Pelton is partner and technical director at Westwerk, a digitally forward full-service agency specializing in making brands look amazing while being powered by WordPress. He has 10 years of industry experience and extensive knowledge of full-stack web development and design, making him great at bridging the gap between usability and complex software. Nick is also cofounder and UX developer for TrackJS, a popular Javascript Error Logging service. In his spare time he experiments with the internet-of-things, binges on Netflix, and spends quality time with his wife, Jennifer and two children, Amelia and Brodrick.

Nile Flores

Nile Flores is a sassy Southern Illinois mom who is also a WordPress designer and developer. She’s been helping the WordPress community for years… like since it’s beginning. Nile runs Blondish.net , which talks about Blogging, WordPress, SEO, Social Media, and Web Design. She also runs a nearly 7,000 member community called All About WordPress, which is dedicated to helping WordPressers around the world.

In the news, Nile recently received the 2014 Community Choice award in the Expert category of the Small Business Influencer Awards, hosted by Small Biz Trends. She also recently joined the Team Yoast, same creators of WordPress SEO by Yoast and Google Analytics for WordPress by Yoast, as part of support.

When she’s not getting knee deep in WordPress related stuff, she’s hanging with her son, painting, writing poetry, or practicing karate.

Mel Choyce

Mel is a Design Engineer at Automattic. She loves big type, cold brew coffee, and printmaking.

Jonya Pacey

Jonya Pacey is a WordPress and social media consultant to fiber businesses – the fiber that grows on the backs of sheep and alpaca! She also has worked with small business and local agriculture ventures, and is a co-leader in the WordPress Meetup in Rochester, MN as well as a team member of Shout! Rochester.

Russell Aaron

First and Foremost, I’m an enthusiast of WordPress. I want to do everything in my power to better WordPress. I’m also the guy that forgets to Capitalize the P in WordPress. I’m Russell Aaron. I’m the creator of the Gravity Styles Plugin. I help organize the Las Vegas WordCamps. I’ve spoken at WordCamps such as San Diego, Reno, Las Vegas and Albuquerque.

You can catch me on WordPress Podcasts such as WPWatercooler and Talking Business. You’re more than welcomed to follow me on my blog Russell Aaron and on Twitter.

When I’m not doing something with WordPress, you usually can catch me at a Nascar Race or somewhere in Downtown Las Vegas.

Nick Ciske

Nick Ciske has a degree in Multimedia Design and over 16 years of experience working in web development and digital media. In his career he’s built or rebuilt just about every kind of website, including a few custom content management systems.

He remembers spacer gifs, table layouts, font-face and when Flash was the new kid on the block. He specializes in custom Genesis websites and bespoke plugins that teach WordPress new tricks.

Joe Dolson

I’m a WordPress plug-in and theme developer, a contributing developer to WordPress, and a web accessibility consultant. I’m most heavily involved with the Make WordPress Accessible team.

I make my living doing web accessibility consulting and selling premium WordPress plug-ins. Have a question? Find me and ask it!

Blake Iverson

Blake Iverson is a founding partner of Friedman Iverson, PLLC, a law firm for consumers and creatives in Minneapolis, MN. His practice is focused on intellectual property, business and entertainment law. He is also an adjunct professor at St. Mary’s University and McNally Smith College of Music.

Brad Parbs

Brad Parbs is a developer at WebDevStudios.. Brad has contributed numerous plugins to WordPress.org, as well as being a core contributor.
Brad is co-organizer the WordPress Milwaukee, as well as WordCamp Milwaukee.

Toby Cryns

Toby Cryns helps agencies and companies solve business problems related to outsourcing work – an experience he blogs about at crushthedev.com. He is also owner of The Mighty Mo! Design Co., a web shop that handles overflow for corporations and creative agencies.

Co-founder of MSP WordPress, teacher of guitar hacks, aspiring basketball coach, and avid historian of presidential politics, Toby shares his life with 4 cats, 1 dog, 2 kids, and an amazing wife.

Jesse Friedman

Jesse Friedman has been building websites for 17 years, and exclusively with WordPress since 2006. Since then he has written several books, taught 100’s of students as a professor, and organized dozens of local meetups along with a few WordCamps. He has spoken at tech conferences worldwide and has utilized his expertise as a consultant for small agencies and billion dollar international companies. Today he’s a proud team member of Jetpack at Automattic.

Josh Leuze

Josh Leuze is a WordPress developer from Minnesota who loves making themes. He is the author of the popular Meteor Slides plugin.

When not building themes and plugins in his basement, Josh can be found doodling with his kids at the kitchen table, digging in the garden, or pedaling his bike around town.

Mika Epstein

Mika Ariela Epstein is better known as Ipstenu, the Half-Elf Support Rogue. Working for DreamHost as a WordPress Support Specialist and Manager (aka ‘WordPress Guru’), she solves any WordPress problem that comes up, trains everyone from support to marketing in why WordPress makes your life better, and still finds time to slash unanswered WordPress.org forum threads by night and wrangle plugins by day. A self-taught guru on Multisite and .htaccess, she has a passion for writing and technology and blogs about them whenever possible.

The rumor that she has dice in her purse and tinfoil in her hats is in a constant state of Schrödinger proofs.

Julie Kuehl

Hey there! I am a freelance WordPress developer and own straightFORWARD Web Solutions where I build badass websites for awesome people.

David Laietta

David Laietta is a self-taught web developer leading the Orlando WordPress scene. As the current lead organizer of WordCamp Orlando, he’s headed up 4 increasingly successful conferences. Through his dedication to improving the Orlando tech scene, he grew the Orlando WordPress Meetup group to nearly 1,500 members in three years.

Aside from his work in the Orlando WordPress community, David is the owner of Orange Blossom Media, a web development and site health service. He also dedicates a portion of his time to helping out in the community at fundraising runs and other charity events. In 2014, he founded Gamers for Change, a gaming tournament community to raise funds for local non-profits.

When he’s not on the Internet or out making the world a better place, David enjoys jogging, playing with his two dogs, Redick and Ginger, reading, listening to music, and discovering local coffee shops.

Tony Perez

My name is Tony, I’m one of the Co-Founders and CEO for Sucuri Inc. A website security company with a global presence, offering 24/7/365 security services to website owners around the world. I’m extremely passionate about two things – Security and BJJ. If possible, I work to schedule my speaking engagements around training seminars or open mats – it’s how I balance the two.

I’m especially keen on forensics and attacker psychology – what are they doing and why are they doing it.

Matt Johnson

Matt Johnson is co-founder and managing partner of Alley Interactive, a full-service web agency that works with large media companies and nonprofit organization. Matt has led the development of large content sites in both Drupal and WordPress (focusing mainly on WP the last few years), including The New Republic, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Chalkbeat, Foreign Policy Magazine, and Kveller.com. He has migrated over 1,000,000 posts to WordPress cumulatively in his life, from multiple different legacy platforms.

Michele Butcher

Michele is the lead WordPress Specialist at WP Security Lock helping keep WordPress safe from hackers. Recently, Michele just became the WordCamp evangelist for InMotion Hosting. She also blogs about WordPress and all things tech at Can’t Speak Geek. Michele is the Co-Organizer of the Southern Illinois Meetup. When not in front of the screen, Michele likes to spend time with her family and read great works. You can also follow her at @Michele_Butcher.

John Havlik

First introduced to WordPress in 2005, John Havlik has been an avid WordPress user, theme creator, and plugin author ever since. Among his various plugins is the popular breadcrumb plugin, Breadcrumb NavXT. When not working on his own projects, John helps support the small, 150 user, WordPress community at Weblogs.us. He also helps organize and frequently presents at MSP WordPress User Group meetings.

Jen Jamar

Jen Jamar is a content strategist, freelance writer, and social media manager. She co-organizes the Minnesota Blogger Conference, now in its 6th year, as well as Prestige Conference, a business development conference for entrepreneurs, startups, and agencies looking to level-up their share of the digital marketplace.

When she’s not writing for clients or planning events, you can catch up with her on her personal blog LifeWithLevi.com or on @JenJamar on Twitter.

Mendel Kurland

As an outdoor enthusiast, Mendel loves backpacking, camping, gourmet coffee, and prototyping new web apps. From scrappy beginnings as an entrepreneur and Web consultant for local businesses, he found his way to corporate America as a developer, marketer, and inventor. As a GoDaddy Evangelist, he spends his time hanging out with developers, designers, entrepreneurs, and web pros around the world and making sure their opinions and suggestions are heard.

Kelly Dwan

Kelly Dwan is a developer in Cambridge, MA. She works on the VaultPress team at Automattic. In her spare time, Kelly develops themes and contributes to the WordPress project.

Barbara Schendel

Barbara has her BFA in graphic design with an emphasis on animation & interactive media and has been doing graphic & web design since 1994 (back when 48MB of RAM was a powerhouse!). She started her career working for agencies doing web and multimedia, then in 2003 moved to Minnesota and started her own business. Her specialty is fully custom WordPress websites for small to medium-sized businesses.

John Eckman

After a first career as an academic, John‘s been working in digital agencies for the last 15 years, and with WordPress for the last 8. He has been one of the organizers for WordCamp Boston since 2010, and is the CEO of 10up. He grew up in Richfield, MN but now lives in Salem MA with his wife and dogs. He blog is Open Parenthesis.

Alec Rippberger

Alec developed an interest in building at an early age. His meticulous construction of Lego sets evolved into pixel-perfect web development. At digital agency Westwerk, Alec works with clients to plan and build web solutions that solve complex business problems, bridging the gap between business goals and end-user experiences. While not working on WordPress projects, Alec enjoys tinkering with robotics and honing his Super Smash Bros. skills.

Travis Totz

As a designer amazed by Photoshop and its limitless possibilities, Travis discovered a similar power in WordPress. His love affair with WordPress began at version 1.5 and since then he’s created countless successful projects for clients around the world. In 2011, Travis joined digital agency Westwerk as a partner and refocused his skills to lead WerkPress, the agency’s WordPress division. Today he is the director of Press75, a WordPress based product division of Westwerk. Travis’ passions outside of all things design and WordPress include his wife Jenna and dog Porter, reading non-fiction, making music, travel and living a healthy, vegetarian lifestyle.

RC Lations

RC heads up product development at WetPaint, planning & building marketing tools for WordPress. A developer turned project manager, RC uses his agency experience working in WordPress as a basis to find new ways to build data and insight tools. He also rides a Stella scooter and finds business jargon hilarious.

John James Jacoby

Flox, BuddyPress, bbPress, BackPress, previously at 10up & Automattic

Cemal Tashan

Cemal Tashan is a Turkish-American businessman and Electrical Engineer. Being an early adapter and technology lover, Cemal has designed, developed and tested software for all kinds of computers and mobile devices since the dawn of the computer era.

He ardently believes in the participation of the seniors in today’s high-tech world. Cemal has published three books on photography and travel.

Anthony D Paul

By day, I’m a user experience researcher, designer, and prototyper at EightShapes. By night, you’ll find me spread across the DC and Baltimore meetup scenes—notably at events for UX, accessibility, and a variety of open source development projects. I’ve lived and worked in the DC/Baltimore corridor for nearly a decade, offering strategic, design, and full-stack development skills to clients large and small, spanning government, non-profit, and commercial. I’d tell you about my cool side projects, or divulge something funny from my past, but these days the Internet does a better job of surfacing our embarrassing moments; find me anywhere by Googling “anthonydpaul”.

Nikhil Vimal

I’m a 15 year-old WordPress Developer/Contributor involved heavily in the WordPress community for 2 years. I am the founder of TechVoltz.com and blog at nik.techvoltz.com.

Michelle Schulp

Michelle is an independent graphic designer, recently relocated to Minneapolis from Chicago. She was formally schooled in design including print, branding, packaging, etc., with additional education in Psychology and Sociology, all tying together in a love of How To Solve Problems. Lately she has been specializing in WordPress websites, infographics, and high-end presentations for her clients. She loves the WordPress community and speaks/volunteers/organizes at WordCamps and events around the country.

Kenneth Justiniano

Kenneth Justiniano is a designer and developer based here in the Twin Cities.

Ken has a background in computers that spans over 30 years. In those 30 years Ken has developed skills in coding, managing both front ends and back ends, as well as managing security for websites on both intranet and internet.

Ken currently is a partner in a local web and graphic design company, Northern Graphic Operations, which specializes in full customer experience services for web and graphic media products.

Ken not only designing and creating web sites, he is also a skilled educator that educates and trains his customers to the power, flexibility, and value of using WordPress.

When not creating website for his customers Ken can be found designing card and tabletop games, building multimedia entertainment servers, or just enjoying time with his family and friends.

Marcus Genzlinger

Marcus previously spent 11 years at financial services company holding a variety of roles from customer service, business analysis, project management, product management and user experience. Before leaving he managed a enterprise content management system with team of 10 people 12,000 documents while adhering to legal, compliance and branding requirements. In 2007 he created start-up that leveraged the content management capabilities of the Joomla platform. He has since seen the light and has made the switch to WordPress. He now consults growing businesses achieve extraordinary results using content, analytics, lead gen and social.

Michael Cain

Michael is a Portland, Maine-based Theme Generator for Automattic‘s Theme Team. He spends his days creating, converting, and improving the theme experience on both WordPress.com and WordPress.org, his evenings blogging about food and travel on mapandmenu.com, and his nights dreaming about how to make tomorrow’s WordPress blogs and sites even better.

David Skarjune

Skarjune is the lead consultant for Word & Image providing solutions for content publishing and digital workflow for authors, artists, publishers, and organizations including WordPress Managed Hosting, Support, and Training.

Trevan Hetzel

Trevan Hetzel is a front-end developer with a background in design and adaptive layouts. He lives in Glenwood, Iowa with his wife, Katie, and two young boys, Ryder and Reid. Outside of his job at Flywheel as a front-end engineer, Trevan spends his nights and weekend designing, developing and selling client websites and tinkering with the latest technologies. When he’s not goofing off with his son or tackling home projects with his wife, Trevan gets his mind out of the code editor by firing up his dirt bike and hitting the motocross track.

Konstantin Obenland

Konstantin is a WordPress developer, and Core contributor based in Southern California. You might remember him from projects like Twenty Twelve, Twenty Thirteen, or the new WordPress.org Theme Directory. At Automattic he’s is part of a team that contributes back to WordPress full time. He enjoys craft beers and good food — sometimes so much that he blogs about it.

Heather Acton

Heather Acton is the founder of Helio Interactive, a WordPress-centric digital agency in Chicago, IL. She’s passionate about good practices, mentoring others, and drinking craft beer with colleagues and friends.

Dan Beil

Dan has been a WordPress developer since 2009, focusing on front-end responsive code and clean admin interfaces. Prior to joining Alley Interactive, he worked on a large multi-site e-commerce WordPress install as an in-house developer at Blue Earth Interactive.

Dan frequently travels and speaks at WordCamps, recently talking on ‘Stop Building Themes and Start Building Solutions’ at WordCamp Phoenix in January 2014. Generally, Dan gives talks on intermediate developer practices, and personal and professional development. Previous talks have included ‘S2members and Monetizing a WordPress / BuddyPress install’ (WordCamp Minneapolis 2013) and ‘Why Custom Post Types are Awesome’ (WordCamp Boston 2013).

Dan Griffiths

Dan Griffiths has been an obsessive WordPress developer since 2007, known for founding Redux Framework and as a core developer for Easy Digital Downloads. Additionally, he has released numerous WordPress plugins and is the lead organizer for the Omaha WordPress user group and WordCamp Omaha.

Lisa Sabin-Wilson

Lisa Sabin-Wilson is Chief Operating Officer and Co-owner of WebDevStudios, a design and development agency specializing in customized WordPress themes and plugins, and the author of WordPress For Dummies. As the “For Dummies” brand franchise author on all things WordPress she’s also written several other WordPress-related books geared toward the beginner to intermediate level user of the WordPress platform. Lisa is also a co-founder of AppPresser, a commercial product for WordPress that allows users to create mobile apps (iOS and Android) with WordPress.

Lisa worked with WordPress since 2003, and is also a regular public speaker on topics such as WordPress, blogging, design, and social media. You can find Lisa on Twitter at @LisaSabinWilson.