Send us a text

We welcome Shan Cureton, Ruby Central's new Executive Director, who shares her entrepreneurial background and vision for the organization's future. Shan brings fresh perspectives on strengthening open source sustainability, increasing community engagement, and ensuring Ruby's legacy continues for the next generation.

• Founded a tech-enabled ride service for students that grew to 60 drivers across 80 zip codes
• Discovered Ruby Central after working in corporate social responsibility and immediately connected with the community
• Currently on a "90-day listening tour" to understand community needs before implementing changes
• Plans to increase visibility of Ruby Central's role in powering open source beyond conferences
• Aims to bring youthful energy back to Ruby through outreach to students and startups
• Shared public speaking tips from her experience as a communications professor
• Looking forward to her first RailsConf and meeting community members in person
• Post-RailsConf plans include a regional meetup tour and developing a three-year strategic roadmap
• Creating new social impact initiatives to bridge the digital divide and expand Ruby's reach
• Emphasizes this is just the "end of a phase" with exciting new developments ahead for Ruby Central

Feel free to contact Shan on Slack or email with feedback, project ideas, or partnership opportunities. She welcomes everyone to say hello at RailsConf!

Send us a text

Rocky Mountain Ruby Conference organizers Spike Ilaqua and Becky Freeman share how they revived this regional event and why smaller tech conferences create uniquely valuable community experiences.

• Rocky Mountain Ruby started in 2010, ran until 2017, then was revived after the pandemic
• The conference builds on Boulder's strong Ruby community, including regular meetups and an active Slack channel
• Small regional conferences create more intimate experiences where attendees can meet everyone
• The "Pac-Man rule" encourages conversation circles to always leave space for newcomers to join
• Single-track programming and community lunches help foster connections between attendees
• Volunteering at conferences provides an immediate icebreaker and helps overcome social anxiety
• Making eye contact, smiling, and joining pre-conference activities helps newcomers build connections
• Conference organizers benefit from mentorship and learning from experienced community builders

Rocky Mountain Ruby returns to Boulder, Colorado on October 6-7, 2024. The CFP will open in late May/early June, and tickets will be available in July. Submit talks at rockymtnruby.com.

Send us a text

Marty Haught, Director of Open Source at Ruby Central, shares insights on securing the Ruby ecosystem and the evolution of community spaces at tech conferences.

• Ruby Central's open source program focuses on three key areas: security, reliability, and sustainability
• Pre-compiled binaries for native extensions are coming to RubyGems to eliminate supply chain attack vectors
• Hack Spaces at RailsConf are evolving with two-hour blocks to allow maintainers to interact more freely
• Evening code parties could provide structured socializing opportunities for solo conference attendees
• The EU Cyber Resilience Act will become the "GDPR for cybersecurity" affecting commercial software by 2026
• Companies will need to produce Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs) and track vulnerabilities in open source dependencies
• Ruby Central is participating in working groups to help shape implementation of new security regulations
• Getting involved in open source is a marathon - find projects that genuinely interest you

Use code ODETORAILSCONF at checkout to get 10% off at GoRails.com