Women and Non-Binary Folx of XWP

Hey there, I’m Francesca Marano, the Director of Engineering (Learning & Growth) at XWP, and today I want to share with you some insights from some of our fabulous women and non-binary folx here at XWP on their experiences in WordPress. 

But first, let me give you a little background on myself. I co-led the release of WordPress.org versions 5.3, 5.4, and 6.2, and I’ve been actively involved in the WordPress community for years. I’m also the proud founder of C+B, a blog that has supported countless Italian creative female entrepreneurs. 

Let’s dive into the exciting world of WordPress and the experiences of some incredible women and non-binary folx at XWP.

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Inspiration from WordCamp Europe: 

At WordCamp Europe 2023, I had the pleasure of hosting a panel discussion titled “Women and Non-Binary Folx of WordPress.” with Yoast’s Chaya Oosterbroek, Automattic’s Thelma Mutete and Anne McCarthy, Extendify’s Jessica Lyschik and Level Level’s Rian Rietveld. The aim was to bring together a diverse group of individuals for an honest conversation about underrepresented folx in the WordPress open-source project. 

The panelists shared their achievements, struggles, and advice for those starting out to a packed out room of people. This inspiring session made me realize that we have a wealth of untapped knowledge within our own XWP community. So, I decided to pose the same questions to some of the brilliant women and non-binary folx right here at XWP. Let’s hear what they have to say!

Introducing the XWP Panel:

Have you had any mentors in your career? What role have they played? Have you been a mentor to others?

Shelby: I have had two amazing mentors in the dressage industry. Women who have taught me how to value and grow my skills, find clients who value what I bring to the table, be realistic about what I have to offer, and how to remain ethical in the face of adversity. 

My mentors showed me how important it is to build connections, to nurture your network, and to support others around you. In turn, I’ve done my best to pass that on to others I’ve encountered, especially young women.

Mika: My experience has been a little different. I’ve had one mentor, back when I worked at a bank, but really that was it. Most of my career has been chucked into the fire and told to swim—but I feel like I excel there most of the time.

Ivana: No, I also haven’t had any mentors in my career. As part of my principal product owner, I do mentor other product owners in different areas related to the product discipline, though.

JJ: Early on, pre WordPress, the lead engineer at the startup I worked for supported me and gave me pretty free rein to try and fix things. I usually broke them in the process of course. However, I haven’t mentored anyone.

Being part of an underrepresented group, have you found any struggles in your job or the WordPress community?

JJ: I have often noticed that people who don’t know me don’t take me seriously. I’ve had the common experience of someone talking about technical things at conferences to the guy I’m with and ignoring me, but being able to say “I’m in engineering at XWP” has made this easier.

Danielle: Prior to XWP, I worked in higher education whose staff skews female. That completely flipped when I came to XWP, and I now work with teams where I may be the only female on a project. They’ve been extremely different work environments with completely different cultures though, so it’s hard to point to gender-balance as a differentiating factor.

Shelby: I know that I personally experienced pay inequality in a company I used to work for, being paid much less than my male peers. In my past experiences, it was very common to be the only woman in a meeting, or the only woman on a project.

Mika: In WordPress… I get a LOT more harassment and abuse than men do in my position. The early part of my career with OpenSource, I was relatively anonymous and people assumed I was a man. As soon as I ‘came out’ as a woman, a lot of relationships in tech changed and more people started to demand to speak to the MAN IN CHARGE. 

In my job-life, pre WordPress I was once told I’d never excel if I didn’t wear a skirt and makeup—that was by someone at a major tech company. I never did either.

Ivana: My experience has been a little bit different. I have never struggled to find a job in the tech industry and I don’t feel that being a woman made any difference. Through university and my different roles in tech companies, I had many cases in which I was the only woman or part of a small group, I don’t feel that there was any difference because of this. 

However, I feel that being Latin-American added an extra bit of difficulty to access certain roles in companies outside the region.

Ana: I’m also lucky in the respect that I haven’t experienced any gender-based issues in tech so far.

What has been, so far, your biggest achievement in the tech industry?

JJ: This is going to seem like such a small thing but on a personal level, I’m so proud of myself for standing my ground at the first (?) Day of Rest in London and making sure Gravatars didn’t get automatically added to the REST API if a site has opted to not use them.

Shelby: I am, by my nature, a helper. I find a lot of satisfaction in helping others. QA is a great fit for me because I am augmenting the accomplishments of others, while simultaneously ensuring that the finished product will delight the end user, thereby improving their experience.  My greatest achievement isn’t defined by one particular accomplishment or accolade, but instead by the clarity of purpose, plan, and process that I strive to bring to each project I work on. 

Danielle: I’m most proud of the clients and organizations that I’ve supported and influenced with design and product management, particularly the non-profits, universities and smaller publishers.

Ana: I completely agree with Ivana, for me it’s working with a company like XWP where I get to learn, grow and befriend some amazing people.

What advice would you give to other underrepresented folx who want to get involved in the community or tech in general?

Shelby: Channel your inner Nike, and Just Do It. Do it with intention, integrity, passion, and joy.  Remember to invest in your own knowledge acquisition. Remember to connect to the like minded individuals you encounter. Build your network. Believe in the value you bring to companies, projects, and teams. Understand that everyone comes from a different perspective, and while you don’t have to all agree, it’s absolutely appropriate to set healthy boundaries on what kind of treatment you’ll  accept from others.

Ana: Don’t stop learning and improving your skills. Giving and receiving feedback is SO important.
Learn more about how we promote and encourage feedback at XWP in Why I Joined XWP (And How We Do Things Differently!) by our Lead People Advocate Aline Andres

Mika: It’s hard. I won’t lie. Yes, it gets better, but it does so SLOWLY. It’s constantly running into glass walls you didn’t expect, and it’s tiring, but it DOES, slowly, get better. Find the people who are like you and stick with them for support. But it’s hard, and it’s not just you who struggles. Don’t feel alone.

Danielle: If it’s earlier in your career and you have the ability to, find people who need help and who you can help with your skills. Barter, trade or give your time for the experience and portfolio-building. Advocate for yourself and be persistent about it, even with the little things. Celebrate (and document) your wins and reflect sincerely (but not for too long) on your failures.

Ivana: Make learning a part of your routine, build a backlog of the things you want/need to improve and work on those things.

Conclusion from Francesca

Hosting the panel in Athens, and hosting the panel for this post have been a gift to me. I am honored to be able to bring stories of traditionally underrepresented groups in tech to a broader audience—and you can do it too! 

Everyone has a story to tell and collectively, as an industry, we can uplift each other by sponsoring diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at every level. You got it. We got it! ❤️