The organizing committee has lined-up a great group of speakers and panelists for WordCamp 2015. We’ll be announcing speakers and panelists over the next weeks leading up to WordCamp 2015
Calin Yablonski
Calin is the president of Inbound Interactive, and a seasoned internet marketer specializing in the development of enormously effective search engine optimization, search engine marketing, Google Adwords and digital marketing campaigns.
Chris Garrett
Chris Garrett is the Chief Digital Officer for Copyblogger Media, and is the co-author of several books, including Problogger with Darren Rowse. He has more than 22 years of professional internet consulting, direct marketing, advertising, and web development experience, working with global brands such as Toshiba, Durex, Heinz, Procter & Gamble, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, and Coca-Cola. Before joining Copyblogger full time, Chris ran a successful consulting business for 8 years. Chris teaches Business Blogging and SEM courses at MRU, and speaks at conferences and organizations around the world on the topics of online business, web development and content marketing.
James T. Swanson
A former professional rock and blues musician, and a graduate of the University of Alberta, Faculty of Law, James (Jim) Swanson practices law as a partner with Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP in Calgary, focusing on Intellectual Property (copyrights, trademarks, patents, designs and confidential information) and Technology (Software, the Internet, Digital and Social Media, Entertainment and Content, e-Discovery, Records Management, Information Governance, Privacy and Security), and litigation related to the foregoing. He also acts as the firm’s Information Security Officer and Privacy Officer. Jim was called to the Alberta Bar in 1984 and is a registered Trademark Agent (Canada). He is a former president of the Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association, and a lecturer (elective course in business law) with Athabasca University in its online MBA program. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in Canada under Technology Law.
Jeffrey Kahane
Jeffrey Kahane, BA (UWO), BEd (U of C), LLB (U of C) graduated from law school in 2000 having been on the Dean’s List, winning the “Silver Medal” and various other awards and has been practicing in Calgary since. After articling and working in the legal department of Canadian Pacific Limited (the former parent corporation of CP Rail, CP Hotels, Fording and CP Ships) he worked for Ernst & Young’s affiliate law firm Donahue, Ernst & Young where, amongst other areas of law, he worked on major ($300M ) real estate transactions. Mr. Kahane’s entrepreneurial spirit eventually won out and he opened Kahane Law Office in 2004. Through high standards and excellence in customer service, Kahane Law Office has seen tremendous growth in a relatively short time frame. Providing legal assistance on as many as almost 300 real estate transactions in a single month, Kahane Law Office has been responsible for well over a billion dollars worth of transactions.
Jennifer Feurer
Jennifer is a certified usability analyst and the owner of Arch Web Marketing, a Calgary-based web design firm that specializes in creating websites and email campaigns for service-based professionals.
Before embracing WordPress in 2008, she was involved in user interface design and coding for a wide variety of projects, including internal corporate intranets, online training applications, identity management software, and environmental management systems.
Jennifer loves collaborating with passionate entrepreneurs to show them how to attract more of their ideal clients through online marketing. Off-hours often find Jennifer trading small screen pixels for big screen films – which she tries to balance out by getting off her butt to ski and check out live music.
Kevin Brennan
After graduating from the University of Calgary in 2002, Kevin started his career in the non-profit sector, working in marketing and communications. After 8 years, he struck out on his own as a freelance web and graphic designer, building websites for small to medium sized companies. Four years ago, as work was piling up, he and Russ decided to start Build Studio as a partnership. Kevin wears a few hats at Build: balancing design, coding, business development and a few things in between. When he isn’t in the office, he’s spending time with his wife and two boys and riding his bike.
Lindsey Wiebe
Lindsey Wiebe is a Digital Analyst, specializing in the measurement of user experience across web, social, and mobile. Previously at SMART Technologies, and now at the University of Calgary, her work supports large organizations in their transitions to more user-focused, digitally-savvy ways of communicating with their audiences. Lindsey is also involved in the Ladies Learning Code initiative, acting as lead instructor of WordPress for Beginners and as a mentor for various front-end web technologies classes.
Marshall Stevenson
Marshall Stevenson is a Calgary based internet marketer and digital content creator using web design, development and podcasting. He’s been designing websites since 1995 and working in a WordPress world since version 1.2.1 – or about October 2004. His passions are impacting others in a positive way to affect change in the world – in other words, let’s get your message out!
Meghan Somers
Meghan is the Senior Account Manager at The Agency, a boutique strategic consultancy that provides creative, measurable and dynamic PR, marketing, and communications solutions. The Agency specializes in delivering integrated strategic communications campaigns and building long term communications plans for our clients.
What does building a communications strategy mean? It’s everything from setting-up your communications goals, to planning how you’ll execute on them, to working with clients to develop a solid brand and presence, to doing the work to get-it-done. At The Agency Meghan is in charge of all internal and external work flow and project management, and specializes in strategic communications planning, media relations, and content creation.
Meghan has a background in international communications, and was recently recognized by PR in Canada as one of the ‘Top 30 Under 30’ PR professionals in Canada. She holds a BA in Communications from the University of Calgary.
Mike Tighe
Mike is the founder of Solid (asolidsite.com). His background is in front end web development & design, and his current focus is in UX, web strategy, content creation, and inbound marketing.
Mike is focused on making lasting and functional products, was an early adopter to responsive mobile design, and thinks that user experience design matters just as much for the admin panel as it does for the site.
Nicolas Beique
Nicolas is the founder of Helcim Inc., a Calgary-based credit card processing company. A tech-enthusiast from an early age, Nicolas worked with friends and colleagues on numerous projects including web design, software development and 3D modeling and animation. Nicolas graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business operations. He co-founded Helcim in 2006 to provide unique payment solutions to Canadian business owners. When not working, Nicolas enjoys the great Alberta outdoors by rock climbing, hiking and snowboarding.
Paul Thompson
Sometimes called a geek translator by clients, Paul specialises in turning the buzzwords of web marketing into solid business results for everyone from bloggers and small businesses to enterprise clients.
While he does occasionally build sites, he focuses primarily on optimizing existing sites into powerful marketing platforms. Using his extensive expertise in technical SEO as a basis, he incorporates custom analytics, content marketing, conversion optimisation, email marketing, Paid Search, and social media marketing, depending on the client’s needs.
He’s been managing and marketing sites since 2002, including stints running web programs for Banff Lake Louise Tourism and Travel Alberta, and when he’s not at the keyboard, he’s likely on his bike or cross-country skis, camera in hand.
Rae Carlson
As a life-long entrepreneur, Rae Carlson started their first business in grade 7, reselling hosting accounts and building websites for small businesses using FrontPage. Needless to say, they’ve evolved their approach a lot since then. As the owner of Abtek Web Design, Rae is committed to “Building Beautiful Websites for Better Businesses”. Abtek’s Calgary-based team has over 16 years of combined WordPress development experience and serves clients all over the globe.
In addition to helping organize WordCamp YYC 2015, Rae is a contributor to The Calgary WordPress Meetup Group, getting their energy from French-pressed coffee, Star Trek soundtracks and dub-steppy mashups.
Russ Fee
Russ is a front-end web designer and became a Partner at Build Studio in 2012. Before that he worked at the University of Calgary, where he also completed his degree in Psychology. His main focus is on building sites that are not only easy on the users, but easy on the staff that update them as well.
Tim Hamilton
Tim is a front-end web designer and the official Third Amigo at Build Studio in Calgary. He’s been able to work with some awesome people lately, like the Wisconsin Film Festival and United Way of Calgary. In his spare time, he’s an aspiring illustrator and watches too much baseball and hockey.