An active tech community creates a vital pipeline of talented and connected people, which ultimately supports individuals with learning opportunities and businesses with talent. But as a community organizer myself (for things like Girl Develop It, UX Burlington, Offline Camp,) I can't tell you how many times someone has asked me if they can "pick my brain." Being a tech community organizer is hard. Sometimes well meaning folks looking to network or looking to support you can actually make it harder. Having recently started working professionally as a Developer Advocate, I am now in a position where my job description includes helping to support a vibrant tech community. I know all too well how hard this work is, how draining, but also how uniquely rewarding it can be. I want to share with you some tips on how to work with organizers in your community. If you do it right, you can both benefit, and in turn your local tech ecosystem can benefit as well. The first step… buy your local community organizer a beer with no strings attached. They’ve earned it.

1. BEER: Not Just for Your Devs
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Maureen McElaney

2. ♡ Your Community Organizers
@Mo_Mack
Maureen McElaney

3. A little about me...
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4. A little about my communities...
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5. @Mo_Mack

6. @Mo_Mack

7. You can’t effectively support a tech community
until you understand who they are and who
they serve.
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8. Communities...
➔ User Group Meetups
➔ Workshops
➔ Tutorials
➔ Classes
➔ Hackathons
➔ Conferences
➔ Project nights
➔ Code and Coffees
➔ Installfests
➔ Etc!

9. Five themes that arose...
1. Listen, learn, and then be straight up.
2. Make it easy to request support.
3. Be prepared to offer more than just cash.
4. Think long term.
5. Encourage your employees to participate.
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10. 1. Listen, learn, and then be straight up.
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11. @Mo_Mack

12. Why get involved?
1. Recruiting pipeline.
2. Marketing your company and culture.
3. Continued learning.
4. Building clout.
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13. “They are helpful to us and our community first, and sell
themselves second. The recruiting/sales pitches are there,
but respectful and appropriate.”
- Sylvia Pellicore, Girl Develop It Raleigh
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14. Round 1:
1. Tell me about your community!
2. What is your group’s goal?
3. What are three concrete things your group needs?
4. Why are YOU doing this work?
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15. @Mo_Mack

16. Now for round 2 of questioning...
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17. @Mo_Mack

18. Round 2:
1. Do you have a code of conduct and diversity statement?
2. Do you have a policy against using sexualized images, activities, or
other material at your events?
3. How do you ensure that your community promotes inclusion?
4. What percentage of your speakers represent a diverse group?
5. Is there alcohol at your events?
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19. 2. Make it easy to request support.
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20. “If your company sells tech services, you should be
sponsoring tech community events.”
- Tasha Scott, .Net DC and Code Camp NYC
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21. @Mo_Mack

22. 3. Be prepared to offer more than just cash.
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23. @Mo_Mack

24. 4. Think long term.
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25. “The best thing companies can do to help communities and
events is to act selfless, and not look for a direct return of
investment.”
- Jan Lehnardt of Hood.ie and CouchDB
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26. 5. Let your employees participate.
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27. “You’ll be investing not only in the skill of your employees
but in their work/life balance as well, while keeping impact
to the training budget low.”
- Tash Scott, .Net DC and Code Camp NYC
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28. @Mo_Mack

29. “I tend to tell people that the community will help them to
skill up and also make the connections for their next step.”
- Lorna Mitchell, PHPNW conf, Speaker/Author

30. @Mo_Mack

31. “I’m WAAAY more interested in building a healthy,
supportive community than meeting the needs of any one
employer.”
- Rob Hale of Vermont Code Camp and HackVT

32. In closing…
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33. Support your community organizers in
a way that improves their impact and
lessens their load.
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34. @Mo_Mack

35. Image Sources:
Slide 13: gif credit goes to https://dribbble.com/brentclouse
Slide 19: gif credit goes to @foxadhd
Slide 23: Credit: http://dilbert.com/strip/2009-11-16
Slide 34: The Alchemist - Heady Topper - https://flic.kr/p/yy9qeB
Full Blog Post:
https://medium.com/@Mo_Mack/your-community-organizers-bf698dd04c
12#.1mp3ux8g4
@Mo_Mack

36. Thank you!
Slides: www.slideshare.net/MaureenMcElaney
Twitter: @Mo_Mack
Join me at Offline Camp California
Santa Margarita, California, November 4–7, 2016.
@Mo_Mack