Organizers

Lead Organizer

Patrick Rauland

Patrick Rauland is obsessed with WooCommerce. He’s used it as a customer, worked for WooCommerce support, developed core functionality in WooCommerce itself, led three releases, and helped plan their yearly conference (WooConf).

He now helps people by writing on his blog, creating courses for LinkedIn Learning / Lynda.com, and by writing books like WooCommerce Explained & the WooCommerce Cookbook.

Patrick is also the co-founder of WooSesh, an online conference for WooCommerce developers and store owners.

Patrick lives in Denver Colorado where you can probably find him at a local coffee shop typing away.

Organizers

David Hayes

Short and sweet: David is into board games, technology, and bicycles. He runs WPShout, and wants to make sure you have the absolute best WordPress hosting. He’s also into coffee, with a too rarely updated side-project: Low Key Coffee Snobs. He’s also sometimes on Twitter.

Jeff Daigle

A few years ago, after a couple of decades working as a systems administrator, a web designer, a UI lead, and finally an Architect, I finally worked up the courage to start a business of my own that would use my skills in technology and web development to help people turn dreams and ideas into small businesses of their own.

Today I do that as an independent consultant doing business as Denver Business Design Consulting (dbdc to its friends), specializing in custom development for WordPress + WooCommerce with an emphasis on Subscription and Membership sites.

I built my first WordPress site in 2006 and ever since have seen it as a vital piece of the Open Web, a tool that anyone can use to build something online that they own and they control.

After enjoying and benefitting from WordCamp Denver as an attendee for several years, I’m excited to be working as an organizer to help keep it going into the future.

Dave Warfel

Over the past 10 years, I’ve worn just about every hat in the web design world. And I’ve finally found the two that fit just right.

  • Building digital products
  • Educating others

So that’s what I do now—sell WordPress themes & plugins and teach beginners how to build & manage their WordPress sites.

I volunteered for WordCamp Denver in 2018, had a blast and wanted to get more involved. So here I am planning the parties for 2019 🎉.

My company, Escape Creative, just turned 10 years old. Here’s to the next 10 of hopefully working smarter instead of harder.

Outside of the WordPress world, you’ll find me hiking/running the Colorado mountains, bouncing off the walls of my CrossFit gym, writing down my thoughts and trying to save the world with as few things as possible.

Maddy Osman

Maddy Osman is an SEO Content Strategist who works with clients like AAA, Automattic, Kinsta, and Sprout Social. Her background in WordPress web design contributes to a well-rounded understanding of SEO and how to connect brands to relevant search prospects. Learn more about her process and experience on her website, www.The-Blogsmith.com and read her latest articles on Twitter: @MaddyOsman.

Diane Whiddon

Diane loves awful action movies, fantastic cheese, online marketing, WordPress, and helping small businesses get bigger.  She runs her own coaching company at dianewhiddon.com, and you hear her wax (marketing) poetic on her Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing, The Inspired Biz Minute.

Brandon Kidd

Brandon is marketer who specializes in manufacturing & technology marketing using SEO, PPC, and CRO to help businesses maximize campaign ROI across each channel.

This is Brandon’s 3rd year as a WordCamp organizer and he’s in charge of web & graphic design.

Follow him @smashbrando

Zack Katz

I run GravityView. We make essential Gravity Forms add-ons, including the best plugin to import CSV into Gravity Forms.

I’m about to launch TrustedLogin, the right way to share a login to your WordPress site.

This summer, you’ll find me on a tennis court at the excellent Gates Tennis Center 🎾

Gordon Seirup

My first business failed. I was nearly suspended from 2nd Grade for operating a business on school property. While my Dad stepped in to avert the suspension, I had to shut it down. I lost my entire investment. While ten dollars may not sound like a lot of money, it’s a lot to an 8-year old!I took a graphic design and web development class in High School. I launched my first website for a paying client as a sophomore. Somehow I didn’t realize I could actually build websites as a job, so I got a B.S. in Psychology from Colorado State University. Along the way, I’ve worked as a Mobile DJ, Hot Dog Man, Radio Personality, SWAT Trainer, and Restaurant Manager.

I quit my job as a car salesman after a week because I wanted to be able to sleep at night and keep my soul. And that’s exactly what I told the Sales Manager when I turned in my keys. In 2007 I struck out on my own selling websites. That venture failed too; but my demo sites got me a job at a local web shop. It was there I built my first website on WordPress (v2.3.1) in 2008.

I founded Copper Leaf Creative in 2011 with the vision to create a small, elite, agile-minded team that builds websites that make profound impacts on our clients’ businesses. Six years and just over a million dollars later, so far so good!

When I’m not working, I’m cooking, catching concerts, reading, mountain biking, racing sailboats, backpacking, day-hiking, swimming, running (ugh), Jeeping, and slow-smoking ribs. I’m also an aspiring comedian. No joke.

https://www.copperleafcreative.com/team/

Jeremy Green

Jeremy started building websites back in 1999. Today he enjoys staying on top of the latest techniques in web design, WordPress, and business development at Endo Creative. Jeremy organizes the Fort Collins WordPress meetup and has spoken at multiple WordCamps. When not building websites, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two boys, mountain biking, and drinking really good coffee.

Leah Ashley

I love things most people hate – checklists, details, organizing, even reconciling accounts. What can I say? I have a wicked OCD streak.

Prior to joining Copper Leaf I was an assistant to a real estate agent. In just two years, I helped her triple her annual commissions to over a half-million dollars.

At our annual Friendsgiving Feast Gordon and I got to chatting about work. I was frustrated with my real estate job. Copper Leaf was afloat but struggling to be profitable. Gordon and I put two and two together. Copper Leaf needed my help.

I joined the team in January 2015. By April we shattered the monthly revenue record. Since then, I’ve been wrangling Gordon’s passion project into a reliable, predictable, profitable business. While that will no-doubt be a perpetual effort, we’ve achieved a balance of creativity & systemization, excitement & accountability, vision & execution.

I also have a B.S. in Psychology from Colorado State University. Pet sitting put me through college. Along the way, I also managed an IT company, worked at a comic book & game store, taught cows to eat weeds, managed a team of commercial maintenance contractors, and worked in elementary education with kids with autism.

When I’m not working, I’m reading, hiking, playing board games, running, road-tripping to National Parks in my Wrangler with the top down, knitting, doing Zumba, and hanging out with my two cats.

https://www.copperleafcreative.com/team/

WordCamp Denver is over. Check out the next edition!