Development
Block development, performance, modern web capabilities, the toolchain.
Speakers
The 2026 lineup is announced June 29
Below: speakers from WordCamp US 2025 in Portland, shown as a preview of the kind of program we curate. We'll replace this grid with the actual 2026 lineup on announcement day.
Showing speakers from WordCamp US 2025 (Portland) as placeholder content
The actual 2026 lineup is announced June 29 on us.wordcamp.org/2026/. Until then, this grid illustrates the calibre of speakers WCUS attracts.
What this lineup covers
Four tracks, mapped to where WordPress is going
AI in WordPress
AI-assisted workflows, developer tooling, content personalization, what's shipping right now.
Design & Strategy
Design systems, content strategy, the next chapter of Gutenberg.
Community & Impact
Career, ecosystem health, inclusivity, the WordPress project's future.
From WCUS 2025 — Portland
Speakers who've shared this stage
Twelve speakers from the 2025 Portland program, used as illustrative placeholders for the 2026 build. Each card links to a profile page (which will be populated as the 2026 lineup confirms).
Anne McCarthy
Product Wrangler, Automattic · Community
Sponsored WordPress contributor. Spearheaded the Full Site Editing Outreach Program. Speaks on community, creators, and the WordPress ecosystem.
Adam Silverstein
WP Core Committer · AI
Long-time WordPress core committer. Speaks on AI in developer workflows and unlocking developer superpowers with AI.
Felix Arntz
Senior Software Engineer, Google · AI
WordPress Core committer. Helped establish the Core Performance Team and the WordPress AI Team. Co-presenting Core AI direction.
Matías Ventura
Head of Architecture, Automattic · Development
Lead architect of the Block Editor and Site Editor. Speaks on Gutenberg's next chapter and the design language behind WordPress.
Tammie Lister
Product Engineer · Design
Longtime WordPress contributor at the intersection of design, development, and open source. Speaking on design systems as strategy.
Jamie Marsland
Head of WordPress YouTube, Automattic · Community
Founder of Pootlepress and host of the WordPress YouTube channel. Speaks on creators, content, and the WP audience.
Michelle Frechette
Executive Director, Post Status · Community
Community advocate. Founder of Underrepresented in Tech. Speaks on professional growth and inclusivity in the WP ecosystem.
Ryan Welcher
Developer Advocate, Automattic · Development
Developer advocate focused on Gutenberg. Speaks on block development workflows for plugin and theme builders.
Amy Sample Ward
CEO, NTEN · Impact
Author and tech-equity advocate. Speaks on building accountable technology in the open and the future of nonprofit digital work.
Mauricio Barrantes
WP San José community lead · Community
Community organizer building WordPress in Latin America. Speaks on local community-building and WordCamp organizing.
Danny Sullivan
Google Search Team · AI
Search liaison at Google. Speaks on how search is evolving alongside AI and what that means for content publishers.
John Maeda
VP Engineering, Microsoft · AI
Designer, technologist, and author. Speaks on the cozy intersection of AI, design, and what makes WordPress feel handmade.
Featured track
AI in WordPress is a featured track
Three sessions, one shared question
How is AI changing what WordPress is, what it can do, and how the community builds it? Three sessions take that on:
- Felix Arntz — Core AI: What We're Building
- John Maeda — Cozy AI Cooking: WordCamp Edition
- Adam Silverstein — Unlock Developer Superpowers with AI
Could you be on this list next year?
Call for Speakers is open through May 29
We're looking for real-world insights, practical takeaways, and new perspectives. You don't need to be a seasoned speaker — first-time talks have stood out at WCUS year after year.
