Organizers

Meet the organizers of WordCamp Toronto 2018. Interested in helping organize? Volunteer!

Dan Stramer

“My name is Dan and I am a web designer and front end developer. I have been roaming the web for the last 15 years creating projects for a wide range of clients and causes.

As a designer and developer, I understand that the perfect user interface should look good and work even better. Alongside my clients, I uncover problems and solve them.

When I’m not building websites I enjoy teaching webdesign while volunteering at Ladies Learning Code.”

Kristine Black

“After two years of helping organize the North York WordPress Meetup with NewPath Consulting, I finally took the plunge and built a site for my event planning business, WEDNorth.ca.

During our cold winter nights, I sat under the artificial light of my greenhouse operation (surrounded by thousands of seedlings destined for my Ottawa Valley farm) and marveled at the fact that WordPress allowed me to create the basis of my own digital presence.

I had dabbled in social media (@KandydKris – Candid more than sweet;-) and @WEDNorthneeded social media accounts too. After four months of solid online activity I was happy to transition to work on my farm and summer events.

Admittedly my site can use more attention and I should post more regularly on my 7(?!) social media accounts and blog… But that’s what winter is for right? I look forward to working with the amazing WPToronto organizing team to bring you WCYYZ 2018.”

Andy McIlwain

Andy McIlwain wrangles content at GoDaddy and helps manage the GoDaddy blog. He’s a longtime WordPress advocate, working with the platform since 2007 as a freelancer, agency & in-house developer, technical marketer, and course instructor.

He’s led local tech meetups since 2008, including WPToronto since 2011. He was a co-organizer of WordCamp Toronto from 2011-2015, and returns for 2018 to help with content and comms.

You can connect with Andy via Twitter, LinkedIn, and (of course) his personal WordPress site.

Robin Macrae

Robin works with enterprises, SMBs and entrepreneurs to transform their businesses with websites and SaaS applications on the WordPress and other platforms. He has a broad business and technical background that combines skills and expertise in strategy, content development, information architecture, SEO and frontend development.

Active in the WordPress community and the WPTO for a decade, he has been an organizer in several WordCamps and a speaker in a variety of technical, business, marketing and legal conferences and workshops. His professional credentials include a BA, MBA and JD and he lives in Toronto. Workspacebuilders.com@Robin_Macrae, LinkedIn.

Robin is the Speaker Wrangler in WordCamp parlance and responsible for curating WordCamp Toronto 2018‘s content. That role included the development of the theme and the selection and scheduling of speakers.

Jacques Surveyer

“For the past 20 years Web Development and Design has been an active business interest. In 2007, I tried 3 CMS systems – Drupal, Gallery and WordPress for my early websites Takethe5th, ThePhotoFinishes, and TheOpenSourcery.

Now all three are WordPress websites and I am trying to determine if WordPress is the Web’s Operating System. It is currently 31% there. The questions are what does it take to be the Web’s Operating System and what level of usage [60% of all websites worldwide??] makes WordPress the Web Operating System. I am interested in exploring these ideas while doing Web Design and Development.”

Alex Sirota

Alex is a pioneer in using the cloud to meet the needs of small and medium sized business (SMBs). He has a BSc in computer science from the University of Michigan and has worked as a product manager at two Internet startups.

As the founder of NewPath Consulting, he helps SMBs with business-relevant technology advice, implementation services and education to optimize business activities using the cloud. Alex plays the trumpet and is the president of the University of Michigan Alumni Club of Toronto.

Jeremy Choi

Father, husband, entrepreneur, mentor, and an irredeemable golf addict. Possibly like you, Jeremy’s big hairy audacious goal is to make a positive dent in this world.

As the CEO of WPUP, a management & support service for small business owners using WordPress, his purpose is to use creativity and organizational skills to lead & inspire others to focus on becoming the best at what they do, so they can simplify and be happy in their lives.