WordCamp US 2024: Meet the Masterminds Behind the Mic (and Their Must-See Sessions!)

WordCamp US 2024 is right around the corner, and this year’s list of speakers is bigger and more impressive than ever.

Taking place over three days from September 17–20 at the Oregon Convention Center in vibrant Portland, Oregon, the annual WordPress community gathering boasts a jam-packed schedule full of unmissable demonstrations, presentations, and workshops.

With so much going on, attending North America’s biggest WordPress event of 2024 means making some tough decisions when it comes to planning your itinerary.

To help you out, we’ve rounded up this year’s top speakers at WordCamp US ’24 and the must-see sessions they’ll be delivering.

10 WordCamp US 2024 Speakers You Don’t Want to Miss

1. Alexandra Guffey

Reach for the Sky: Disney Experiences’ Magical Transformation with Gutenberg

Source: https://us.wordcamp.org/2024/speaker/alexandra-guffey/ 
Alexandra Guffey leads on user experiences at The Walt Disney Company.

On the opening day of WordCamp US, she reveals how the global entertainment giant used over 50 pre-made Gutenberg blocks and that trademark Disney magic to create an enchanting multi-site communication hub.

This engaging session highlights the challenges, successes, and valuable lessons learned in creating the ultimate Disney Experience. Alex will also be showcasing the brand’s unique approach to WordPress design and development.

• When: Wednesday, September 18, 9:15 AM
• Where: Mt. Hood (Oregon Ballroom)
• Learn more about Alex Guffey

2. James LePage

Deeply Integrating AI with WordPress

Source: James LePage Linkedin

Of all the product demonstrations we’re looking forward to at WordCamp’s first-ever showcase day, James LePage’s introduction to the AgentWP artificial intelligence agent may be the most exciting.

We’ve covered scores of top AI WordPress plugins over the past few years. Of them all, we’d argue that AgentWP has the potential to be to WordPress AI what Yoast is to SEO or WooCommerce is to WordPress eCommerce.

LePage, whose company WPAI created the AI product, will take to the WordCamp stage to show us how the platform can transform the way we use WordPress.

He’ll also provide a glimpse ‘under the hood’ to explain how AgentWP works safely and stealthily within WordPress.

• When: Wednesday, September 18, 10.30 AM
• Where: Mt. Hood (Oregon Ballroom)
• Learn more about James LePage and WPAI

3. Jon Ang & Stuart Shields

How We Grew and Optimized RecipeTin Eats to Reach 45 Million Monthly Views (from 25M)

Stuart Shields: Source – WordCamp US

Jon Ang: Source – WordCamp US

Jon Ang and Stuart Shields come to Portland representing Human Made, a digital agency that works with high-profile enterprise clients.

In this presentation, the duo share how Human Made inherited a content website, optimized it to enterprise-grade standards and grew its monthly views from 25 million to 45 million.

A fascinating look at integrating newer technologies with legacy websites, there’s sure to be a lot of insights into large-scale growth and the infrastructure behind it.

• When: Wednesday, September 18, 11.30 AM
• Where: Timbers (C123 – C124)
• Learn more about Stuart Shields
• Learn more about Jon Ang.

4. Christy Nyiri

Highlights from the Automattic Special Projects Team

Any time you see Automattic among the list of WordCamp speakers, you know it’s a must-see.

This particular speaker is Christy Nyiri who heads up the design side of the Automattic Special Projects team.

In this engaging session, Christy shares the team’s favorite websites and digital tools and explores how the team contributes to the wider WordPress community.

Source: WordCamp US

• When: Wednesday, September 18, 3.30 PM
• Where: Rose City (A105 – A106)
• Learn more about Christy Nyiri

5. Joseph Jacks

Open Source Is Eating Software Faster Than Software Is Eating the World

Source: WordCamp US

OSS Capital founder Joseph Jacks kicks off Thursday’s proceedings with what is sure to be a fascinating keynote speech on the vital importance of the open source ecosystem.

Covering its impact on crypto, AI, and software technology, Jacks’ opening speech will certainly set the right tone for this annual celebration of our favorite open source platform.

• When: Thursday, September 19, 9.15 AM
• Where: Mt. Hood (Oregon Ballroom)
• Learn more about Joseph Jacks

6. Bryce Adams & Travis Lima

Decoding the Woo and WordPress Strategies of Industry Giants

Bryce Adams: Source – WordCamp US

Travis Lima: Source – WordCamp US

Bryce Adams is the founder of reporting and email marketing platform Metorik. Travis Lima is an online entrepreneur and Customer Success Manager for Woo.

Between them, the two have helped develop and support scores of large-scale eCommerce sites.

In this session, Adams and Lima share examples of how major brands have leveraged WooCommerce to grow at scale.

• When: Thursday, September 19, 1.15 PM
• Where: Stumptown (B113 – B116)
• Learn more about Bryce Adams 
• Learn more about Travis Lima

7. Linnea Huxford

From Bottlenecks to Breakthroughs: How the New York Post Mastered Scalability

Source: WordCamp US

If you ever had any doubts about WordPress’s capacity for scalability, Linnea Huxford’s deep dive into how the platform powers The New York Post is a must for your WordCamp schedule.

Huxford is a Principle Software architect a WordPress core contributor and Principle Software Architect at Alley, a digital agency focusing on enterprise-scale publishing solutions for news and media sites.

Catering to technical leads and developers, her session uses the New York Post WordPress site as a jumping ground to provide both important lessons and solid proof that WordPress has what it takes to handle massive sites.

• When: Thursday, September 19, 2.15 PM
• Where: Rose City (A105 – A106)
• Learn more about Linnea Huxford

8. Markus Robinson

Empowering Black-Owned Businesses: The iOne Digital Story

Source: WordCamp US

Kick off your Friday with a dose of inspiration and insights courtesy of Markus Robinson, SVP of Product and Technology at iOne Digital.

Robinson talks attendees through his company’s use of WordPress to launch 70+ online platforms for black-owned businesses.

A must for WordPress users involved in managing multisite networks, there’s a lot to learn about the technical and strategic elements of growing digital spaces.

• When: Friday, September 20, 10 AM
• Where: Timbers (C123 – C124)
• Learn more about Markus Robinson

9. Jonathan Desrosiers & Aaron Jorbin

Releasing a Version of WordPress in 8 Hours or Less

If the title of this session alone isn’t enough to leave you captivated and curious, the story presented by Jonathan Desrosiers and Aaron Jorbin surely will be.

Aaron Jorbin. Source – WordCamp US

Jonathan Desrosiers. Source – WordCamp US

Desrosiers and Jorbin are experienced WordPress Core committers who were there the day Core contributors turned around an entire new WordPress release in less than a day.

Their joint talk provides compelling insights and useful lessons, making it a must-see session for anyone involved in WordPress security, development, and release management.

• When: Friday, September 20, 11 AM
• Where: Stumptown (B113 – B116)
• Learn more about Jonathan Desrosiers
• Learn more about Aaron Jorbin

10. Matt Mullenweg

Keynote Address and In-person Q&A

Last but certainly no means least, the festivities wrap up with a word from the WordPress co-founder himself, Matt Mullenweg.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Attiribution: Cmichel67, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

After delivering a keynote speech that may reveal hints as to what we can expect at his annual State of the Word address in December, Mullenweg will sit down for a Q&A session.

If you’ve always wanted to ask the man who started it all a question, this must-see session should be an essential part of your WordCamp US schedule.

Can’t wait until then? Here’s our roundup of Mullenweg’s biggest reveals at WordCamp Europe 2024.

• When: Friday, September 20, 3.45 PM
• Where: Mt. Hood (Oregon Ballroom)
• Learn more about Matt Mullenweg

All This and More at The Biggest US WordPress Event in 2024

The ten top speakers above may be among the highlights of a WordCamp US schedule packed with standout sessions, but they’re far from the only ticket in town.

If you’re heading to Portland, you’ll also have the opportunity to attend interactive workshops, such as the exciting WordPress speed battle, network with WordPress developers, designs, and creators, and meet event sponsors such as our colleagues at E2M Solutions.

The team will be on hand throughout the conference, so be sure to stop by and say hi before you leave!