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We’re thrilled to share the second and final round of confirmed speakers for WordCamp Canada 2025! With this announcement, our speaker roster is now complete, bringing together a program that’s as inspiring as it is practical.

A New Keynote to Inspire Us All

We’re excited to announce our third keynote: Jill Binder, a globally recognized leader in public speaking and diversity in tech.

Her keynote, From Canada to the World: 10 Lessons From Working With 50 Countries, tells the story of how a local WordPress workshop grew into a global program. Over five years, Jill facilitated public speaking workshops across 50 countries, learning first-hand how culture, identity, and language shape the way communities come together.

This candid and personal talk shares ten lessons drawn from those experiences — practical insights, surprising truths, and even a few humorous missteps. From “popcorn words” to “poster conundrums,” Jill brings a Canadian perspective to navigating the challenges and rewards of building inclusive communities on a global stage.

With Jill joining previously announced keynotes Evan Prodromou and Dave Winer, WordCamp Canada is set for three powerful talks that will frame some of the most important conversations about WordPress and the open web.

These speakers add even more depth and perspective to an already incredible lineup. From accessibility and performance to design systems, publishing workflows, and community sustainability, this final group ensures that WordCamp Canada 2025 has something for everyone.

Explore What’s Ahead

Together with our first round of speakers, this complete roster sets the stage for:

• Fresh insights into the future of the block editor, patterns, and interactivity.
• Guidance from designers and developers building at the intersection of systems, UX, and performance.
• Real-world approaches to accessibility, publishing workflows, and sustainable community practices.
• Conversations that challenge assumptions about plugins, the admin experience, and how we build for the web.

Full Schedule Coming Soon

With our speakers now finalized, we’re putting the finishing touches on the full schedule. Get ready for a weekend packed with insight, hands-on learning, and community connection.

🎟️ Tickets are on sale now — and we’d love for you to join us this October in Ottawa.

Join us on Wednesday, October 15 at Invest Ottawa‘s Bayview Yards tech hub the day before the main conference, for Contributor Day.

What’s Contributor Day?

It’s a full day of collaboration, learning, and giving back to the WordPress project. Are you a seasoned contributor? Is this the first time you’ve ever thought about getting involved? Either way, Contributor Day is for you.

So come spend a great day in a welcoming space to meet WordPress friends and brand-new connections, share your knowledge and learn something brand-new (fun fact: everyone is an expert in something and a beginner in something!) and make a real impact.

What’s new this year?

Beyond the standard contribution tables you might be used to, this year’s Contributor Day will feature a dedicated workshop track focused on hands-on learning, mentorship, and practical skills.

In that track, you’ll get a chance to dive deeper into tools, techniques, and topics that matter to the whole WordPress community — and you’ll learn directly from some of the most experienced folks speaking at the conference.

All that and accessibility too!

Plus! October 15 is also WP Accessibility Day — a global event that’s just for advancing accessibility in WordPress and beyond. Join us at Contributor Day, and you can contribute directly to official accessibility initiatives at the very same time you’re kicking off an incredible three-day WordCamp experience in Ottawa.

So what’s your jam? Are you interested in contributing code? Want to improve documentation? Are you getting started with—or have massive expertise in!—accessibility? Or do you just want to meet a bunch of people? At Contributor Day, you can do all that and a whole lot more.

Stay tuned for more details! They are coming imminently. From how to register to a sneak peek at the workshop lineup, you’ll want to keep an eye out for all the info. We can’t wait to kick off WordCamp Canada 2025 with you!

Welcoming Evan Prodromou to WordCamp Canada 2025

We’re thrilled to announce that Evan Prodromou will be joining us as a keynote speaker at WordCamp Canada 2025 this October in Ottawa.

Based in Montréal, Québec, Evan has been at the heart of Canada’s open tech ecosystem for more than two decades — and his latest work has exciting implications for the future of WordPress.

In the late 2000s, Evan co-founded the first federated microblogging platform. His groundbreaking work with microblog architecture set the stage for today’s fediverse.

Evan has been involved with the W3C’s Federated Social Web Community Group (@socialcg@w3c.social) and Social Web Working Group, advocating for open standards in online interactions. He is a driving force behind ActivityPub — the W3C standard powering federated social networks.

Curently, Evan is Director of Open Tech at the Open Earth Foundation and Research Director at the Social Web Foundation, which he founded in 2024 with Mallory Knodel and Tom Coates. The SWF is backed by Automattic, Fastly, Ghost, the Ford Foundation, Medium, Meta, Mastodon, and a variety of other federated platform organizations. Its mission is to support a growing, healthy, sustainable and multi-polar Fediverse.

The ActivityPub standard can be implemented in WordPress thanks to an Automattic-sponsored community plugin called ActivityPub. Dating back to 2018, development for the ActivityPub plugin continues to be led by Konstantin Obenland and Matthias Pfefferle, with many other contributors joining in on GitHub.

Father of the Fediverse

Evan Prodromou’s name is closely tied to some of the most important movements toward decentralization on the internet.

Sometimes called “The Father of the Fediverse,” he founded Identi.ca, which launched in 2008 as the world’s first federated microblogging platform. Identi.ca was the driving force behind a series of early open alternatives to centralized social media, like StatusNet, that helped shape what would become the Fediverse, a network of independent platforms connected by open standards.

Evan co-authored the OStatus specification and the Activity Streams 2.0 data format, which then led to ActivityPub. ActivityPub evolved from Identica’s lineage and now powers decentralized services like Mastodon, PeerTube, Pixelfed, WriteFreely, and many others.

ActivityPub is becoming a cornerstone of the new worldwide web — a web closer to the one Tim Berners-Lee created and envisioned. It’s not owned by any one company, but instead it’s made up of people and platforms working together. For example, Automattic’s Tumblr and Meta’s Threads are exploring or implementing ActivityPub support.

Today, ActivityPub in WordPress bridges two of the most powerful ideas in modern web development: open publishing and federated social networking. This work stands to dramatically expand the reach of WordPress, enabling seamless integration with platforms across the Fediverse while staying true to the values of openness and autonomy.

Innovation in the Canadian Context

Throughout his career, Evan has championed Canadian innovation with a practical, inclusive, and collaborative spirit. He’s advised international standards bodies, led startups, contributed to countless free software projects, and advocated for an internet that is more ethical, more human, and more free.

Evan’s story is a great example of Canadian innovation in action. Grounded in practicality, inclusivity, and collaboration, his work reflects the very themes we’re exploring at WordCamp Canada this year. Whether he’s helping shape international web standards or mentoring local devs in Montreal, Evan’s focus has always been on building sustainable, people-first technology that empowers users — not platforms.

In a time when artificial intelligence, platform monopolies, and algorithmic bias dominate headlines, Evan’s voice is a reminder of what truly matters: open access, ethical technology, and human-centered design. As we ask ourselves what the future of WordPress looks like in a world increasingly shaped by AI and automation, Evan helps bring us back to the core principles of the open web.

Join Us in Ottawa

At WordCamp Canada 2025, we’re gathering folks from across the country and around the world to reflect, connect, and build together. Whether you’re a seasoned contributor, a first-time site owner, a plugin developer, or an advocate for digital rights, Evan will offer thoughtful insight — and practical inspiration—for the path ahead.

We can’t wait to all get together!

Get your tickets, bring your curiosity, and join us in Ottawa this fall for an unforgettable celebration of WordPress, community, and the open web! 🌐

🎟️ Tickets are on sale now, and we’ve secured discount rates for you at area hotels. 🏨

Further Reading:

• ActivityPub 2025 Roadmap: Building the Future of WordPress Federation
• What’s the W3C and what’s a web standard?
• The Social Web Incubator Community Group
• Current 2024 ActivityPub Draft Edition

We’re thrilled to welcome you to WordCamp Canada 2025, happening October 16-17, 2025, at Carleton University in Ottawa!

This year, we’re bringing the energy of a university campus—risk-taking, innovation, and bold ideas—into the WordPress community.

Get ready for an unforgettable experience filled with learning, networking, and collaboration as we explore the future of the web together.

What to Expect

Whether you’re a seasoned WordPress veteran or discovering the platform for the first time, WordCamp Canada is your space to dive into the next era of digital experiences.

Expect cutting-edge discussions on AI, the future of the open web, and the evolving role of WordPress in a rapidly changing digital landscape.

This year we’re looking for insightful sessions from industry leaders, hands-on workshops, and panel discussions that explore WordPress in a post-website era. Stay tuned for a call for speakers.

A Return to Campus

Think back to your time in high school or university—the excitement of new ideas, late-night debates, and pushing boundaries. A place where curiosity and experimentation thrived, where no challenge felt insurmountable. That’s the energy we’re bringing to WordCamp Canada 2025. Just like on campus, this is where the future begins.

Why This Moment Matters

The digital world is shifting:

• AI is reshaping content, code, and creativity at an unprecedented scale.
• Users expect seamless, omnichannel experiences—apps, social, search, and beyond.
• The open web is more important than ever as platforms tighten control.

WordPress is at the centre of these changes, and this is our opportunity to shape its future. How do we ensure content remains independent, accessible, and high-quality in an AI-driven world? How do we push innovation forward while keeping the web open for all?

Get Involved

WordCamp is powered by the community, and we want you to be part of it. Whether by volunteering, speaking, sponsoring, or simply sharing your insights, there are many ways to contribute. Stay tuned for updates on speaker submissions, ticket sales, and sponsorship opportunities.

Join Us!

Mark your calendars, pack your plaid, and get ready for an incredible WordCamp Canada experience at Carleton University. The future of WordPress starts here. We can’t wait to see you in Ottawa!

For the latest updates, follow us on social media and keep an eye on our website. Let’s make WCEH 2025 the best one yet!

#WCEH #WCEH2025 #WordPressCommunity