In the House!
Please welcome speaker

Brent Toderash

Brent Toderash has been working with WordPress since the days when it was still called b2—and long before that, he was writing COBOL programs on punch cards in high school. Over the past 25 years, he’s worked across nearly every corner of IT, from dial-up ISP to broadband, from static HTML to modern PHP, and from Linux advocacy to running a managed WordPress hosting company. Today, he co-owns and operates a WordPress-focused agency in Winnipeg, while also contributing to projects like AspirePress and the FAIR Web Foundation to strengthen WordPress’ package management ecosystem.

At WCEH, Brent will present “Software Supply Chain Security & Risk Management: Why the Future will be Federated.” His talk traces the history of WordPress package distribution, explores why decentralization is essential for enterprise growth, and examines both the risks and the mitigation strategies involved. Attendees will also get an inside look at the work AspirePress and FAIR are doing to deliver decentralized, secure, and robust package management for WordPress—highlighting specific benefits for enterprise users, the wider ecosystem, and everyday site owners.

Check out Brent’s Session

Brent on the Socials

Give Brent a follow, and don’t miss his talk this October in Ottawa! 🍁

And now for something a little Canadian 🇨🇦

What comes to mind when you think of Canada?
“What’s the first thing you think of when you think of “home”? It’s more of a feeling, than a concrete thought… a jumble of safety, security, peace, freedom, and belonging. With free healthcare.”

Favourite Canadian band or artist?
“This is funny: as one of the organizers of Techapalooza, this has come up with our theme for the next event we’re planning, which is “True North Strong & IT.” (Techapalooza is an annual fundraiser where people with day jobs in the IT sector put together a band for a one-night battle-of-the-bands showdown, and it’s tons of fun.) I’m not sure if I’m supposed to say Rush to prove my age, or say Neil Young or BTO to represent Winnipeg, but honestly, I’ve always been a Bruce Cockburn fan.”

A Canadian food you love, or want to try while in Ottawa?
“There’s nothing better than my grandmother’s raspberry pie, but that’s now a memory and won’t fit other people’s idea of quintessentially Canadian foods. The best of those are beyond the stereotypes, where you find butter tarts.”

A singer or athlete (or other) you associate with Canada?
“If I broaden the question to any person I associate with Canada, there are so many great Canadians who have made significant contributions to science, art, and culture.. The person I think of as one of the most representative Canadians you could find is likely Peter Gzowski, who made a career of featuring other people, putting prime ministers and pickle recipes into the same half hour and making it seem like a perfectly natural combination.”