Ashley Willis

Being a part of the 'Faces of Open Source' project was both an honor and a unique experience. As someone who has spent years contributing to open-source projects, often behind the scenes, having my portrait taken by Peter Adams was a moment that made me reflect on the work I've done and the community I'm a part of.

Gopherize.me started as a fun side project between me and my friend Mat Ryer. We wanted to give folks in the Go community a way to create their own Gopher avatars—just a simple, joyful nod to the mascot we all love.

My art has found its way into both open source and developer communities. My version of the Go Gopher—drawn with a lot of respect for Renée French's original—mixes the classic look with my own style. It's one of the pieces I'm most proud of.

I chose Bit the raccoon as a symbol for Developer Advocates for a reason. Raccoons are smart, curious, and quick to adapt—just like we have to be. Our work is all about learning on the fly, navigating new territory, and figuring out how to best support our communities. Bit captures that energy perfectly.

I had the chance to collaborate closely with Forrest Brazeal on a pair of illustrated technical explainer videos. One of my favorites was Model Gardener – A Generative AI Tale, styled after Peter Rabbit. We leaned into storytelling and nostalgia to make complex topics more approachable, and it really resonated.

I had the chance to team up with Forrest Brazeal, Chloe Condon, and Priyanka Vergadia on a fun and unique explainer video about software supply chains. We called it The Software Supply Chain Song: I'm Goin' To Production, a playful nod to Schoolhouse Rock that mixed nostalgia with real technical insight. It was a true team effort, and the response on social media showed that it struck a chord with folks.