Ashley Willis

In this session, you'll learn about building real, lasting trust within your teams. Whether you're stepping into a leadership role for the first time or you've been leading teams for years, Ashley is here to guide you. She'll draw on her decade-long experience managing teams to underline the critical role trust plays in a team's success. Expect to leave with actionable advice that will help your team bond, unleash their creative potential, and achieve shared objectives more effectively. Together, we'll explore strategies to foster an environment where everyone feels valued and motivated.

Burnout goes beyond a mere buzzword in the open-source community and the broader tech sector – it's a pressing, widespread concern requiring our immediate attention and empathy. Recognizing its reality marks just the initial step. We must direct our efforts towards self-care and nurturing the collective well-being of our community. Our collaborative journey delves into burnout's symptoms, reveals strategies for establishing healthy boundaries in demanding workplaces, and underscores the pivotal role of self-care. Furthermore, we address the role managers play in contributing to burnout and how they can adopt minor changes to prevent it. Together, let's transcend mere acknowledgment and take substantial strides toward cultivating a healthier, more resilient tech community.

Ashley takes the stage at the ninth Adobe ColdFusion Summit, offering an illuminating session that delves into the realm of DevRel (Developer Relations). Join her in uncovering the soaring prominence of Developer Relations roles and grasp the intricacies that distinguish DevRel from conventional evangelism. Don't pass up the chance to glean valuable insights from Ashley as she guides us through the exciting trajectory of DevRel within the ever-evolving tech sphere.

Burnout is a serious issue in both the open-source community and the wider tech world. The challenges of the post-pandemic era have made it even more critical to address. We need to take quick and compassionate action. Acknowledging the problem is important, but it's just the start. We should focus on taking care of ourselves and our community. In our journey together, we'll explore burnout in detail. We'll learn its signs and discover ways to set healthy boundaries in the demanding tech environment. Self-care is a key part of this conversation – it's crucial for building a strong and resilient community. Our goal is to go beyond talking and actually make a positive impact. By joining forces, we're moving towards a healthier tech community that can thrive, even in tough times.

Ashley, Ian, Chloe, Gabriella, Val, and Jamilah come together to share their extraordinary pathways into the tech industry.

Burnout is more than just a buzzword in the open source community and the wider tech industry; it's a real and pervasive issue that we need to address with urgency and empathy. Acknowledging its existence is only the beginning. It's time we focus not only on self-care but also on nurturing the well-being of our entire community. In our collaborative exploration, we'll delve into the signs of burnout, identify strategies to establish healthy boundaries within demanding work environments, and emphasize the crucial role of self-care. Together, we can move beyond mere acknowledgment and take meaningful steps towards a healthier, more resilient tech community.

In the realm of open-source communities, defining the traits of a formidable leader can elicit diverse perspectives. This podcast, artfully orchestrated by TNS Podcast Producer Kiran Oliver, elevates the discourse beyond the customary query of 'What constitutes a competent leader in today's OSS community?' The conversation expands to encompass the collective initiatives we can undertake as a community to foster and empower underrepresented minorities to ascend to leadership roles within the open-source realm. Cheryl Hung, Director of Ecosystem at CNCF; Ashley McNamara, Director of Open Source Initiatives at Microsoft; Liz Rice, Technology Evangelist at Aqua Security; and Leah Petersen, Engineer at Two Sigma, embark on a journey to unveil their distinct paths into open source. Despite varying timelines and aspirations, they unite in championing the movement.

Joining forces are long-time friends Erica Baker (@EricaJoy), Engineering Manager and co-founder of Project Include, and Ashley McNamara (@ashleymcnamara). In this engaging conversation, they delve into the art of crafting, sustaining, and discovering diverse and inclusive workplaces. Unveil the motivations behind Erica's involvement in founding Project Include, a venture that paves the way for more inclusive workplaces across the tech industry. From addressing compensation gaps to navigating conflicts, they provide insights on enhancing workplace inclusivity. While Project Include offers valuable tools, the duo acknowledges its limitations. Discover the duo's expert advice on assessing prospective employers' stance on diversity and inclusivity. They delve into combatting biases in the interview process, advocating for a shift away from whiteboard interviews. Hiring managers gain insights into key considerations, and much more. Erica and Ashley offer a wealth of guidance for fostering environments that embrace diversity and ensure everyone feels welcome.

Diving into Go Best Practices, Ashley (well, almost - she radiates enthusiasm) presents a 30-minute slide-driven discourse on mastering the art of coding akin to the Go team's standards. Delve into the realm of practices and principles that mirror seasoned Go contributors, extending beyond the typical conventions. Join Brian Ketelsen (and Ashley McNamara) as they unpack this enlightening session.

In this GALs episode, Golnaz engages in a candid conversation with Ashley McNamara, a Principal Developer Advocate at Microsoft. With more than a decade in the tech industry, Ashley's journey takes an unconventional path. Her initial years were devoted to conducting Photoshop workshops, offering business guidance, and crafting websites. However, in 2011, a pivotal shift led her to fully embrace front-end development. Her trajectory saw her delving into realms like OpenStack, mastering Python, and contributing significantly within Open Source and Go communities. An unexpected turn brought her to Rackspace before she eventually found her place at Microsoft. Discover the intriguing narrative of how an Open Source Gopher found her way into one of the world's largest enterprise entities. Join us in this video to explore Ashley's inspiring journey and her remarkable transition into the Microsoft ecosystem.

In this session, led by Ashley McNamara, we will delve into Terraform—an open-source tool designed by HashiCorp for the management of infrastructure as code. Terraform empowers users to create, modify, and enhance infrastructure components with security and predictability, all through clear and declarative configurations. Nic's presentation will immerse us in the world of Terraform, exploring its seamless integration with Microsoft Azure. Through a step-by-step walkthrough, we will dissect a straightforward configuration, unveiling how Terraform's graph-based approach to dependency management aligns perfectly with Azure's resource management. From provisioning virtual machines complete with networking and firewall rules to configuring complex microservice applications with Container Service, DNS, and beyond, Terraform shines as a versatile tool for the Azure ecosystem. By the conclusion of this session, you will possess a comprehensive grasp of Terraform's capabilities and how it seamlessly enhances the lifecycle management of your Azure infrastructure resources.

Ashley McNamara takes the helm of Azure OpenDev, a dynamic live technical series that spotlights luminaries from the open-source community. In this episode, the spotlight falls on DevOps, the transformative practice that amplifies business agility through accelerated customer value delivery. Immerse yourself in the art of blending cutting-edge projects within a robust DevOps toolchain, harmonizing their potential with the prowess of Azure. Witness how this synergy brings advantages to both legacy and cloud-native applications, ushering in a new era of efficiency and innovation.

Ashley McNamara and Mat Ryer, two serendipitous strangers who connected on Twitter, share their remarkable journey of collaboration. Together, they birthed a vibrant community website named Gopherize.me, an inventive platform that allows users to create personalized gopher avatars.

Ashley McNamara Talks About the Evolution of Microsoft at Open Source Summit North America 2017

Concluding Gophercon's 2017 opening keynote with a touch of inspiration and humility, Ashley McNamara shared her personal voyage into the world of Go, offering insights for those interested in becoming part of the Golang community. Humbly referring to herself as an "accidental gopher," Ashley eloquently traced her route to attaining the role of Principal Developer Advocate. With genuine warmth, she provided practical recommendations applicable to developers of all stages, encouraging them to embark on their own journey of impactful contributions.

Dive into the world of user-friendly command-line interfaces and command suites with an engaging workshop presented by Steve Francia and Ashley McNamara at OSCON 2017. This immersive session equips you with the essential techniques, principles, and libraries required to craft exceptional command-line experiences. Starting with a comprehensive exploration of command design and architecture, you'll delve into the nuances of creating seamless user interactions. Discover the art of command building, flag handling, and efficient parsing, all while gaining insight into the integration of configuration files and remote configuration systems. Navigate the intricacies of working with environment variables and grasp the best practices for developing 12-factor applications. As you progress, you'll be guided through the process of constructing your very own application, cementing your understanding of each concept through hands-on experience. Join us on this journey as we empower you to master the realm of command-line interfaces, turning your software into a harmonious symphony of efficiency and user satisfaction.

In a technology landscape where sexism and harassment persist, the need for inspirational leadership that empowers women to persevere in their engineering careers has never been more crucial. Join us in this episode of The New Stack Makers podcast, where we engage in a profound conversation with Margaret Mayer, Vice President of Engineering at Capital One, and Ashley McNamara, Principal Technologist at Pivotal. This insightful dialogue, captured during the OSCON open source conference in Austin, delves into the realms of mentorship and offers valuable guidance for women who might struggle with shyness or hesitation in voicing their perspectives.

Ashley McNamara was a featured guest on the show, bringing her expertise to a dynamic discussion. Our conversation ranged from the importance of sharing developer experiences and leveraging community support to ignite enthusiasm for STEM, to exploring intriguing Go projects and staying updated on the latest news in the field.