As we prepare for the holidays, it’s important to stop and remember what we’re thankful for.
While we can’t gather around the Thanksgiving table with you, we did want to share the things we’re most thankful for this year.
We’re Thankful for the WordPress Community
The Pressable team got a welcome and long overdue reminder of one of the things we’re most thankful for when we attended WordCamp US this fall. We’re so thankful for the fantastic community of WordPress users that we work alongside.
WordCamp was three amazing days of workshops and presentations, but it was also a chance to gather in person again after taking a break because of COVID-19.
“Going into WordCamp, I was so excited about seeing people in person again,” said Jessica Frick, Pressable’s Director of Operations. “But the event surpassed all my expectations. It was an excellent reminder of how creative, caring, and compassionate the WordPress community is.”
To celebrate our return to in-person events, the Pressable team did something a bit different with our booth this year. If you go to any conference, you know the routine. You stop by booths and pick up as much swag as possible, but it ends up stuck in a desk drawer.
Instead of giving away freebies no one needs, we decided to give back to the community with your help. Each person who stopped by the Pressable booth received “Pressabills” equal to what we would have spent on swag. They then got to pick how they wanted us to donate their Pressabills.
In total, we donated $2,000 to four amazing organizations.
“The WordPress community is close-knit and wants to support one another,” Frick said. “It’s no surprise that people loved being able to pay it forward. I loved getting to talk to people about which organizations they supported and why.”
As we enter this season of gratitude, thank you to everyone who stopped by the booth and WordCamp and all the amazing people who work hard to support the WordPress community.
We’re Thankful for the Organizations Making a Difference in the World
We also want to thank the organizations you supported through us at WordCamp. They make a difference in our community and the world, and we were proud to serve as a conduit for giving back to them.
Big Orange Heart
Total Raised: $803
Big Orange Heart is a mental health organization that offers resources to remote workers. Many WordPress users started working remotely before it was trendy. Big Orange Heart is the first peer support community dedicated exclusively to remote workers. Services include coaching, mentoring, workshops, and other education and community-based resources.
The fact that Big Orange Heart was the conference favorite is not surprising. If the last couple of years has taught us anything, it’s that remote work can be challenging and isolating. We’re so grateful an organization like this exists to help people stay connected and focus on improving their mental health.
Michelle Frechette, president of the Big Orange Heart board, said she was incredibly touched and grateful when Jessica contacted her to see if Big Orange Heart would welcome donations.
“I love how Pressable used their WCUS booth to inspire giving to different tech nonprofit organizations,” Michelle said. “We are grateful that Pressable chose to support Big Orange Heart and the other nonprofit organizations in this unique and creative way, ultimately supporting the WordPress community as a whole through the work that we do.”
Michelle said that Pressable’s support also introduced Big Orange Heart to attendees who may not have been familiar with the organization.
Learn more about Big Orange Heart.
Carbon 180
Total Raised: $371
Carbon180 is actively removing bad carbon from our atmosphere while promoting legislation to save our planet. The organization is dedicated to designing and championing science-based policies that bring carbon removal solutions to a large scale.
freeCodeCamp
Total Raised: $484
freeCodeCamp provides free pro-level education to people who want to learn how to code. The organization creates thousands of videos, articles, and interactive coding lessons. In the last eight years, freeCodeCamp has helped more than 40,000 people learn how to code and land jobs at tech companies.
Learn more about freeCodeCamp.
WordPress Foundation
Total Raised: $342
WordPress Foundation is the non-profit arm of WordPress. The foundation’s goal is to ensure WordPress’s software remains free, stable, and continues improving for years to come. One of the biggest advantages WordPress offers is that it’s open-source. The foundation ensures it remains a platform available to and for the masses. The foundation also supports educational efforts to help more people learn how to use WordPress.
Learn more about the WordPress Foundation.
We’re Thankful for a Bright Future with WordPress
The holidays also mean another year is ending. As we look ahead to 2023, we recognize that we have much to be thankful for in the future. One of the biggest takeaways from WordCamp was that this is such a fantastic time to be a WordPress user. Throughout all the sessions, we learned not only about the amazing things people are doing with WordPress but also all the new features coming to WordPress.
If you didn’t get to attend WordCamp, you can still check out the sessions. You can watch replays of the live streams on the WordCamp website. One of the things we’re most excited about is all the changes with the block editor. In addition to watching some of the sessions, be sure to read our post on the latest Gutenberg updates and download our e-book on Full Site Editing.
We’re Thankful for Our Customers
Finally, we also want to say thank you to our customers who trust us to make sure their sites operate fast and flawlessly 365 days a year. We appreciate your feedback and reviews and are so proud of the projects you’ve built on our platform. If you’re in search of the best place to build your next WordPress project, look no further. Pick a plan and start building today.
Amanda Tsourakis
With over a decade of experience in the tech industry, Amanda's experience demonstrates her sales expertise. Her commitment to building, training, and guiding high-performing teams has been instrumental in driving Pressable's success. Amanda's extensive background in sales and marketing, coupled with her sharp business acumen, has made her an invaluable asset to the tech community. Her ability to identify and foster talent, combined with her passion for developing winning sales strategies, has propelled her to the forefront of the industry. When she's not expertly navigating the tech sales landscape, she loves spending quality time with her family, loves travel and adventure, lounging pool/beach-side, playing tennis, working out, and meeting people/making friends all along the way!
