Community Day on May 15th is all about collaboration, mutual support, and the open-source movement, but it’s also a key moment for practical learning about the future of our industry. We are excited to introduce the speakers leading our Sharing Sessions.
Led by active community members, these sessions will focus on Artificial Intelligence and the open ecosystem. They are designed to showcase real-world examples, diverse approaches, and practical lessons that you can apply to your daily workflow. To wrap up the afternoon, all three speakers will join a panel discussion on the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the WordPress Community, exploring how automation and AI are transforming everything from content creation to development.
Meet the experts joining us for this conversation.
Nilo Velez
Nilo Velez is a web developer with over 20 years of experience and a dedicated WordPress contributor active across teams like Polyglots and the Photo Directory. Currently sponsored by Hostinger, Nilo focuses on strengthening the project from within by encouraging participation and learning. His session, “The Power of Open: What WordPress Offers Beyond Development“, is for anyone who wants to see WordPress as more than just software. Nilo will explore the project’s vast open resources, such as learning platforms and design directories, and discover how everyone from designers to content creators can benefit from and contribute to the open ecosystem.
Marcel Schmitz
Marcel Schmitz is the Founder and Principal Architect at Pluginslab, specializing in enterprise eCommerce solutions and high-performance architectures. With a growing focus on modernizing workflows through AI, Marcel bridges the gap between cutting-edge innovation and technological reliability. His presentation, “WP Agentic Admin“, focuses on a privacy-first approach to AI by running an assistant entirely within the browser. Marcel will demonstrate how to turn the WordPress admin into a natural-language command center where no data ever leaves the device, providing a secure and efficient way to manage sites.
Shadi Sharaf
Shadi Sharaf is a Principal Engineer with over 20 years of experience architecting large-scale distributed systems and high-traffic infrastructures for industries including media and banking. An expert in cloud-native architectures and supply chain security, Shadi is also a frequent tech speaker and mentor. His talk, “AI in the Enterprise: Challenges and Opportunities“, dives into the practicalities of deploying AI in production environments. Shadi will share essential strategies for cost management, compliance, and observability, demonstrating how to audit AI conversations within WordPress to ensure secure and efficient outcomes at an enterprise scale.