dosummitgood WP&UP to Hold #DoSummitGood Online Event for Giving Tuesday design tips Events

On Giving Tuesday, December 3, WP&UP is holding an online event called #DoSummitGood that features speakers from various “for good” WordPress organizations. The event will have nine sessions from 13 speakers. It begins at 13:00 UTC.

Giving Tuesday is a global movement meant to inspire generosity. The celebration has run each year since 2012 on the Tuesday following the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. The idea is to inspire people to do good, not for just one day of the year, but each day of their lives.

A WordPress-focused event on Giving Tuesday sounds like a perfect match. Given the nature of open source and the charitable work of many of the people and companies in the space, it makes sense to hold a specific event for the holiday. “This is the first #DoSummitGood and there has already been a discussion about making this an annual event for Giving Tuesday,” said Dan Maby, CEO and a Trustee of WP&UP.

WP&UP is a registered charity organization with a mission to support and promote positive mental health within the WordPress community. Its Health Hubs cover topics like business, skills, physical, and mental health. The organization also provides support and counseling services.

The idea for the #DoSummitGood event was born from a WP&UP Town Hall in October. “Our focus is on collaboration and our Town Halls are an opportunity for members of the public to get involved and help brainstorm ideas for the community, as well as get to know more about what WP&UP does,” said Maby.

The primary event will run via Crowdcast. By registering for the event, attendees will gain access to the Hallway Track to meet with other attendees online. They will also have the ability to ask questions directly to the speakers. Registration is free but will close once it reaches a specific number of signups. “WP&UP is paying for the technical solution to deliver the event,” said Maby. “As a registered charity we have to be responsible for expenditure, and so limiting the number of seats for this first event is one way we can do that.”

For those who do not register and attend via Crowdcast, they can still watch and participate in the event through various social platforms:

Each of the sessions will feature various international speakers who will give a talk on their area of expertise. The sessions will follow a specific format and run for one hour. For the first 10 minutes of each session, the individual speaker or group will talk about the “for good” entity they represent. They will follow up with a 35-minute talk on their subject. Afterward, the speaker and attendees will participate in an open Q&A session.

The #DoSummitGood event is designed to give back. “Throughout the event, a donation form will be shared,” said Maby. “All money raised through this form will be distributed between the various non-profits that feature in the event.”

Cory Miller, a Trustee at WP&UP, will kick off the event with a session titled “The Iceberg of Life: How I Manage the Ups and Downs.” Miller has been open about mental health within the WordPress community and his struggles for several years. He has previously written on the topic of The Iceberg of Life, which is worth reading if you are looking to get an early look into what his session may be about.

Marieke van de Rakt will follow up with a talk about improving a site’s SEO. She is representing Yoast and its diversity fund program, which helps to remove the financial burdens that cause minorities or underrepresented groups to speak at conferences.

The nine sessions have a diverse group of speakers from various organizations that are currently providing support for charities, minorities, and other groups that need help. The topics include turning passion into a profession, bringing more diversity to speaking roles at conferences, and more. Two of the sessions will be round-table events with multiple speakers.