2025 DSF Board Candidates

Hi,

I am Abigail(Afi), a DSF member who has contributed to the Django Ecosystem for about four years. I have held the following positions in the community:

• Leadership council member for Black Python Devs (current)
• Open Source Program Manager for Black Python Devs – I am managing 39 of our community members make their first steps in open source (current)
• Programs Team member for DjangoCon US 2024
• Contributed in organizing Django Girls Zanzibar (2023) ahead of the first DjangoCon Africa, co-organiser of Django Girls in Kwahu-Ghana (2019), and coach at Django Girls Ho-Ghana; 2018, 2024 and Zanzibar (2023)
• DjangoCon US Speaker 2023, you can watch my talk here: Strategies for Handling Conflicts and Rollbacks with Django

I have extensive experiences with the community, which have contributed to my growth, and I believe serving on the board is a good way to give back. As such, I am positive that I would bring a refreshing perspective to the board and be a good match for community integration with Django.

As a board member, I plan to increase interactions between the DSF and its user base by providing an official mailing list highlighting non-technical and technical updates that will keep Django users up-to-date with current developments and build a relationship with our user base. Through this, I aim to gather djangonauts from everywhere to support creating the next leaders of the Django community.

In addition, I would like to use my experience in fostering Strategic Partnerships and Fundraising in the nonprofit space to help the DSF Fundraising WG find more sponsors for the DSF. While working with a community, I fostered vital partnerships with about 10 organisations, which contributed to reaching our Fundraising and Partnerships goal despite most organisations slashing nonprofit donations.

As such, I believe those skills, coupled with my community experience, will contribute to the growth of the Django Community, especially when we attract sponsors and increase their efforts and visibility on our social media.

I began developing with Django at version 1.11 and have been an avid user since. I am a member of Djangonaut Space and was previously a Djangonaut in the program. I’m also an active member of Python Spain and Python Barcelona and have coached at multiple DjangoGirls workshops.

I believe the next few years will be crucial for Django’s future. It’s important for us to remain relevant and ensure that Django continues to be a choice for new projects, not just for maintaining existing ones.

The DSF needs an executive director, we’ve reached the limit of what a volunteer board can do or be asked to do. This is my first and main priority for 2025 and I believe without such a change we will struggle to meaningfully advance.

An obstacle to enacting an executive director is the need to expand the foundation’s funding and pool of sponsors, and I propose that one of our most effective ways to achieve this is by expanding our communications. Too little of the Django user base is reached by the DSF and other non-official Django communications, leaving a wide userbase who may be very willing to support the project but do not know they can.

In support of these goals, I will also make the website a priority. We’re years into attempting to revamp it, the last successful attempt being a decade ago. The website working group is not yet finalized, an executive director will help us push this forward.

The DSF needs fresh perspectives, and with your support I believe I will bring positive changes to the Django community.

Hi DSF board members! My name is Amir Tarighat and I’m a software engineer and long time user of Django. I think since version ~1.8. I live in NYC.

I’m 3x VC backed founder and an active investor, currently I am the CEO of Agency which is a Y Combinator backed company.

I’m an expert in cybersecurity and compliance, and have served on several boards including one non-profit and an elected neighborhood council position.

I would love to serve the Django community and help grow its use by helping with fundraising, community events and sponsorships, and with anything security or compliance related. I’d also love to help with anything startup related.

I am Ariane Djeupang, a junior project manager, Community builder and freelance Machine Learning Engineer from Cameroon.

As a young Black African woman in STEM from the francophone region of Africa and an active DSF member, I’ve dedicated my career to fostering inclusivity and representation in the tech community and I am confident that I bring a unique perspective to the table. My extensive experience organizing major events like:

• DjangoCon US 2024,
• DjangoCon Africa 2023, and
• PyCon Africa 2020 (as a volunteer) | 2024 (as an IOC member ) has equipped me with the skills and insights needed to drive inclusivity and community engagement.

My journey has been fueled by a passion for diversity and representation. I have seen firsthand the incredible impact that inclusive environments can have on underrepresented communities, especially in Africa, and I am dedicated to amplifying these voices within the Django ecosystem. As a mentor in the both the Python and the Django Community, as well as a mentor and community manager at BEL’S AI Initiative in Cameroon, I have empowered many young technologists, fostering a supportive and inclusive community.

I aim to bridge the gap between the DSF Board and our vibrant African community, ensuring that our unique perspectives and needs are heard and addressed. I am committed to being the voice of Africa within the board and representing the board within my community. By voting for me, you are supporting a vision of inclusivity, innovation, and growth for the Django community.

To achieve this, I plan to:

• Launch official DSF multilingual mentoring programs, targeted at underrepresented groups from Africa, with plans to expand globally.
• Introduce the Django Diversity Incubator, offering resources, workshops, scholarships, and global hackathons to underrepresented groups around the world.
• Create a Django Open Source Fellows interns role, to welcome new people into code and non-code contributions.

Thank you for your consideration.

Hi everyone! I’m excited to throw my hat in the ring for the DSF Board of Directors.

To me, there appears to be a critical component that could benefit from increased attention: social media and marketing. And I believe It’s time we start giving Django the social media attention it deserves.

Let’s be real: If we master this social media game, Django’s reach will explode, and the entire ecosystem will thrive.

The more we boost Django’s presence online, the more up-and-coming developers will flock to it. And with that surge in usage comes the rise of Django-focused communities—stronger, more engaged, and constantly growing.

Now, here’s where it gets exciting: more visibility leads to a snowball effect.

• Visibility drives growth: More eyes on Django → more users → more contributors
• Quality fuels adoption: More contributors → better Django → increased commercial usage
• Success attracts support: Increased usage → more sponsors → resources for further expansion

Then guess what? We loop back to the start: Django gets bigger, stronger, and better.

Here are few-of-many pointers that I am aiming to start with during my tenure as a board member:

• Boost Django’s presence in Asia through targeted outreach and events.
• Launch Django Ambassadors program to recognize influential community members.
• Facilitate non-coding contributions to Django (design, content, event organizing).
• Create a volunteer layer between the DSF and interested individuals who are eager to contribute to specific working groups (WGs).
• Produce engaging social media content similar to Feature Fridays.

I am highly motivated to lead Django’s social media and marketing as a Board member. I have more high-level plans and ideas in mind, and I’m focused on finding the right time and people for their execution. Additionally, I would represent the Asia region and bring valuable diversity in the DSF board. You can read more about my plans in the blog here: Making Django Unstoppable: My Plan to Boost Visibility and Drive Growth

Now talking about myself, I am a django core contributor and have been involved with DSF for around past 1.5 years as a DSF member. I also did Google Summer of Code with Django in 2023 and mentored in Google Summer of Code 2024 with Django. Apart from code contributions I have contributed to Django in various others ways:

• I am Co-Chair at the social media WG at DSF. (all the Feature Fridays posts are created by me 🙂 )
• I was a navigator at Djangonaut Space’s first session.
• I recently started a community called Django India with an aim to popularize Django in India.

Excited for what lies ahead!

My journey as a software developer has been profoundly shaped by the power of community. From the outset, participating in developer meetups and events, particularly DjangoCon Africa, has not only strengthened my technical skills but also reshaped my understanding of growth—both personal and professional.

Driven by a desire to make a meaningful difference, I am pursuing a position on the Django Software Foundation Board. I bring a commitment to promoting diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility within the Django ecosystem. As a vocal advocate for African and minority communities, I believe my presence on the Board would add a valuable perspective to the DSF’s mission, ensuring that emerging developers from underrepresented backgrounds find opportunities, resources, and community support in Django.

My experience with the Swahilipot Hub Foundation, a Kenyan NGO supporting youth along the coast, has equipped me with essential skills in community engagement and in applying technology for social good. Through this role, I have developed Django-based solutions that empower community self-management—an experience that has reinforced my belief in Django’s potential to uplift communities around the globe. On the DSF Board, I aim to serve not only as a representative for these communities but also as a mentor and technical guide.

I’m running for the board because I love Django, I’ve built my career on it, I want to see it succeed for another 20 years, and I think I can help.

My background is as a Django user and educator. I’ve built several successful products on Django, spoken at multiple DjangoCons and PyCons and have published many popular articles and videos about using Django. I currently run a Django boilerplate product that helps people build apps and start businesses on top of Django. I’m also a member of the DSF and the social media working group.

My platform is relatively simple. I don’t want Django to get left behind. I’ve seen old frameworks like Rails and Laravel continually reinvent themselves, bringing new cohorts of web developers into the fold, while Django has largely stayed the same.

Part of the issue is Django’s reluctance to adopt modern technologies— with better front end being at the top of my list. But I don’t have unrealistic aspirations of adding HTMX, Tailwind, or React to Django, so much as starting the conversation about how the Django ecosystem can have a better story for people who want to use those things.

The other part—and the part I hope to help with more—is cultural. Specifically, getting Django to do a better job at selling itself. This means working harder to pitch and position Django as a great, modern framework for building apps. As well as creating more opportunities and incentives for funding Django.

If elected, I’ll try to be a voice on the board that pushes Django forwards, while understanding that I will often get pushed back. Let’s keep Django great for another 20 years!

I am a software developer with over 20 years of experience and have been passionate about Django since 2007, starting with version 0.96. Over the years, I have not only built my career around Django and Python, but I have also actively contributed to expanding the Django community. My journey has led me to found a consultancy firm focused on these technologies, and I’ve dedicated my efforts to bringing new developers into the community and fostering its growth.

In 2019, during DjangoCon Europe in Copenhagen, I strongly desired to take my community involvement to the next level. I proposed to organize DjangoCon Europe 2020 in Portugal. Though the pandemic reshaped those plans, I co-organized the first virtual-only DjangoCon Europe in 2020, another virtual edition in 2021, and the first hybrid event in 2022. Our 2022 edition set a new record, with over 500 in-person attendees and 200+ online participants. The experience has been gratifying, and I continue to be actively involved in the community by co-organizing DjangoCon Europe 2024 in Vigo, Spain, and preparing for DjangoCon Europe 2025 in Dublin, Ireland.

In addition to my work with Django, I am deeply committed to the growth of the Python community in Portugal. In 2022, I co-founded PyCon Portugal, intending to host the conference in a different city each year to maximize its reach and impact. The first edition in Porto succeeded, followed by Coimbra in 2023, which attracted participants from over 25 countries. By the time of this election, PyCon Portugal 2024 in Braga will have concluded, furthering our goal of uniting and strengthening the Portuguese Python community.

I am enthusiastic, committed, and pragmatic. In every initiative I’ve taken, I strive to make a positive and meaningful impact, influencing and empowering those around me. My experience organizing large-scale events, building communities, and fostering collaboration can be valuable to the Django Software Foundation.

I look forward to contributing my skills and dedication to help guide the DSF’s efforts in the years ahead.

solo soy un fan y me encanta el framework

I’m running for the Django Software Foundation board of directors to help serve the community and reshape the board and foundation.

The key to making the DSF more sustainable is the stability that hiring an Executive Director brings. From day-to-day communications to supporting the Django Fellows to improving our ability to fundraise, everything revolves around having someone whose job is to run and support the foundation. I believe an ED will help Django get a seat to more conversations involving open source and web standards that we get passed over today.

I bring over two decades of non-profit experience, including co-founding DEFNA (the other Django non-profit) and serving on the Python Software Foundation, including leadership roles (Treasurer and Vice Chair). I have also helped organize DjangoCon US for over a decade, and we have seen many community members and leaders grow through that community-building experience. I’m an advisor for Black Python Devs and have been a mentor through the Djangonaut Space project.

I want to revise and revisit our sponsorship plans and fundraising goals. They have not changed much over the years despite companies’ needs changing significantly. We did this with the PSF, and it increased the number of developers in resident roles (the PSF’s version of Fellows) we could fund. It’s time for the DSF to revise our plans.

I want to revise our approach to DjangoCons and other “why aren’t they called DjangoCon” community events. Why aren’t more of these promoted or listed through the Django website?

I firmly believe in the Campsite Rule: “Always leave the campground cleaner than you found it.” I feel good about the mark I have left on the Django and Python communities over this past decade, and I am happy to serve the Django community in a more significant role if given the opportunity.

I’m excited to nominate myself for the Django Software Foundation’s Board of Directors. With 4 years of experience in the tech industry, I’ve seen the impact Django can have on a project’s success. I’ve contributed to the community through speaking at conferences, organizers global DjangoCon conference , teaching Django on campuses and am committed to using my skills to help the board make informed decisions.

My goals are to increase diversity and inclusion within the community and improve the overall health and stability of the Django project. If elected, I promise to be an active and engaged member, always putting the needs of the community first.

Thank you for considering my nomination. I’m excited to serve the Django community and contribute to its continued success.

I am excited to submit my candidacy for the Django Software Foundation (DSF) board. Having transitioned into software development after a career change, I feel like I bring a unique perspective to the challenges and opportunities within the Django ecosystem. I am deeply passionate about diversity, inclusion, and mentorship,

My journey into tech by way of Django, has been shaped by collaboration, continuous learning, and the support of mentors, which is why I am eager to give back to the Django community. I am particularly enthusiastic about contributing to initiatives that promote diverse voices and create inclusive environments where everyone feels empowered too contribute and to leave things better than how they found them.

In addition to my commitment to diversity, I am driven by a love of running projects, research, and collaboration.

As a member of the DSF board, I would bring fresh ideas, a collaborative spirit, and a dedication to making Django an even more inclusive, forward-thinking community.

I’ve been using Django since 2009, and apart from blogging about Django for 15 years, I’ve always been mostly on the sidelines. It’s about time to get more involved with the community, share my experience and expertise, offer my time. I’m mainly interested in the enforcement of the Django trademark and code of conduct, ensuring a healthy community.

I am a Software Engineer with over 10 years of experience, working with Django both personally and professionally since 2015. My journey with Django started in 2015 when I attended my first Django Girls event in Brazil. Since then, I’ve built my career around Django, contributing to the community while actively attending, participating in and helping organize Python and Django conferences/events.

In 2018 and 2019, I helped organize PyCon Balkan in Belgrade (Serbia). Since 2016, I’ve coached and organized Django Girls workshops around the world, including in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Budapest (Hungary), Brno (Czechia), Belgrade (Serbia), Porto (Portugal), and Vigo (Spain).

Over the past few years, I’ve been deeply involved in DjangoCon events, particularly in Europe, where I’ve volunteered and organized Django Girls workshops.

Since 2020, I’ve had the privilege of serving as a board member of the Django Software Foundation (DSF). The pandemic brought us significant challenges, but we’ve built a resilient team, eager to push Django forward with fresh perspectives and new solutions. I’ve also been involved in the early efforts to shape a long-term plan for future conferences across Europe, focusing on engaging more organizers and selecting host teams earlier – up to two years in advance – for better flexibility and planning. However, there’s still more we aim to achieve.

I’d love to keep supporting our Django community as a board member, promoting more diversity and inclusiveness while encouraging collaboration and exciting initiatives.

I’m Lilian 👋, a DSF Member, Django ORM contributor, and Djangonaut Space Coordinator.

Lots of talent is locked up in the industry simply due to gatekeeping. Let’s improve processes and tap into this pool of talent, so we can move Django forward in the right direction.

The DSF should do more to facilitate the connection between newcomers and maintainers. Let’s create a space where we provide the support system they need to collaborate productively, for technical teams and working groups alike.

We also need to facilitate bolder decision making. For the framework: sponsored features and fundamentals like async support, JIT, type annotations. For the Foundation: more transparency, an Executive Director, a newsletter.

How can we achieve this?

1. Coordination with the Steering Council for tech decisions, via a Board Liaison role.
2. Gather feedback from program organizers to determine gaps that need support.
3. Facilitate collaboration among newcomers and maintainers.
4. Better marketing: such as promoting community initiatives.
5. Documented playbooks! To scale the Working Groups concept.

Frustrated by the status quo in the industry, and yet inspired by changes happening to Django, I’m motivated to help more people get involved with Django as code contributors and leaders.

Why I’m Running

Before assisting to DjangoCon US, I saw Django as just part of the larger Python community. But seeing how this community goes above and beyond to support both longtime members and newcomers changed that for me. When others suggested I run for the board, it felt like a way I could give back and share what makes Django special on a global scale.

A Bit About Me

I co-founded and organized the Python Paraguay community, starting with our first PyDay in 2015, which was a huge success and sparked a lasting momentum. Since then, I’ve organized meetups, events, workshops, and grown our community to almost two thousand members—the most active tech group in Paraguay! I also used Django for projects that make a difference: AyudaPy.org, a mutual aid platform during COVID-19 (which I presented at DjangoCon US 2022), and Lista Hũ, a tool to protect against scammers, both of which highlight Django’s potential for social good.

Ideas for Django

• Learning Curve: Improving the Django tutorial and expanding learning resources can make Django more accessible and less intimidating for newcomers. Creating more comprehensive, step-by-step guides will empower new developers and ease their journey into Django.
• Supporting Global Accessibility: Expanding Django’s reach by focusing on language accessibility and gathering regional feedback is key. Adding questions to the Django Developers Survey on preferred languages and translation quality could help the community prioritize localization efforts, ensuring developers worldwide feel supported in their native languages.

I believe this community is on the right path, and it would be an honor to contribute as a board member

The Django community is the best one I could be a part of, and since I started using Django, I have seen wonderful initiatives born and thrive within it (e.g., Django Girls+, Djangonaut Space, Django Fellow). We should bring this momentum to other areas as well: fundraising, the website, development sprints, content translations, self-promotion (e.g., release videos), multimedia content (e.g., videos, books, podcasts, photos, …), feedback from Django users, Django’s environmental impact.

I think that the Django Software Foundation has the potential to facilitate and promote these initiatives. It also has the authority to relate to other Open Source communities, to seek synergies, and with big corporations, to grow from an economic point of view, being able to pay more people (e.g., Django Fellows, Directors, UI/UX experts, …)

I believe I can give a boost to these initiatives, with my experience in the Django community, and with an original point of view in the Board, as a member of the Italian Python community, and founder of a local community.

Hello, Djangonauts!

If you are one of the regulars on the official Django Discord server, my passion and dedication to both the Django community and framework should be no secret. As a helper, I have helped countless other developers use Django successfully. As a moderator, I do my best to ensure that we have a community that we can all be proud to consider our own, regardless of our background. An environment that is inclusive, diverse, and welcoming. To me, it feels like home, and I hope you all feel the same way.

For those I haven’t yet had the pleasure to meet on Discord or elsewhere, I hope we do soon.

About me:

• I have been building on the web since the Geocities days, and have over 17 years of professional experience, meaning I know how to get things done.
• I have experience building and managing communities, including forums and subreddits, meaning I can readily help with the technical and human aspects.
• I am proactive, and lucky enough to have a lot of flexibility in how I spend my time, meaning I can help turn decisions into action.
• I am open-minded, and eager to learn, meaning I am looking forward to working for the community, with the board, rather than wanting to impose my own ideas.
• I am a polyglot speaking more than four languages fluently, meaning I feel connections to others, regardless of geographical borders.

If elected, my goals will be:

• Collaborating with the other board members. Django’s popularity and stability is a testament to the fantastic work current and past board members and developers have done, and while I may have my own ideas, I would first want to know more about any backlog, plans, or other issues that need to be resolved rather than bring about drastic changes.
• Efficiently implementing board decisions. While plans may sometimes forcibly change, they at least need someone to take charge of them. I am happy to lend my technical expertise when required, and deal with other roadblocks.
• Community representation. As a fairly visible member of the Django community, I am looking forward to ensuring the community feels represented and heard, and seeing what more we can do to help the community grow.
• Increase representation of non-English speakers. While English is the de facto business language, there are other large markets that would benefit from better support.

As Django nears twenty years of existence, becoming a board member certainly gives us some big shoes to fill, but between my passion, this amazing community’s support, and the time I can dedicate to the position, I am confident that I can help the community continue to thrive, make a tangible difference, and better serve the community we all know and love.

Best regards, and best of luck to all the other applicants,

Pat

Balancing code, community, and collaboration, I am actively holding the following position of responsibilities:

• Co-Chair of the Fundraising Working Group at the Django Software Foundation
• Session Organizer of Djangonaut Space
• Software Development Engineer (Django backend and Infra) at a wealth tech startup.
• 2023 SWE intern (Django techstack) under the GitHub Octernships program.

Having had the experience of building inclusive student tech communities and organizing numerous meetups and global hackathons as a GitHub Campus Expert, I can bring fresh perspectives to the DSF Board and bridge the currently huge gap between the student community and the potential Django leadership positions. As a DSF Board of Directors, I will push for initiatives to:

• Build a Django Evangelist Program or a Django Developer Advocacy Working Group
• Introduce a dedicated Django track at student hackathons to increase the framework’s visibility amongst budding developers.
• Establish a robust DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) framework in both theory and practice for DSF
• Include subtle subconscious yet impactful details, such as designing the assets of custom merchandise—like stickers—that represent diverse races and backgrounds to ensure everyone feels valued.
• Continue driving fundraising efforts to engage potential corporate sponsors with a structured funding roadmap and prospectus that aligns with our community needs.
• Develop a one-stop-solution DSF community handbook – an easily accessible guide for newcomers

I’m dedicated to bringing the voice of the Asian Indian community to the DSF Board. The lack of DjangoCons and a strong local Django network in this region limits talented individuals from essential growth opportunities. I aim to foster a sense of belonging at the table, expand rewards in exchange for volunteering, and ensure the Django community thrives everywhere, especially in underserved areas with psychological safety and welcoming ways for one and all.

Hello! For those that don’t know me, I’ve also been actively contributing features for most of the last decade. I help run the Discord, the accessibility team, and I’m on the fundraising working group. If that sounds like a lot of time commitment already, you’re right. If you vote for me I might have to become dormant in some other roles.

But I don’t really want to talk about my perspective as a contributor, I want to talk about my experience as a user. I’ve been using Django since around 2008. We have great batteries for 2008. For 2024? I am not so sure. I feel like we are missing things like:

• Built in 2FA with WebAuthn / passkeys.
• Better serialization to make APIs without needing a second framework.
• A better frontend story, whether that’s tutorials on integrating frameworks or how to use simpler solutions like HTMX, template components (or all of the above).
• A more modern, accessible admin interface with better UX.
• Simpler project setup for small projects, including deployment and static files (integrating white noise?).
• (type hints maybe?)
• I could increase the size of this Wishlist by several factors and still not be done.

The reason I believe we’re missing these things is simple (and possibly wrong). Django is getting bigger, more mature, and prioritises stability. These are all great things, but they do slow down development when almost all new features are contributed by people volunteering their time.

To fix this, Django needs money, which is why I joined the fundraising group, and then there is the question of spending that money. And for the me the priorities are clear:

1. Spend money to make more money.
2. Hire more fellows and widen their remit to contributing new features.

And that’s my “manifesto”, if you like.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vitaly-sem/