Boston WordPress Meetup

Agenda

• 6:30: Networking & Pizza

• 7:00: Presentations

Presentation 1: Renaissance Builders: Why Community Is Part of the Work in WordPress
WordPress tends to attract a specific kind of builder—namely, the person who values ownership, curiosity, and long-term craft over convenience. Many are multi-disciplinary by nature, and comfortable adapting as tools, roles, and technologies evolve.

This talk explores how that builder mindset overlaps with what I think of as the modern “renaissance soul,” and why that kind of builder has historically thrived through shared knowledge and community rather than isolation. The idea of the lone genius, while romantic, is largely a modern myth.

In many ways, WordPress meetups function as modern workshops—places where builders learn, adapt, and stay resilient together. The goal of this talk is to help attendees feel seen, re-frame community as part of the work (not an optional extra), and leave feeling more connected and encouraged to support one another in a fast-changing, increasingly digital world.

Speaker Bio: Mandy Jones
Mandy Jones is an interdisciplinary creative, brand & content strategist, and musician with deep roots in the WordPress ecosystem. She runs Pilota Creative, where she helps brands, agencies, and founders clarify their messaging and bring it to life through intentional storytelling, video, audio, web experiences, and content systems.She’s also the host of New Renaissance Tribe, a podcast and writing project exploring renaissance thinking, creativity, multi-passionate identity, and the art of building a meaningful, inspired life.

Presentation 2: Building client SaaS and mobile apps on WordPress with AI - Corey Maass
Corey shares his real-world workflow for using Claude Code and GitHub Copilot to rapidly build and test apps powered by WordPress as a back-end. From prompt strategies to debugging tips, you'll leave with practical techniques to integrate AI tools into your own development process and ship better code, faster.

Speaker Bio
A highly experienced full-stack web developer with a specialization in advanced WordPress functionality, having built for the web since 1997. He collaborates with a diverse range of agencies and businesses, from small to large, on projects of varying scales. Beyond traditional website development, Corey also develops full SaaS applications and professional-grade WordPress plugins, consistently applying a "start-up mentality" to quickly solve problems and facilitate rapid idea testing. His impressive client roster includes prominent names like Focus Features, West Elm, Seattle magazine, OptinMonster, and Post Status, reflecting his capability to deliver high-impact solutions for diverse industries. Corey's innovative projects include SaaS apps like MexicanTrain. Online and productivity tools like Timerdoro, alongside premium WordPress plugins such as OMGIMG and KanbanWP. He is also a respected speaker, sharing his expertise on topics ranging from rapid web app development to leveraging WordPress for business at numerous WordCamps, including WordCamp US.

BostonWP is proudly sponsored by:

**hosting.com** - https://hosting.com/

Bluehost - https://bluehost.com

Microsoft New England Research and Development team (NERD) - https://www.microsoftnewengland.com/

Connect with us on Slack: https://bostonwp.org/slack/