Building a Welcoming Community in Tech  ## Metadata - Author: [[Catherine Abrikian]] - Full Title: Building a Welcoming Community in Tech - Category: #articles - Document Note: --- tags: - #developer-relations - #community-building - #inclusion Author: Catherine Abrikian Source: Article Reference: https://www.devrelx.com/post/building-a-welcoming-community-in-tech date created: 2025-08-22 00:00 --- # Title: Building a Welcoming Community in Tech ## Table of Contents: - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📖 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical validity](#-logical-validity) - [🔍 DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis-prompt) - [🔍 SEO Evaluation](#-seo-evaluation) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ### References: - DevRelX feature on Ada Developers Academy and interview with Katherine (an Ada alum): https://www.devrelx.com/post/building-a-welcoming-community-in-tech - Ada Developers Academy: https://www.adadevelopersacademy.org - SlashData statistic cited: “as of Q1 2023, nearly a quarter of all developers (22%) self-identify as female, up from 19% two years ago.” ## 📝 Summary: This article highlights Ada Developers Academy’s role in fostering a more inclusive tech industry and features reflections from Katherine, an Ada alum, on how community, volunteerism, and mentorship nourish individuals and strengthen networks. It underscores the measurable impact of inclusive training pipelines (e.g., a 94% post-graduation employment rate) and the personal, local actions that create welcoming environments—from school volunteering and peer mentoring to joining affinity groups like Black Code Collective. The piece invites readers to build and sustain community ties both online and offline, emphasizing that small acts of welcome compound into lasting belonging. ## 📖 Main Content: The article opens by situating DevRelX’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in tech and spotlights Ada Developers Academy, a tuition-free, year-long program serving women and gender-expansive adults, with intentional focus on communities historically marginalized in tech. Concrete outcomes are presented: a rise in women-identifying developers industry-wide and Ada’s strong job placement. Katherine’s narrative centers on the spiritual and practical benefits of community: reciprocal support, joy in others’ successes, and everyday acts that turn neighborhoods into home. She details volunteer work with Adies (review sessions, helping unblock peers, listening) and local involvement at her child’s school. She describes the power of affinity groups—such as Black Code Collective—as spaces for professional and cultural connection. The article closes with pragmatic advice: welcome newcomers proactively; maintain connections virtually when needed; and recognize that equitable engagement requires effort, especially for those with fewer resources. It quantifies Ada’s macro impact since 2013: serving 1,000+ participants and generating $50M in new salaries, narrowing equity gaps. ### 🗒️ Notes - DevRelX’s stance and spotlight - Pride in supporting organizations advancing diversity and inclusion. - Focus on Ada Developers Academy and its mission to prepare women and gender-expansive adults. - Serves Black, Latine, Indigenous, NH/PI, LGBTQIA+, and low-income communities. - Industry context - Gender diversity benefits companies and the broader economy. - SlashData data point: 22% of developers self-identify as female (up from 19% over two years). - Ada Developers Academy model - One-year, tuition-free program: six months classroom + five months internship with partner companies. - Emphasis on collaboration, rapid learning, and practical team-based development. - Outcomes: 94% hired within six months of graduation. - Katherine’s community practice - Volunteerism across relocations; mixing virtual and in-person engagement. - Actions include school volunteering and mentoring Adies (review sessions, problem-solving, listening). - Personal anecdote: welcome at Everyday Sundae exemplifies micro-moments of belonging. - Affinity-based community - Joining Black Code Collective offered professional and cultural connection. - Seeing many Black technologists together was affirming and joyful. - Practical guidance for welcoming communities - Proactively greet and include newcomers; find commonalities. - Maintain connections virtually when face-to-face isn’t possible. - Commit to accessibility for people with fewer resources; collective commitment enables participation. - Macro impact - Since 2013: 1,000+ participants; $50M in new salaries; contribution to narrowing equity gaps. - Call to action: learn more at Ada’s site; reach out to Katherine on LinkedIn. ## 📖 References: - DevRelX article: https://www.devrelx.com/post/building-a-welcoming-community-in-tech - Ada Developers Academy: https://www.adadevelopersacademy.org - SlashData (female developers share statistic cited in article) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase: 1) Original idea: “There’s a certain spiritual nourishment that comes from being part of an active community where you give, but also, when you begin to feel depleted, you can receive something in return.” - Paraphrase: Being deeply involved in a vibrant community feeds the soul: you contribute to others, and when you’re running low, the community replenishes you—through shared joy, support, and connection. 2) Original idea: “If you’re already established in the community, and you see someone new, please reach out to welcome them and see what commonalities exist. Everyone has to start somewhere, and feeling welcomed is a huge leg up.” - Paraphrase: If you’re a regular in a space, take the initiative to greet newcomers and look for shared ground. First impressions matter; a genuine welcome can significantly boost someone’s ability to settle in and participate. ## 📰 Newsletter: This week in the world of WordPress and open source: we’re doubling down on learning, community, and sustainable contribution. - Learn web development: Whether you’re polishing your PHP or noodling on modern JS, remember that consistent practice beats perfection. Try “pair-learning” sessions in your local cohort or online study halls—teaching is the fastest way to learn. - Community highlights: Ada Developers Academy continues to show what inclusive pipelines can do, with strong outcomes for women and gender-expansive developers. Their approach—six months of classroom work plus industry internships—translates to real jobs and real impact. Explore how their model fosters belonging and rapid skill growth via DevRelX’s feature on Ada Developers Academy. - Recent updates: Keep your sites lean and inclusive. Test your theme’s contrast ratios, audit alt text, and ensure keyboard navigation just works. Accessibility is performance—for users and for your team. - New plugins: Keep an eye on tools that boost contributor onboarding (docs-in-dashboard, mentorship prompts, contribution checklists). They reduce friction for first-time contributors and help maintainers breathe easier. Pro tip: Want stronger communities? Say hello first. If you’re established, reach out to the new person in the channel or at the meetup and help them find their footing. Small acts; big ripples. Links: - DevRelX on community-building and Ada Developers Academy: https://www.devrelx.com/post/building-a-welcoming-community-in-tech - Ada Developers Academy: https://www.adadevelopersacademy.org ## ✅ Action Items: Tailored prompt to align articles with your Developer Advocacy and OSPO goals: - Purpose: For each article you review, analyze how it advances open-source advocacy, equitable contributor engagement, and education within the WordPress ecosystem, while modeling OSPO-level transparency and governance. - Use this template: 1) Alignment to Open Source Values: - Which freedoms (use, study, modify, distribute) - Summary: The Ada Developers Academy is an organization that helps prepare women and gender-expansive adults to become software developers while promoting equitable workplaces. The academy serves various underrepresented groups, such as low-income people and BIPOC, and focuses on providing coding training and fast-tracking students into junior developer roles. Ada's model of collaborative support has proven effective, with 94% of graduates securing full-time software engineering positions within six months. The article highlights the importance of community involvement and cultivating connections to promote diversity in the tech industry. - URL: https://www.devrelx.com/post/building-a-welcoming-community-in-tech At [DevRelX](https://www.devrelx.com/?utm_source=devrelx), we take great pride in supporting organisations and communities that contribute to the diverse and inclusive evolution of the tech industry. This time we want to bring into the spotlight [the Ada Developers Academy](http://www.adadevelopersacademy.org?utm_source=DevRelX_Blog&utm_medium=Ada_Academy&utm_campaign=DevRelX_Blog) whose mission is to prepare women and gender-expansive adults to be software developers while advocating for inclusive and equitable work environments. Ada primarily serves and addresses the needs of Black, Latine, Indigenous Americans, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islanders, LGBTQIA+, and low-income people. Gender diversity brings substantial benefits to individual companies and the tech economy at large. We can see more companies recognising the importance of diverse workspaces. According to [SlashData’s research](https://slashdata.co/free-resources/state-of-the-developer-nation-24th-edition?utm_source=free_resources&utm_medium=devrelx_blog&utm_campaign=ada_academy), as of Q1 2023, *nearly a quarter of all developers (22%) self-identify as female, up from 19% two years ago*. Still, many companies struggle to recruit and retain diverse talent – that’s where Ada Developers Academy comes in. Ada Academy is a one-year, tuition-free coding school that fast-tracks women and gender-expansive folks into junior software developer roles. Through six months in the classroom and five months in an industry internship with one of our company partners, Ada students build the skills and experience they need to become developers. We develop engineers who are highly skilled and collaborative; graduates are experienced in practical, team-based software development and learning new technology rapidly. The results of their work speak for themselves – ***94% of Ada graduates are hired into full-time software engineering jobs within six months of graduation.*** Katherine is an Ada alum and fills her spiritual cup through volunteerism and community ties. She builds up new coders as a mentor to incoming Adies and creates lasting relationships from city to city.  Strong community ties and giving back can fuel your spirit – because when you’re around your people, something just clicks. Community is different for everyone. It can inspire, empower, or be a springboard for innovation. Helping not only feels good, but it can also make a difference. Build connections with your local organizations and get involved today. You never know the power of your contribution. Community involvement has always been important to me. Everywhere I go, I seek out opportunities to deepen community connections, give back through volunteerism, and show up for others. My family and I have moved three times in the past three and a half years, so my community involvement has been, at times, virtual, allowing me to maintain connections, and at times in person, in forging new connections. We moved into our current neighbourhood about a week before the school year started this past August. In applying to Ada, I was particularly drawn to Ada’s model of collaborative support. I’m continuing to deepen my ties with my new communities. I’ve volunteered at my son’s school, and I’m grateful to be active in supporting fellow Adies outside of the mandatory classroom requirements (facilitating review sessions, helping to think through blockers, providing a listening ear) and receiving their trust and support in turn. ###### Making time for cultivating community and giving back outside of the 9-5 work schedule can be exhausting! What inspired you to get involved? What keeps you coming back or pushing forward? There’s a certain spiritual nourishment that comes from being part of an active community where you give, but also, when you begin to feel depleted, you can receive something in return. That something received can vary a lot. It might be the vicarious joy of a community member’s personal or professional victory. It might be some sort of direct support. One recent reaffirming moment for me occurred during our first week in our new neighbourhood. My family and I stopped in at [Everyday Sundae](https://www.everydaysundaedc.com/) and were immediately granted the gift of community. The owner welcomed us, saw our toddler, and took the time to invite us to a community event for children that was coming up soon. Whenever we stop in there now, we chat and deepen that connection. For me, it’s these sorts of connections that help to make a place feel like home. I’m determined to do my part in that work, pay the kindness given to me forward, and multiply that kindness in the world. About two months after starting with Ada, I heard about [Black Code Collective](https://blackcodecollective.com/) from a member of the Ada community and joined. It’s been such a blessing to have this community of Black tech workers, where we can talk about the issues that concern us, from the purely professional to the cultural. I went to a meet-up in December, and we took up a full third of the bar we were meeting in. Seeing so many Black people with connections to tech in one space was so powerful. Being an active part of that community absolutely brings me joy. ###### Any other thoughts you’d like to share about being a volunteer, finding your community, or anything else? Community connection got more difficult during the pandemic in some ways, but it’s still possible. I message and call mentees when we can’t meet face-to-face; I’ve facilitated group sessions virtually. Connecting with people who don’t have a lot of resources gets even tougher, but if everyone is committed and sees a benefit, it can work. In terms of finding a community, if you’re already established in the community, and you see someone new, please reach out to welcome them and see what commonalities exist. Everyone has to start somewhere, and feeling welcomed is a huge leg up. [You can connect with Katherine on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kabrikian/). Since our founding in 2013, Ada has served over 1,000 participants and generated $50M in new salaries for women and gender-expansive folks in the tech economy, narrowing gender and racial equity gaps in one of our most prosperous and influential sectors. Learn more at [www.adadevelopersacademy.org](http://www.adadevelopersacademy.org?utm_source=DevRelX_Blog&utm_medium=Ada_Academy&utm_campaign=DevRelX_Blog)., Building a Welcoming Community in Tech, Catherine Abrikian, 01h1vmp0shbnd36qxksty0xvma.