Get ready for Madison+ Ruby!

We’re in the final month of prep for?Madison+ Ruby conference (August 1-2). It’s been five-years since the last show but you sure wouldn’t know it. Enthusiasm in the Ruby community is as high as ever. The long, COVID-driven break failed to dampen our spirits, though it made us appreciate the value of meeting face-to-face with peers.?

For those who haven’t gotten their tickets yet, you can do so here - admission for both days is only $335.00. If you want to sponsor a student, you can get them and yourself in with a $500 Supporter Ticket. There’s great places to stay nearby, offering easy access to the show site, the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison. And while you’re here, check this out for some great places to eat in Madison.

Look who’s talking

We’re fortunate to have incredible speakers from across North America, Poland, Italy, Canada and Switzerland. These hands-on experts – senior engineers, lead developers, CEOs and authors – will be covering a host of Ruby- topics. The following are a few presentations of the many I’m looking forward to.

• Saron Yitbarek - Keynote: Saron is a three-time founder, developer, podcaster and Ruby enthusiast. She recently launched Big Cash Money, a platform offering coaching, content and community to help pros with multiple income streams make more. Saron was also CEO of CodeNewbie, an international community of people learning to code, later acquired and turned in to the CodeNewbie Podcast.

• Coraline Ada Ehmke – Four Reasons Not to Care About Ethics in Open Source: Coraline is an internationally recognized speaker, writer, activist and software engineer. She is the creator of Contributor Covenant, the first and most popular code of conduct for open source communities. She also founded and was executive director of the Organization for Ethical Source.

• Landon Gray – Ruby on RAG - Building AI Use Cases for Fun and Profit: Landon excels in AI strategy and development with a rich background spanning automotive, e-commerce, and higher education industries. He will use his expertise with large language models (LLMs) to reveal what he thinks folks are missing about Ruby’s role in the AI sector.

Can I get a volunteer?

One thing we like to try and do with the Madison+ Ruby is to cultivate the next generation. We’re looking for a few student volunteers to help make the show a success. In return, you’ll get free access to the show and all activities, as well a chance to network with pros from across the globe. Are you a student interested in software design and development? Email us at [email protected] for more info and to apply.

Show within a show

There will be plenty of activities during Madison+ Ruby, including some shows within the show. Most notably, the popular Rooftop Ruby Podcast will be recording an installment. The podcast is hosted and produced by two programmers, Collin Donnell and Joel Drapper, who discuss Ruby, web and native software development, technology and more. Give them a listen if you’re not a fan already!

On the road to Ruby

To spread the word about?Madison+ Ruby conference , we hit the road and conducted meetups across the mid and east of the U.S. We hit New York, Detroit and Chicago, and at each stop, had strong turnouts and enthusiastic audiences. Shoutouts to the following folks for hosting and helping with these events: John DeSilva of Revela, Sebastian Cuadros of Whop, Noel Rappin of Chime, Alan Ridlehoover and Hoa Newton of Cisco Meraki.

We’ll continue these meetups after the show, if you’re able to host one in your backyard, contact us at [email protected] .

My gratitude to the entire team at Flagrant. They’ve worked tirelessly and enthusiastically on Madison+ Ruby, creating an event that’ll fuel our community and inspire each individual.