Boston WordPress Meetup

Agenda • 6:30: Networking & Pizza • 7:00: Presentations **Presentation 1:** **The design systems between us - Ethan Marcotte** In the early days, design systems promised us more consistent interfaces, more collaborative teams, and improved velocity. While they’ve delivered on some of those fronts, they’ve introduced new challenges too. Let’s talk through what’s working well—and what could be working better—as we take a closer look at the systems between us and our work. **Speaker Bio** [Ethan Marcotte](https://ethanmarcotte.com/) is a designer, speaker, and author. Perhaps best known for creating [responsive web design](http://www.alistapart.com/articles/responsive-web-design), he’s had the privilege of helping clients like New York Magazine, Adobe, and Google create better experiences for their users. Ethan’s most recent book is [You Deserve a Tech Union](https://ethanmarcotte.com/books/you-deserve-a-tech-union/). **Presentation 2: WordPres 7.0 and beyond - Mary Hubbard** 7.0 marks a pivotal new milestone in WordPress with the introduction of real-time collaboration and the WP AI Client, which adds the foundational APIs to help drive the project into an AI future. What was actually included in the release? Where is the project headed in the next 12 months? And why are WordPress meetups, WP Campus Connect, and the WP Credits programs critical to the project's short and long-term future? **Speaker Bio** Mary Hubbard is the Executive Director of WordPress, the open-source software platform maintained and supported by thousands of independent contributors worldwide. With 20 years of industry experience, Mary specializes in product development, program management, and organizational efficiency. Prior to joining WordPress, she held senior leadership roles at global tech companies including TikTok, eBay, Walmart, Assurant, and TruRating. A published author featured on platforms like [Entrepreneur.com](http://Entrepreneur.com), Mary writes extensively about leade