Announcing Our Keynotes: Dawn Wages

We're honored to announce Dawn Wages as a keynote speaker for DjangoCon US 2026

We had the opportunity to sit down with Dawn and ask her a few questions about her work, her journey through the Django community, and what attendees can expect from her keynote at DjangoCon US 2026.

How have Star Trek, Octavia Butler, and Afrofuturism influenced the way you approach leadership and community building?

This is the crux of the presentation! I'm shaking out the nuances and how I will be telling the story on stage, but the long and short of is: (1) reclaiming agency, (2) understanding history as a context for the present (3) not being afraid of fear (3) leaning on and building with your peers / contemporaries.

Your keynote asks, “Is there room for me on the Bridge?” How has the meaning of that question changed throughout your career?

Thanks for this question! This one has remained eerily consistent which is I think the conceit I will try to make on stage. Despite sci-fi and afrofuturism making me feel like I have something worthwhile to offer; 10+ years later I still feel like I'm met with signals that there is not room for me. There are not audible invitations to lead. It is different that imposter syndrome because I do feel capable in these spaces, but when I enter rooms as a Black woman my capabilities must be credentialed, verified and then reviewed; and even after still held under scrutiny. What does my space or the space of someone like me look like in 2026 and beyond. Is there space for us?

What does it mean to “build worlds worth living in” within open-source communities?

Anti-racist, not just gender-inclusive, but gender expansive, accessible, anti-fascist, community-oriented, prioritizing the voices of the marginalized first, intersectional.

You have served the Python community in many roles, including organizer, maintainer, speaker, entrepreneur, and PSF Board Chair. Which experiences have most shaped your approach to mentorship and governance?

They've all shaped me in different ways and its hard to tease out one or the other. Being on the Python Software Foundation Board was a milestone in my career and marked a big shift in legitimacy. But then that begs the question: Was it a symbol of legitimacy that I already embodied, or was the legitimacy earned due to the investments people saw me making on a larger scale?

Both mentorship and governance are important parts of a sustainable ecosystem. I tune my lens on those facets of open source every day with new information and experience.

What do you hope attendees will take away from your keynote?

The system we're building to support marginalized people in tech is working and that's why its a target. Sometimes in systems that intersect with capitalism, the cruelty is the point.

Where can attendees follow you or learn more about your work?

dawnwages.info ! I'm blogging more too :)

We can't wait to hear Dawn's keynote at DjangoCon US 2026! Stay tuned for more keynote announcements. If you haven't purchased your ticket yet, tickets are still on sale. We hope to see you in Chicago!