Conference
Oct 27, 2026 · Online
Real, thoughtful talks from people using tech to make the world a little better. Speakers come through the Accelerator, plus special guests.
Tickets from $5.
Speaker Accelerator
In Progress: May-Oct 2026 · Online
A six‑month program to develop a re-usable talk that tech audiences need to hear. Two-three hours a month, plus optional sessions. 2026 cohort: a curated group of 9.
Participants present their talk at the conference in October.
The conference
A conference built for people in tech who think differently.
Real, thoughtful talks from people using tech to make the world a little better.
Talks you’ve never heard before, from people you actually want to hear from.
You’ll leave energized, unstuck, and ready to ship something new.
OUR SPEAKERS
Awesome Akinfenwa
He/Him, Nigeria
“The Edge Case Is a Person: What Widely-Used Tools Get Wrong About Users They’ve Never Met”
Lumi Ciobanu
She/Her, Romania
“From professional musician to web designer, a journey of becoming and discovering my best self”
Rachel ‘Win’ Winchester
She/Her, USA
“Web Design, Art History, And Staying Resilient Through Tech Change”
Special Guest: Kriti Gupta
She/Her, Canada
Mini Workshop: “Get Energized, Unstuck, and Ready to Create Something New”
YOu’ll hear froM
People Who:
• See tech differently, beyond the usual boxes
• Build or imagine things in unconventional ways
• Have ideas the tech world doesn’t hear enough
• Bridge worlds: artist‑engineer, community‑tech, educator‑coder
• See problems differently because of who they are and where they’ve been
Conference DATES
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Online Conference
7 speakers + 3 special guests
from 5 countries
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
online VIP Networking Party
+ Speaker Q&A Panel
An online networking party that will actually be good(!)
+ Speaker Q&A Panel
For sponsors, speakers, and organizers
Can’t make it live? You’ll have access to all replays, anytime.
Conference DAy
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
TIME | SESSION |
|---|---|
| 10:30am PT 1:30pm ET 17:30 UTC | Doors open |
| 10:45am PT 1:45pm ET 17:45 UTC | Opening Remarks Jill Binder, Event Organizer, Canada |
| 11:00am PT 2:00pm ET 18:00 UTC | Talk 1 – Keynote “Changing the World, One Slide at a Time” Allie Nimmons, She/Her/They/Them, USA |
| 11:30am PT 2:30pm ET 18:30 UTC | Talk 2 “From professional musician to web designer” Lumi Ciobanu, She/Her, Romania |
| 12:00pm PT 3:00pm ET 19:00 UTC | Talk 3 “So… We Broke Production” Daniel Bertoldi, He/Him, Brazil |
| 12:30pm PT 3:30pm ET 19:30 UTC | Talk 4 “Making a climate-friendly website, it’s not what you think” Heather Gray, She/They, Canada |
| 1:00pm PT 4:00pm ET 20:00 UTC | Break |
| 1:30pm PT 4:30pm ET 20:30 UTC | Talk 5 “Staying Human In A World of Shortcuts” Nicolas Demers, He/Him, Canada |
| 2:00pm PT 5:00pm ET 21:00 UTC | Talk 6 “What Widely-Used Tools Get Wrong About Users They’ve Never Met” Awesome Akinfenwa, He/Him, Nigeria |
| 2:30pm PT 5:30pm ET 21:30 UTC | “Afternoon Break: Meditation for Tech Nerds” Special guest: Michael Persimmon |
| 2:45pm PT 5:45pm ET 21:45 UTC | Talk 7 “Folk Tech: Public-Good Alternatives to Big Tech Need You” seeley quest, sie/hir, Canada |
| 3:15pm PT 6:15pm ET 22:15 UTC | Talk 8 “Web Design, Art History, And Staying Resilient Through Tech Change” Rachel ‘Win’ Winchester, She/Her, USA |
| 3:45pm PT 6:45pm ET 22:45 UTC | Talk 9 – Special Guest “Mini Workshop: Get Energized, Unstuck, and Ready to Create Someting New” Kriti Gupta, She/Her, Canada |
| 4:00pm PT 7:00pm ET 23:00 UTC | Closing Remarks (15 min) Jill Binder, Event Organizer, Canada |
| 4:30pm PT 7:30pm ET 23:30 UTC | Doors Close |
VIP Networking Party
+ Speaker Q&A Panel
We are creating the day. Stay tuned for changes!
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Meet your people:
Exclusively for Speakers, Sponsors, Organizers, Volunteers, and VIP Upgrade tickets only
TIME | EVENT |
|---|---|
| 10:45am PT 1:45pm ET 17:45 UTC | Doors open, get oriented to the world (15 min) Move through a cute, retro 2D virtual space and wander into real, on‑camera conversations. |
| 11:00am PT 2:00pm ET 18:00 UTC | Speakers Celebration: Grab a coffee, pop into a small group, and shower our speakers with love. Quick shout‑outs, favourite moments, big gratitude. |
| 11:30am PT 2:30pm ET 18:30 UTC | Speaker Q&A Panel: Let’s get into it! Gather around the coffeeshop stage and bring the question you can’t google. (30 min) |
| 12:00pm PT 3:00pm ET 19:00 UTC | Impact Networking: “What are you building?” “What change do you want to see in tech?” Leave with at least one meaningful connection or idea you’ll use this week. |
| 1:00pm PT 4:00pm ET 20:00 UTC | Wind-down: Wrap the conversations you’ve started, swap contact info, and give gratitude to speakers and sponsors for showing up for the community. |
| 1:30pm PT 4:30pm ET 20:30 UTC | Doors Close |
Founding Sponsors
Thank you to the first people and companies backing Tech Differently.
choose your way to attend
Standard Pass
Access all sessions, recordings, and community chats.
$5 early bird (through Sept 15), then $19 (through Oct 15), then $27
Community access tickets: always $5, available for anyone. Made possible by sponsor support.
Micro-sponsor
$247
Support our mission.
Help fund speakers with financial need.
Includes a standard pass + VIP Networking Party + micro-sponsor perks.
sponsor
$997+
Be a leader in our mission – visibly or anonymously.
Support a human-centered conference featuring diversity, creativity, and making the world a bit better.
Fund speakers with financial need.
Be visible to a large network in WordPress and beyond.
Includes 5 standard passes + 5 VIP Networking Party tickets + sponsor perks.
Why Trust This Stage
Speakers at Tech Differently are trained through the same coaching Jill Binder has brought to speaker communities worldwide.
❝Jill Binder has been a key player in our WordPress community as a mentor and guide to aspiring speakers in over 50 countries.
Angela Jin — Former Head of Programs and Contributor Experience, Automattic
❝Jill Binder ran fantastic speaker training sessions over the years with our Adobe community. We had a 47 percent increase in public speaking confidence.
Sherrie Rohde — Developer Relations, Experience Manager, Adobe
“As an event producer, I wish every one of my speakers could go through your coaching program. I’ve seen several of your presenters now and every single one of them present as calm, confident, and well-rehearsed professionals. It’s incredible!”
Brian Richards — WP Sessions
Questions? Read the FAQ →
Questions? Read the FAQ →
The Speaker Accelerator
What is it?
The Tech Differently Speaker Accelerator is a gentle, supportive, proven program that helps you grow your confidence and uncover the talk only you can give, no matter where you’re starting from.
You don’t need a topic, a polished idea, or any speaking experience.
You just need curiosity and something you care about.
We guide you step by step, helping you move through impostor syndrome, find your voice, craft a talk that feels true to you, and share it with a real audience at the conference excited to hear from people who think differently in tech.
You’ll walk away with a conference talk you can reuse and a clearer, more confident way of talking about your work.
The Journey
✅ May 2026 – Who, Me?
Move through impostor syndrome and build authentic confidence.
✅ June 2026 – Find A Topic
Structured exercises to find a topic you and the audience will love.
✅ July 2026 – Create The Package
Craft a strong title, description, and polished speaker bio.
✅ August 2026 – Write a Great Talk
Write an engaging talk using proven frameworks that keep the audience’s attention.
✅ September 2026 – Nerves & Confidence
Overcome nerves and develop grounded stage presence + supportive rehearsals.
October 2026 – The Conference
Rehearse, deliver your talk, and share it with an audience who’s excited to hear from you.
Format
In 2026: Small inaugural cohort, a curated group of 9.
- Hands‑on, interactive group lessons where we build your skills and your talk in real time together.
- Live and async group coaching to work through blocks, doubts, and challenges as they come up.
- Rehearsals with the group.
- A like-minded community of curious, caring people who think and build differently.
- Everything is recorded for your private use, and you keep the recordings for life.
- Bonus lessons by request, such as thinking on your feet and handling tough questions.
What Speaker Accelerator Participants Are Saying
“Instead of generic advice, each session gives you exercises to discover your own stories and ideas. Far more valuable than just being taught how to present.”
Anonymous Accelerator Participant
“Jill’s approach made the writing process so much clearer than I expected, and the feedback from the group was invaluable!”
Heather Gray — Web Developer, Guelph, Canada
“Joining the Speaker Accelerator has been a great decision. I’ve found new perspectives on my topic and new ways to push past my fears.”
Lumi Ciobanu — Web Designer, Bucharest, Romania
“This program finally gave me the space to develop my next signature talk, with real support and structure behind me.”
Rachel “Win” Winchester — Product Designer, Philadelphia, USA
Join the 2027 Speaker Accelerator Wait List
The 2026 cohort is in progress. Be the first to find out when 2027 applications are open.
More questions? Read the FAQ →
Don’t feel ready to apply? Impostor syndrome stopping you? Do the “Stop Feeling Like A Fraud in 120 Seconds” Reset and come back.