The open source tech community - and the Drupal community in particular - is a different sort of workplace. Compared to large, high-budget corporations, I see more diversity, less infatuation with pedigrees, and a lot more self-teaching and self-driven careers. This environment is particularly welcoming of folks with troubled or disadvantaged backgrounds. Using my own experience and journey from homeless addict to management level positions within Drupal companies, I point out the attributes of the open source and Drupal communities that make it a place where people can make a living as their imperfect whole selves. I’ll then talk about how we can further build out these community attributes to welcome the talents of even more people. 

Come listen, learn and discuss:

How the community accepts people of all walks of life
How that acceptance can rebuild confidence in talented people
How through that confidence folks can gain the technical comfortability in Drupal
How mentoring and fostering talent is crucial
How your company can do they same
How to pass my knowledge, hope and strength onto others.