Meet Some of the PyBay2018 Team!

Ben Hancock
PyBay
Published in
5 min readAug 18, 2018

It’s been a pleasure to get to know (virtually, at least) so many of the speakers through the Q&A series we’ve been publishing around #PyBay2018, the regional Python developer conference happening this weekend right here in San Francisco.

But I would be remiss if I didn’t also take some time to introduce some of the team behind the event. I got involved with S.F. Python, which puts on PyBay annually, less than a year ago and have made great friends and benefitted hugely from the shared knowledge at this volunteer-run group. This weekend’s event is being put together by people who care about building the local Python community — enough to donate no small amount of hours. So I asked the team to share a little bit about themselves.

Many folks didn’t have the time to respond in the crush of last-minute preparations — shout out to head organizer Grace Law, who’s been running around like crazy! — but I hope this will give attendees (and future attendees!) a sense of who this group is and why this is such a cool event.

Jeff Fischer

Name: Jeff Fischer (PyBay speaker and organizer)

Title: Independent Consultant

What are you going to be speaking about at PyBay2018, and why are you excited to give this talk?

I am giving a talk on “Docker for Data Scientists”. This is based on my experiences consulting for data science teams, helping them to automate their workflows. Unlike people in the DevOps world who may spend all day immersed in tools like Docker, automation is often not core a data scientist’s job. My goal is to give data scientists enough understanding to take advantage of Docker, without having to go all the way down the rabbit hole. I will focus on common workflows and ways to avoid problems they may encounter along the way.

Why did you get involved with SF Python?

As the co-organizer of BayPggies, I’ve gotten to know Grace through various cross-publicity activities. I had a great time attending the first PyBay, and loved that the Bay Area finally has its own regional conference. I wanted to be a part of the excitement and contribute more to the conference. Last year, I ran an IoT workshop at PyBay. This year, I’m helping to coordinate the PyBay Book Fair, where we will have book signings (Al Sweigart, Noah Gift, and Wesley Chun), an on-site bookstore, and free book giveaways. I hope to see you all there!

Gahl Levy

Name: Gahl Levy

Title: Product Manager

Why did you get involved with SF Python?

The meetups are always well planned and make great learning opportunities. The friendly networking and delicious food are the icing on the cake.

What are you excited about at PyBay2018?

I’m excited for the speaker talent. There are a large number of speakers traveling from out of state and even out of the country demonstrating how far reaching this conference has become.

Name: Joanna Lankester

Title: Data Scientist

Why did you get involved with SF Python?

SFPython is a fun and friendly meetup!

What are you excited about at PyBay2018?

I’m excited about our PyBay speakers and sponsors, as well as the the opportunity to meet others who love Python!

Daniel Pyrathon

Name: Daniel Pyrathon

Title: Senior Machine Learning Engineer

Why did you get involved with SF Python?

I love teaching Python and organizing Python events. This is my way of giving back to the community and help fill the gap there is between shortage of Python engineers and the demand in industry.

What are you excited about at PyBay2018?

Ethan Smith’s talk! He is a very bright developer and he is bringing a lot of value to the community. I’m also very blessed to learn and volunteer together with great co-organizers, and focus on building a beautiful Python community in the Bay Area.

Paul Starrett

Name: Paul Starrett

Title: Investigator and data scientist

Why did you get involved with SF Python?

There is no better Meetup in the bay area, Python or not. It has grown to such a huge group of very active and engaged Python enthusiasts. A wonderful time!

What are you excited about at PyBay2018?

If you like the Meetups, you’ll love PyBay. Great speakers and unparalleled networking opportunities.

Darlene Wong

Name: Darlene Wong

Title: Python Tools and Automation Minion

What are you excited about at PyBay2018?

My favorite part about PyBay is the opportunity to volunteer with the PyBay Crew. I enjoy working with the team to build a conference tailored to the local Python community, and I also enjoy getting to know fellow PyBay Crew members. I’m especially excited to check out the new PyMaker Fest this year!

If you haven’t registered already, get your pass now and we’ll hope to see you this weekend at PyBay2018!

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Ben Hancock
PyBay
Editor for

Data journalist and Python programmer. Linux enthusiast. SF Python volunteer.