The Mycelium Network Podcast

The path to a tech career often seems linear and technical, Bekah Hawrot Weigel's story stands out as a beacon of hope and inspiration. On the "Mycelium Network" podcast, Bekah, a former college English teacher turned developer and community builder, shares her remarkable journey of personal and professional transformation. NOTE: Bekah’s audio had some challenges during this episode. This is throu...

NOTE: It has always been the goal of this podcast to give everyone a chance to share their story. This episode is an example of this. We tried to record this live using Riverside.fm (no blame to Riverside here 😃) but after many tries we realized that Precious’s internet was just not going to play along. We improvised and did the recordings asynchronously. I recorded the intro and the questions, a...

In a world where design transcends mere aesthetics to become a pivotal element in user experience and product functionality, the journey of Nmesoma Okonkwo emerges as a beacon of inspiration and a testament to the transformative power of mentorship in the tech industry. Born out of a transition from microbiology to graphic design, and eventually to product design, Nmesoma's story is one of resilie...

In the latest episode of the Mycelium Network podcast, Kate Blake shares her inspiring journey into the world of web development. Host Schalk Neethling guides us through Kate's narrative, from her initial fascination with technology to her current role as a successful web developer. Kate's story is not just about personal achievement; it's a testament to the power of community, perseverance, and t...

In this episode of the Mycelium Network podcast, I speak with Temitope Asama to learn about her tech journey, highlighting her initial interests and challenges. Her active involvement in the CHAOSS community underscores the importance of supportive networks in fostering growth. Additionally, Temitope's advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the tech space is a critical theme, r...

In this episode of the Mycelium Network podcast, Dan Moore shares his extensive journey in the tech industry, starting in the '90s to his current role as a solutions architect at FusionAuth. He emphasized the critical balance between technical proficiency and soft skills in software development. Dan discusses the value of community involvement, particularly his experiences with the Boulder Ruby Me...

In this engaging episode of the Mycelium Network podcast, host Schalk Neethling welcomes Elena Lape, the visionary founder of Holopin. Elena shares her remarkable journey through the tech world, from building developer communities and supporting students at GitHub to her passion for hackathons. She delves into the value of open-source contributions and the importance of universal skills beyond cod...

In this episode of the Mycelium Network podcast, host Schalk Neethling is joined by Grecia Castaldi and Molly Devine from Women Who Code. These two dynamic women share their inspiring journeys in the tech world and non-profits, emphasizing the significance of diversity and empowerment in the industry. The discussion touches on vital topics like advocating for oneself, the potential of AI as a tool...

In this episode of the Mycelium Network Podcast, Chad Stewart, a software engineer from Kingston, Jamaica, shares his journey in the tech industry. Chad discusses his work in front-end engineering and his exploration of back-end engineering. He also talks about his role in TechIsHiring, an organization that helps people find job opportunities in the tech industry. Chad's passion for exploring inte...

This week, the guest on the podcast is Vicky (VM) Brasseur. She has over 30 years of experience in the world of open source and is currently helping large companies with their open source strategies. She has written the book, “Forge your future with Open Source” and is currently writing her second book. During the episode, we touch on topics such as ensuring we create a welcoming, safe, and inclus...

In this episode of the Mycelium Network podcast, Schalk Neethling interviews Alex Buaiscia, a full-stack developer at Moravio. Alex talks about his journey from humanistic studies and journalism to desktop support and becoming a full-stack developer. Alex emphasizes the importance of persistence, getting feedback after an interview, and soft skills for career growth. He also discusses his approach...

In this episode of The Mycelium Network podcast, host Schalk Neethling sits down with Leo Cheng, a former editor in the film and TV industry who has been teaching himself to code and is ready to make programming his career. Schalk and Leo touch on various topics, such as learning through making, the importance of onboarding and mentoring new developers at a company and exploring different aspects...

In this episode of the Mycelium Network podcast, host Schalk Neethling speaks with Bri Leever, a brand community strategist and owner of Ember consulting. Bri emphasizes the importance of building a community-led approach to problem-solving and the importance of patience and nurturing the seeds of your community instead of trying to be the one with all of the answers. She stresses the value of bei...

This week I am doing some cross-promotion of my other podcast, the Mechanical Ink podcast. If you enjoy this episode, you can subscribe to the show here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mechanical-ink -- In this episode of the Mechanical Ink podcast, Schalk is joined by Abby and Naytri from GitHub. In this enlightening and far-reaching conversation, we cover some of the new initiatives lau...

Ankita Kulkarni, an educator and founder joined the Mycelium Network podcast to discuss her passion for helping people and making a difference. She shared insights on leadership, work-life balance, psychological safety, and the importance of a beginner's mindset. The episode delved into what makes a good leader, the joy of learning, and tips for the first 90 days on the job. Finally, Ankita discus...

In this episode, we talk to Ryan Stemmle, who shares his winding and adventurous journey into the tech world. He tells us about how he learned to code at Turing and how his experience in special operations helped him develop the necessary mindset. Ryan also talks about the challenge of adapting to new work culture and working in a more diverse work environment than his previous work. He gives tips...

In this episode of the Mycelium Network podcast, we hear from Precious Adeyinka, a developer from Nigeria. He shares his story of how he went from learning to code on paper to building a startup in Africa. Precious also talks about his passion for teaching others, giving back, and using dancing as a form of expression. He explains why Africa is the future of the tech world and why there is a need...

In this episode, I have a conversation with my dear friend, Matt Brandt. We talk about the tech industry, but this conversation is about much more. We talk about all those things that often fall by the wayside but are critical to having a career that is fulfilling and bring you joy. We also discuss effective interviews and aligning your work with who you are and what is important to you. We also t...

In this episode of the Mycelium Network, I speak with Andres Sepulveda Morales. We talk mead brewing, Dungeons and Dragons, and draw parallels between being a game master and working on a team, forming a community around shared interests, and the knowledge sharing that happens as a result. We also address some tough topics such as implicit and explicit bias, the benefits of diversity, and communic...

In this episode, I speak with Matthew A. Grande from Careerage. We discuss career advice, the importance of aligning with personal goals and values, inflection points, and finding fulfillment in work and life. We also touch upon the idea that individuals are not problems to be fixed and the importance of starting from a place of curiosity. The topic of layoffs and empathy is also covered, along wi...

Today I speak with Ryan Johnson, a backend engineer, Python wizard, and someone with an incredible story to tell. From working in hardware startups, working as a farmhand in a Benedictine monastery, practicing psychologist, working at Lucas film, and now at Mozilla. What is artificial intelligence? Lucas Film Quantum Computing Expert Explains One Concept in 5 Levels of Difficulty Python and Django...

In the first episode of season 2, I speak with Juan Pablo Flores, the program manager for GitHub Education . We talk about GitHub classroom and the problems it solves for students and teachers. Using GitHub skills to learn and teach how to use Git and GitHub. The importance of being able to work on a team and collaborate on a cross-functional team. Using Twitch as a platform for teaching, the role...

In this final episode of season 1, I speak with technical writer and legend of the web, Chris Mills. We talk about trying something new, not being scared to take a leap of faith, and finding your tribe. The importance of being positive and kind, treating people with respect and empathy, and giving back through mentorship. We talk about the importance of great documentation and a well-defined proce...

In this week's episode, I speak with Vuyisile Ndlovu, a Python developer and AWS-certified cloud practitioner from Zimbabwe. We talk about open-source, the challenges developers face in Africa, and why contributions to open-source are low in Africa and brainstorm ideas to improve it. Vuyisile also shares some great tips on deploying your ideas to the web. This was a fascinating conversation I am p...

In this episode, I sit down with Andy Anderson. This conversation was so wonderful. Andy has years of experience in the tech industry and shares some of the histories that very few of us know about. We also discuss the evolution of programming languages and tools, the importance of community, diversity, and coffee. Social The Mycelium Network Discord The Mycelium Network on GitHub Links Slow lane...