Akshaya Rane receives the Yoast Care fund for her contribution to the WordPress community

Meet Akshaya Rane, a valued member of the WordPress Community Team! Her commitment and valuable contributions to the community are why Pooja Derashri nominated her for the Yoast Care fund. Let’s learn more about this passionate WordPress enthusiast.

Nominator Pooja Derashri: “Akshaya has been actively involved in the WordPress community. She was one of the release leads for three significant versions: 6.4, and 6.5. She’s been doing a fantastic job handling all the release-related tasks. In addition, Akshaya contributes to various Make WordPress teams, including speaking at WordCamps and meetups. Her energy and enthusiasm are infectious, and it’s great to see her make such a positive impact.”

Let’s get to know Akshaya Rane

That’s quite an introduction, Pooja! We would love to get to know Akshaya even better. That’s why we asked her some questions about her work and her passion for WordPress:

Hi, Akshaya! What do you do?

Hello! I currently serve as a Project Manager at Multidots. I began my journey as a WordPress developer and have evolved into this role over time. My main goal is to assist organizations in reaching their business objectives and simplifying their processes.

Being a part of the vibrant WordPress community is something I truly cherish. It has been incredibly rewarding to engage with fellow enthusiasts at various WordCamps, gain insights from them and share my knowledge. Furthermore, it’s inspiring to collaborate with talented individuals from around the world, all spanning different time zones.

Outside of work, I am passionate about travel and enjoy exploring new adventures and experiences.

Why did you start contributing? Could you share your first contribution with us?

My journey into contributing began at the Mumbai WordCamp through Do_action and the WordCamp Mumbai Contributor Day in 2019. Do_action focused on assisting NGOs by building or enhancing their websites to support their causes. I had the chance to work with small, impactful NGOs, making a difference despite their limited resources. Seeing my skills and time being put to meaningful use was fulfilling.

During the WordCamp Mumbai Contributor Day, I discovered the diverse areas where one could contribute. I even collected badges and stickers representing each team, which I still have as keepsakes.

Inspired by the experience, a friend and I organized a Contribution Day at our office, WisdmLabs. It was heartening to guide and support others in their contribution journey.

Since then, I’ve had the privilege to share what I learned by speaking at various WordCamps and meetups, which has been a rewarding experience in itself.

Who is your WordPress hero?

Naming just one WordPress hero is challenging, because so many incredible people have inspired me with their work and support. While there are many, let me share about one of my WordPress heroes, Jill Binder.

I got to know Jill through the WordPress Diversity group. She conducts workshops to help people like me speak at meetups and WordCamps. Being an introvert, I usually prefer one-on-one conversations, but Jill’s workshop gave me the confidence to try speaking at WordCamps.

With her guidance, I spoke at four WordCamps last year, and it was a fantastic experience to connect with people through my stories and receive their feedback. Jill’s encouragement has been instrumental in my speaking journey.

What contribution or moment are you most proud of?

One of my recent proudest moments was serving as the Release Lead for WordPress 6.5. It was an incredible experience collaborating with talented individuals and being part of such an impactful project. WordPress recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, and seeing how it powers a significant percentage of websites, with numbers growing daily, is truly inspiring.

Being involved in a project of this scale, where every decision is made carefully considering its impact, has been rewarding. It feels great to contribute to such a vast and influential platform.

Where may people find you? Online, WordCamps, other meetups?

You can reach out to me on my website, Twitter, Linkedin, and I’m also @akshaya on the Make.WordPress Slack channel. Feel free to connect!

Thank you for this interview, Akshaya, and for all of your contributions to the WordPress community! Do you know someone like Akshaya Rane who also deserves to be in the spotlight? Go to our Yoast Care page and nominate them right away.