✨ Series: Getting to know the wonderful Continuous Delivery Community
Alyssa Tong
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Location: San Diego, California
Who are you?
I am currently the Jenkins Events Officer, also chair for the Advocacy & Outreach SIG, and Org Admin for Jenkins in Google of Summer of Code. Prior to this, I directed and produced the Jenkins User Conference and Jenkins World. I established Jenkins Area Meetups around the world and started the Jenkins Ambassador program which are now part of the CD Foundation.
What are your hobbies?
I am a mom of two young (male) adults. We are a family of foodies, I enjoy cooking non-traditional dishes with them, and trying out trendy eateries together.
In my free time, I’m passionate about all things health-related—mental, physical, and spiritual. My goal is to eat, exercise, and meditate my way through life for longevity, to avoid the common ailments found in aging (diabetes, dementia, hypertension, etc).
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
As a freshman in college I wanted to do something in the medical profession. I was fascinated with the life-saving aspect of the profession. It turns out, science courses were too daunting which made me realize I wasn’t cut out for it. Nevertheless, I still love and can be up all night listening intently to doctor friends who share their work experiences.
What led you to a career in tech?
My first tech job was at SUN Microsystems. While in college, my mom brought me to work as a SUN Kid, SUN’s summer internship program, where I assembled SUN SPARCstations.
Do you remember your first open source contribution?
2008 was my first open source engagement. It was with Jenkins, at the time it was called Hudson. I was part of the product marketing team to help launch new products for SUN Microsystems, which included Hudson.
How did you get involved in the Continuous Delivery Foundation?
Jenkins was the founding project when CDF was born. I’m honored to have been a part of that journey.
What is your favorite thing/project/tech to work on?
In 2011, with the financial support of CloudBees, I produced and directed the first-ever Jenkins User Conference. Its inauguration garnered 300 Jenkins users, break-out sessions were standing room only. Thereafter, the conference became an annual event with roadshows to Europe and the East Coast, hosting users in the thousands. And thanks to the passion from Jenkins friends in China, I was able to remotely help them with their Jenkins User Conferences which also brought thousands of Jenkins users around China together.
Tell us about the thing you’re most proud of and why?
I think my proudest moments would be the years of producing, directing, and watching the Jenkins User Conferences come to life and then to experience it morphed into something bigger, Jenkins World.
It’s gratifying to experience the coming together of so many people, their excitement, and friendships made.
What is the best connection you’ve made through open source?
The best connection I’ve made through open source has to be meeting people from all over the world; people of different backgrounds, cultures, and nationalities.
What is your #1 top tip for getting involved in the community?
I’m well aware that joining an open source community can be intimidating. I’ve been there and have made my fair share of mistakes in public, I’m still making mistakes (just a different kind nowadays). But don’t be intimidated. I can vouch that the open source community consists of many really nice and helpful people, many of whom I have the honor to establish friendships with.
My advice is to just dive right in! The water is quite pleasant.
What’s your favorite open source conference?
I’m going to be biased and say the Jenkins User Conferences.
Where can we find you?
- GitHub 🐱
More about Alyssa
Alyssa recently won the CD Foundation Continuous Enthusiast Award! View all the winners ⬇️
