layout: true <footer> <p class="left">@CraigBuchek</p> <p class="right">craigbuchek.com/stldevfest-2019</p> </footer> --- class: title, middle, center # Passion + Giving = Purpose ### Craig Buchek ##### (hit P to see presenter notes) ??? * Introduction * Twitter in lower left corner * Link to slides in lower right corner * I'm going to tell a story about finding my purpose --- class: single-image  ??? * My story starts on August 9, 2014 * I read a (re)tweet from Angela Harms about a shooting and unrest in Ferguson * (She goes by Alex Harms now) * My first thought was "please don't be Ferguson, Missouri" * NOTE: This is a recreation of the tweet; I can't find the original --- class: single-image  ??? * I grew up in North St. Louis County * A few miles Ferguson * Show of hands - who's familiar with North County? * My parents' house, where I grew up - purple pin in northeast corner * Today we're at UMSL - deep blue pin in middle bottom * Mike Brown shooting - deep red pin in southeast corner of Ferguson --- class: single-image  ??? * There was a record store Chambers and West Florissant * Me and my best friend from high school (Kai) went there often --- class: single-image  ??? * My grandpa and great-grandfather had barber shops in Ferguson * NOTE: This picture is just of a generic barber shop --- class: single-image  ??? * I remember visiting my great-grandma there * My mom said she liked to visit there when she was a kid, because they had squirrels --- class: single-image  ??? * Unfortunately, it *was* Ferguson, Missouri --- class: single-image  ??? * An unarmed 18-year-old black kid had been shot and killed by police * Michael Brown * (pause) * He had just graduated from high school the previous week * He was supposed to start college at Vatterott the following week --- class: single-image  ??? * Protests broke out across the east portion of Ferguson *  *  *  *  --- class: single-image  ??? * I was glued to the news for a couple weeks * I cried several times that week * I was sad * I was angry * I felt helpless * The only difference between me and the rioters was that I was not oppressed * I was a part of the system that supported oppression * So many people were hurting, feeling oppressed --- class: single-image  ??? * The next Sunday, I went to my dad's church * Most Holy Trinity Catholic church * You can see it from I-70 between downtown and North Grand --- class: single-image  ??? * I went to Cahokia Mounds * It's a place where I'd found some spiritual connection before * I was looking for answers * I was looking for meaning * I didn't find either --- class: single-image  ??? * On my way home, I was passing by Ferguson * I decided to stop at the Krispy Kreme at I-270 and West Florissant * I don't often pass up a donut store * Traffic was crazy across from the store --- class: single-image  ??? * I'd accidentally stumbled across Mike Brown's funeral service --- class: single-image  ??? * So I bought a dozen donuts * I ate a couple myself * I handed out the rest as I walked half a mile from where I had parked --- class: single-image  ??? * The church was packed to overflowing * I wasn't able to get inside --- class: single-image  ??? * The parking lot was packed with even more people * They had trucks from radio stations, with speakers for us to hear outside * I learned a lot that day, listening to and talking to people in the crowd --- class: big-words, xl BLACK LIVES MATTER ??? * One of the slogans from the protest movement is "BLACK LIVES MATTER" * I believe those words to be true --- class: big-words BLACK LIVES MATTER AS MUCH AS WHITE LIVES ??? * When we say it, we mean that black lives matter as much as white lives --- class: big-words ONLY BLACK LIVES MATTER ??? * Some people think it means this * But that would be silly for someone like me to believe * And nobody I know involved in the movement thinks that * I've asked how people feel about white people participating * They're happy to have us --- class: single-image  ??? * I marched in a couple protests --- class: single-image  ??? * My brother has been more active than me * He's one of the ones who got arrested with no provocation or warning at the Galleria * (a local shopping mall in a more affluent part of the county) --- class: single-image  ??? * I was there mainly to support the voices who aren't being heard * Again, I learned a lot * But I didn't feel like I was really making an impact, or using my talents --- class: single-image  ??? * One of the chants in Ferguson was "hands up, don't shoot" * (pause) --- class: single-image  ??? * It's clear to me that Mike Brown's hands were up when he was shot * Here's why I believe that * This witness didn't know he was on video, shortly after the shooting * He was a contractor working in the area * He says "his f'ing hands were up" * But even if they weren't, police are not judge, jury, and executioner * There's no good reason to "shoot to kill" an unarmed person * This is from video at http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/10/us/ferguson-michael-brown-shooting-witnesses/index.html --- class: single-image, hands-up-united  ??? * Several groups formed in response to the shooting * One was named "Hands Up United" --- class: single-image <div class="white-background"> <img src="images/thoughtworks.png" alt="ThoughtWorks logo" /> </div> ??? * ThoughtWorks sent down some of their employees to help the organizers --- class: single-image  ??? * Abby Bobé was one of the main ThoughtWorkers helping --- class: single-image  ??? * Some of the kids volunteering said they wanted to support local businesses, but they couldn't find them on the web * And phone books weren't a thing any more * So they decided to figure out how to teach themselves to make web sites for the mom and pop shops in their community --- class: single-image  ??? * Alex Miller tweeted about a GoFundMe page raising money to teach underprivileged kids how to build web sites * My wife was going to school, so we didn't have much money to give * But I had time and expertise to share * It sounded like the perfect role for me * It allowed me to apply my experience and skills * It felt like something that could make a difference * It was so compelling - a calling * Abby Bobé was the organizer * I got in contact with her to help * NOTE: This is a recreation of the actual (re)tweet; I couldn't find the original --- class: single-image  ??? * Mentoring the kids was awesome * Hard work and lots of hours * Had to give up some of the time I spent elsewhere --- class: single-image  ??? * Story about Cameron --- class: single-image  ??? * Story about Cameron --- class: big-words I don't know <br /> Let's find out ??? * Probably the 6 most powerful word I've ever spoken in my life * Or at least influential --- class: big-words OPPORTUNITY ??? * My goal was to give the kids an opportunity that they would not have had otherwise * A chance to learn enough to decide if this was a path for them or not * Opportunity is the biggest thing missing in most of these kids' lives * They probably don't have the privilege of knowing anyone in their network, or their parents' network that could introduce them to this as a career path * I didn't expect a very high chance that any of the kids would pursue this as a career * But some of the kids continued building websites for small companies in their communities, setting up a small side business * We gave these kids a chance, and they exceeded our expectations --- class: big-words COMMUNITY ??? * In the middle of writing this talk, I noticed something interesting --- class: single-image  ??? * I'd met Angela Harms at Midwest Ruby 2011 * (She goes by Alex Harms now) --- class: single-image  ??? * I'd met Alex Miller at local meetups --- class: single-image  ??? * He founded Lambda Lounge and Strange Loop --- class: single-image  ??? * He later had [Idalin Bobé give a keynote](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy82S8tjJX8) at Strange Loop --- class: single-image <div class="white-background"> <img src="images/thoughtworks.png" alt="ThoughtWorks logo" /> </div> ??? * ThoughtWorks is a company I've admired for years --- class: single-image  ??? * When I went to RubyConf 2017, Heidi Helfand (from ProCore) asked us about a "peak moment" in our lives to share with a neighbor in the audience * Her talk was called "Leadership Starts with Listening" * That light bulb moment was my story * I told her that story when we happened to sit at the same table at lunch the next day --- class: big-words COMMUNITY ??? * The common thread - these are my communities * Some I chose, some chose me * I think this country has forgotten how to be a community * But I see signs of hope * The tech community I involve myself in works to make a difference * Many of us are trying to improve diversity and inclusion --- <div class="life" style="background: white; height: 600px; width: 100%; margin-top: 30px;"> </div> ??? * Andy Croll gave a keynote at RubyConf 2017, showing a pixel for every hour of our lives * 24 hours/day * 365 days/year * 80 years/life = 700,800 hours * Which is pretty close to the number of pixels on a 1024x768 screen (786,432) * Which is also about what a (non-retina) phone screen has --- <div class="life" style="background: white; height: 600px; width: 67%; margin-top: 30px;"> </div> ??? * But you're going to sleep 1/3 of that --- <div class="life" style="background: white; height: 500px; width: 67%; margin-top: 130px;"> </div> ??? * And you have to spend some time as a kid, growing up * So you've only got a small number of hours * So use each pixel wisely * Find your community * Find people that are nice and help each other * Find the place where you can make a difference * Put in the work, because the rewards are high * How you feel about yourself * The impact on someone else's life * The impact you make to improve the communities you live in * Make every pixel - every hour - count --- class: big-words, xl BLACK LIVES MATTER ??? * Make every person count (whether you've met them or not) * Reach out to meet people you wouldn't normally cross paths with * Work to improve our communities * This one right here * The wider (local) community * Our state, our country, our world