Elevator Pitch
No connections? Limited resources? Wrong location? I WAS THERE. Discover the community-driven playbook that transformed an unknown Costa Rican developer into a global keynote speaker at Google I/O, Cloud Next, KubeCon, DevRelCon, and major tech events worldwide while impacting developers’s career.
Description
What if I told you that a developer from Costa Rica, with no industry connections, limited financial resources, and no access to major tech hubs, could become a keynote speaker at Google I/O, All Things Open, KubeCon, and DevRelCon within just a few years?
In this inspiring and practical session, Kevin Blanco will share his remarkable journey from obscurity to global recognition, demonstrating how strategic community engagement can be the ultimate career accelerator, especially in today’s AI-dominated landscape.
You’ll discover:
- The Community-Driven Career Framework: A proven 5-step approach that transformed Kevin from a local unknown developer to an internationally recognized tech speaker.
- Standing Out in the AI Era: Practical strategies to differentiate yourself when everyone can build technology using AI.
- The Compound Effect of Giving Back: How contributing to communities creates exponential career growth opportunities.
- From Local to Global: Tactical steps to expand your influence beyond geographical limitations.
- The Modern Developer’s Networking Playbook: Building authentic relationships that open doors to speaking opportunities, job offers, and career advancement.
Kevin’s story is proof that your background, location, or resources don’t define your potential. Starting as an unknown developer in Central America, he leveraged community involvement to:
- Become a Google Developer Expert in Cloud, Workspace and AI
- Speak at 80+ conferences across USA, Canada, LATAM, Europe and Asia
- Grow developer communities from 3K to 20K+ members at his current position as Developer Advocate for Appsmith.
- Land roles at major tech companies through community connections
Apart from being an inspiration, this session is an actionable blueprint. You’ll leave with specific strategies to:
- Identify high-impact communities for your tech stack
- Create content that gets noticed by industry leaders
- Build a personal brand that attracts opportunities
- Navigate the speaker circuit and land keynote opportunities
- Leverage community contributions for career transitions
It doesn’t matter if you’re a student looking to break into tech, a mid-career developer seeking growth, or a senior professional aiming for thought leadership, this session will show you how community engagement can become your competitive advantage.
Perfect for: Developers at all career stages, community organizers, tech professionals seeking career growth, and anyone who believes their circumstances shouldn’t limit their potential.
Notes
I’m living proof of the strategies I’ll share. My journey from an unknown developer in Costa Rica to speaking at the world’s most prestigious tech conferences impacting developers and helping them impact their career demonstrates that these approaches work regardless of background or location.
Having delivered this message at conferences worldwide, I know how to connect with diverse audiences. The session balances inspiration with practical advice, ensuring attendees leave motivated AND equipped with specific next steps. This same session I will present at Nerdearla (Argentina), DevRelKaigi (Tokio) and SHIFT conference (Croatia).
This session directly addresses the career development track goals while showcasing how Google’s ecosystem and community programs can accelerate professional growth, particularly relevant for a Google DevFest audience.
This will be standard presentation setup (laptop, projector, microphone) with no special A/V requirements