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Every WordCamp needs a great send-off, and this year, we’re doing it the way our community actually talks to each other: two chairs, a real conversation, and a room full of people who get it. Think of it less like a keynote and more like the best hallway conversation of the week, just given a mic and a stage.

The conversation we’ve all been having comes to the big stage.
WordPress is evolving alongside AI, changing user expectations, and a rapidly shifting web. How do we keep open source thriving? What should we hold onto? What needs to change? And where do we go from here?

That’s what this conversation is about. Not prepared talking points, but an honest discussion between two people who’ve spent decades helping shape, support, and steward the WordPress ecosystem from different perspectives. Even better, it doesn’t end on stage. The final 30 minutes belong to the community, with live audience Q&A.

Two perspectives shaped by decades in open source.
Ma.tt Mullenweg has helped guide the project since co-founding WordPress more than twenty years ago, while also leading Automattic and its portfolio of products supporting publishing, commerce, and the open web.

Robert Jacobi has spent his career guiding organizations build, secure, and scale open source technologies, contributing across hosting, infrastructure, community leadership, and digital strategy.

Together, they bring two distinct perspectives on the opportunities, challenges, and decisions shaping WordPress today. It’s a conversation grounded in years of experience, but one that’s ultimately about where the project goes from here and what that means for everyone building with it.

The best conversations don’t end when the session does.
By the time Wednesday afternoon arrives, you’ll have spent four days learning new skills, meeting people from across the community, and sharing ideas that continue long after the event ends. This conversation is a chance to zoom out and connect those experiences to the bigger picture.

Expect an honest discussion about open source, the evolving web, AI, community, and the future of WordPress. Then, the conversation opens up to you. The final 30 minutes are dedicated to audience Q&A, giving you the opportunity to ask questions, share perspectives, and be part of the discussion that closes out WordCamp US 2026.

Keynote – Fireside Chat with Ma.tt Mullenweg & Robert Jacobi

YouTube Video UCpJf6LGZ0a4n9Lj4aVt9spg_ss7ngc1VU-Q

Two clients showed up with the same UX problem: visitors land on a complex site and can’t find the right path forward. One project ended up shipping a GPT-powered search block. The other shipped a deterministic, persona-driven block on rails, no AI at all. Both worked. Neither was wrong.

This talk walks through both production engagements side by side. The AI search block, built for a community college’s 643-course catalog, comes with the production-hardening list nobody mentions in the demos: rate limits, kill switches, prompt-injection mitigations, token ceilings, and cost predictability. The persona-by-goal Mosaic block, built for an industrial services company after their legal team rejected an AI chatbot SOW, comes with a different lesson: deterministic UX, full editorial control, zero model cost.

Attendees leave with a framework for when an AI block belongs in a project and when a deterministic block does the same job better, plus a reusable persona-by-goal pattern they can adapt on their next engagement.

Your Client Wants AI. Their Lawyer Just Said No. | Paul Yuen, Jason Zinn, Kay Lima

YouTube Video UCpJf6LGZ0a4n9Lj4aVt9spg_YXTKv5rhcDM

Accessibility in WordPress is often misunderstood as something that can be solved by simply installing a plugin. While plugins can be helpful, true accessibility requires understanding how themes, content, design choices, navigation, forms, images, headings, and interactive elements affect real users.

In this session, I will explain what real WordPress accessibility looks like beyond automated tools and quick fixes. Attendees will learn common accessibility issues found on WordPress websites, how to identify them, and practical steps they can take to make their sites more usable and compliant with WCAG and Section 508 standards.

This presentation is designed for WordPress site owners, designers, developers, content creators, and anyone who wants to build websites that work better for everyone.

Beyond Plugins: Real Accessibility for WordPress Websites | Joseph LoPreste

YouTube Video UCpJf6LGZ0a4n9Lj4aVt9spg_jibx_v5MP4Y

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