Our company started as a WordPress web design shop, so giving back to the local WordPress community came naturally. From 2014 through 2017, our founder helped run WordCamp Tampa, a volunteer-organized conference for people who build and use WordPress websites.
Year by year
- 2014 (October 4 and 5, Keiser University): Thomas Giella, then owner of Gear Spinners LLC, handled venue logistics, lunch, and signage placement.
- 2015 (September 25 to 27, USF Marshall Student Center): he returned in the same role on the organizing team.
- 2016 (September 10 and 11): he served as lead organizer, in charge of venue logistics, budgeting, and keeping the team on track.
- 2017: he served as lead organizer again.
Why it mattered
In its 2015 profile of Gear Spinners, The Laker/Lutz News described the WordCamp group as offering conferences that teach WordPress skills for blogging, business, and social media. That matched what we were doing every day for clients: helping small businesses get more out of their websites.
By 2016, the organizer page listed both Gear Spinners Website Design and Hosting and Complete I.T. Computer Repair and Networks, a sign of how the company was already growing beyond websites. It also noted that Thomas developed Divi Mobile Menu, a plugin for the Divi theme.
Thank you to every volunteer, speaker, and sponsor who made those events happen.
Source: WordCamp Tampa 2014 organizers page
https://tampa.wordcamp.org/2014/the-organizers/
WordCamp Tampa 2015 organizers page
https://tampa.wordcamp.org/2015/organizers/
WordCamp Tampa 2016 organizers page
https://tampa.wordcamp.org/2016/organizers/
The Laker/Lutz News, April 1, 2015
https://lakerlutznews.com/local-computer-whiz-spins-success/
