PyTN 2019 Speaker Series: Jessica Katz

Jessica Katz is a PyTN conference speaker presenting a talk on Safety and Other Lies We Tell Ourselves at PyTN 2019. We are thrilled to have Jessica as a speaker, and share the enthusiasm for Python and PyTN 2019 below!

What have you been working on lately that you’re excited about? (It can totally be non-tech related!)

At work, I’ve been focused on elevating people past their own blockers. It’s an exciting time of growth at Eventbrite so I know doing this work will help the whole organization be more stable as it grows. At home, I’ve been removing clutter from my life and it has been incredibly freeing.

How hot do you like your hot chicken, and for how many meals are you going to eat it while you’re here?

I don’t actually like hot chicken or really any chicken with the skin still on it. I’m a bad Tennessean.

Do you have any advice for getting the most out of a technology conference?

Leave yourself time to process what you’re learning. It’s okay to sit a session out to absorb and reflect. Conferences are also a really great time for networking and geeking out. Take some time to share with each other and make new connections in the area. You might make a new friend and you will undoubtedly make a new connection that could help you in current or future job searches.

Have you ever been to Nashville? If so, is there anything you recommend first timers do while they’re here? If not, is there anything you’re excited to see or do while you’re here?

I’ve lived in Nashville for 20 years now. The Parthenon is a must see, it’s a replica of the one in Greece. I’d also recommend checking out the Nashville Public Library Civil Rights Room. It’s not something everyone does when they come through and it’s an awesome view into the history of the civil rights movement in the area.