The PyCon US Blog

Microsoft returned as our top PyCon 2020 sponsor (for the 3rd year) and stepped forward to make another big investment in PyCon and its community. Microsoft not only uses Python for their own development but also offers Python as a crucial tool to empower everyone to achieve more. I recently caught up with Dan Taylor and team to talk about how Microsoft is using Python and was excited to hear what they had to say. PSF: What is the most valuable thing about sponsoring PyCon to your team? Dan: PyCon is something we look forward to every single year. Our Python team at Microsoft loves to show our support for the Python community—and we love to give teams across Microsoft the chance to learn more about the Python community and bring that deep understanding back to the work we do, building tools and services for Python users. PyCon is the largest Python conference in the world and the Python community is especially vibrant, diverse, and inclusive. We love that we can help make P

With the in person cancellation of PyCon US 2020, the PyLadies Auction as we know, could not possibly have happened. Upon further investigation, we are deeply sad to announce we have decided to forgo the PyLadies Auction in its entirety for 2020. This decision has been a difficult one. We began the PyLadies Auction at  PyCon US 2013 in Santa Clara and have held it annually since. To not be able to celebrate PyLadies in our annual tradition together is a deep loss. 2019 PyLadies Auction Why isn't the PyLadies Auction going virtual? We considered running a virtual auction. However the mechanisms required to run a virtual auction have proven to be limited and not up to the quality that we expect for the PyLadies Auction. Additionally, we did not want to ask donors, or volunteers to violate social distancing practices by visiting a post office or other location for item shipments. In short, we want people to continue to flatten the curve by staying home and tending to themselves and th

Dozens of presenters and sponsors prepared content for the launch of PyCon 2020 Online! We are pleased to present talks and tutorials by Russell Keith Magee, Marlene Mhangami, Eric Ma, and so many more under the  PyCon 2020 YouTube channel ! There will be new presentations and content added to the  PyCon Online  page weekly. PyCon 2020 Online would not be possible without our sponsors. This year we are highlighting sponsors via the  Virtual Expo Hall . If you are looking for a job or information about their tools and products, be sure to check it out! Read the  launch email  for more content information. Content will be released in batches, weekly. Check back next week to catch more recording and "exhibits" in PyCon's Virtual Expo Hall! If you would like to receive the latest PyCon 2020 Online emails,  subscribe to our newsletter ! They will be sent out weekly for the next 4 weeks or so. Don't forget to share your PyCon 2020 Online experiences on Twitter using #

We’re thrilled to have the support of Facebook as a PSF and PyCon Principal Sponsor for 2020! Facebook would like to share with PyCon 2020 Online attendees how they are innovating ways for people to connect. Additionally, Facebook is investing in augmented and virtual reality and have released several category-defining technologies and experiences. Facebook looks forward to sharing more stories of innovation directly from the people who drive that innovation. The following was originally posted on Facebook careers. When you think about Facebook, what comes to mind first? Do you remember seeing a memory in your News Feed that made you smile? Or finding inspiration for a craft or hobby on Instagram? Or even experiencing an immersive virtual world for the first time with an Oculus headset? From the first lines of code Mark Zuckerberg wrote in 2004 to the launch of News Feed in 2006 to breaking down the barriers of distance with this year’s launch of Oculus Quest, innovation h

Each year since 2011, PyCon has reserved a special place for early-stage startups to show off what they're working on to the Python community. As its name might suggest, Startup Row is a row of booths for startups at PyCon. Due to the ongoing global public health crisis, Startup Row, like the rest of PyCon 2020, has gone virtual. Before we get started, a quick note: Even in the best of times, starting and running a startup is very challenging. Founders and early employees take on significant risk and expansive workloads to build something new and get it off the ground. Obviously, these are not the best of times. Now more than ever, early-stage startups need support. If any of these companies seem neat to you, try their products. Get in touch with the teams. Give feedback. Work for them. Become a customer or refer them to people who might find their work interesting. We're in this together. This Year's Startup Row Companies We had a very competitive application p