Member Spotlight: Leo Gopal

Leo started using WordPress in high school long before he had an email address.

He found that writing online on his own site created 14 years ago as a way to tackle a stutter, was the first time he felt he could speak fluently – Through WordPress. 14 years ago Leo found WordPress, and 14 years later he remains stutter free.

For over a decade, Leo worked in various roles in development and leadership for WordPress-based organisations and agencies.

He even joined Codeable as an expert, where he is now part of the core team assisting as Codeable Expert Community Advocate.

In 2016, he gave a WordCamp talk on Mental Health called: “The WordPress Community, Mental Wellness, and you”, – where he bared his soul, hoping to help others, which led to the creation of WPHugs, a safe place for mental wellness in the WordPress ecosystem.

Knowing that he alone was not enough to make the impact that he dreamt of, WPHugs was merged into Big Orange Heart, a similar organisation that had more support and could take it further and where he still volunteers as a Mental Health Advisor.

From the start, the Community has always been there for Leo, knowing and unknowingly, and to his honour and surprise, he was voted in as one of the WordPress.org Community Team Reps for 2023, where he gets to give back to the community that gave him so much. In this role, he hopes to achieve the group’s goals and serve the project and vision as best he can with the help of many supporters.

What do you enjoy most about working in WordPress?

The 4 Freedoms of WordPress and the Community behind it; WordPress cannot do everything, but WordPress, with help, can do everything.

What do you love most about your Post Status membership?

Everyone, of any level, has such a generous willingness to help those who seek it and also give it so freely. They offer patience and time to help others succeed and its so evident that its a true community of go-givers. I can only aspire to be as generous and helpful as I engage more.

What business/web/WordPress advice do you have for others in our industry?

There is a time to quit/pivot and there is a time to dig deeper and endure. Learning the difference is what separates the adequate from the exceptional.

Just be better than you were yesterday. Small steps can lead to great journeys.