 Hello. Well, that was long. I hope you've all had a great first day at WordCamp. My name is Justin Koopsall, obviously, and I'm a lead software engineer working with WordPress for over 15 years. But today, I'm not here to talk about all my normal WordPress subjects. I'm actually here to share a deeply personal journey about how WordPress and its inclusive open community played an instrumental role in my reintegration into society. And why do I feel this way? Well, because I am a former convict, one who found a new lease on life through software and technology, and specifically by discovering WordPress so many years ago. That discovery led to many late nights of self-taught programming, constantly diving deeper and deeper into the world of WordPress and its community. Now, 15 years later, I can say without a doubt that if not for WordPress, just like many of you here, I would not be where I am today. The year was 2008. The housing market had just crashed, and we were in the midst of a financial crisis later to be known as the Great Recession. I had just been released from prison, and I needed to pick up some essentials and necessities. So my grandfather handed me some cash. I went into a superstore with my shopping list in hand. Amidst the aisles, teaming with countless products and bustling shoppers, I was suddenly paralyzed by an overwhelming fear, a fear of my past being discovered, a fear of not belonging. I panicked, quickly bolted out of that store, empty-handed. While I've never experienced that type of attack again, that fear, the fear of my past being discovered, constantly follows me around to this day. And as a matter of fact, it is only now here at WordCamp US that I finally found the courage to share my story publicly. But that fear still exists, both for myself and many, many others, due to societal pressures and countless hurdles placed on individuals like me. Now, fortunately, I did get very lucky in the beginning, securing my first job, working in a warehouse, stocking and shipping packages, all because a family member reached out for me. Now, unfortunately, many turns after this were filled with rejection and fear, often pushing me back into the never-ending maze of the unknown. For 15 long years, this fear has not at me, a constant shadow that trailed my every move. Wherever I turn, society's doors just seem to close on me, simply because of mistakes of my past. It's as if I was walking through a maze designed to box me in, shut me out, and prevent me from belonging. Over the course of my career, I have applied for nearly 600 jobs with hundreds of interviews and next-stage approvals, often meeting and exceeding both the expectations of the interviewer and the job requirements. Most of these applications and interviews were ended at the background check phase. Now, 17 of these companies did send me official offer letters, all of which I accepted and signed. However, 13 of them performed post-offer background checks and rescinded the offer before my first day, leaving me to start the process all over again. For the few of the signed offers, I actually started working, going through onboarding, getting set up on necessary systems and learning about the company processes. Later, I would get an email informing me of an impending background check, which required my approval. I would agree, cross my fingers, and wait. Two of those companies let me go whenever that background check returned. One of those was actually just earlier this year. And these were the most heart-wrenching moments of my career, knowing you have what it takes that all your hard work has paid off, only to be let go because of something you did 18 years ago. To this day, when applying for jobs, I have a constant expectation of rejection, despite having been given an offer or even starting work. Almost as if I'm waiting for the moment when a company comes knocking, telling me to pack my things. These rejections are demoralizing and mentally exhausting, especially after so much hard work to prove otherwise. And the societal stigma doesn't just apply to employment either. Getting rental housing is virtually impossible. Applying for loans to start a business or even buy a house have also resulted in denials. To this day, platforms like Airbnb still don't let me join because of my criminal history. And even investors perform background checks, so further limiting my ability to build something from nothing. For former convicts, corporate society here operates on the mantras if exists, reject. This is regardless of the crime committed, the time since the conviction or even the changes the convict has demonstrated since. Just rejection after rejection after rejection. This past fail mentality with background checks prevents former convicts from reintegration, which often leads to recidivism of which United States is one of the highest rates in the world. Now my story is not rare. As many as 100 million people in the United States bear the mark of a criminal record. That's nearly one out of every three people in this country. Of this, nearly 24 million or about 8% of our nation's population have a felony conviction. And while those definitely present the biggest barrier to one's future, the societal stigma doesn't just apply to felonies. Even minor infractions, such as lurid and bad check or too many motor vehicle citations can lead to a lifetime of closed doors and lost opportunities. Nine years after my conviction, I decided to try my luck outside the United States. In drastic contrast, I found that companies from other countries were willing to give me opportunities. To my amazement, companies from South Korea and Australia evaluated me not by my past mistakes, but by my present potential. It just, it was so astounding to me. They offered me opportunities I could not find here in the United States. Recognizing what I bring to the table now and not prejudging me for something that happened much earlier in my life. And living abroad was a very happy time for me. No more stigma from society, no more fear of background checks, no more worrying about my past just constantly following me around at every turn. I was able to build meaningful business and personal relationships, joining WordPress communities, attending and hosting WordPress events and even having the opportunity to speak at several word camps across Asia. I grew confidence in knowing that my skills were not the problem, it was my criminal background. I found that United States puts emphasis on perpetual punishment, other countries focus on restorative justice, enabling former convicts to become productive members of society. Many countries have laws and programs ensuring former convicts find housing and work, giving meaning beyond just serving a sentence. In contrast, the United States has laws actively preventing former convicts from working in certain industries and many laws barring licensing necessary for to work in specific fields. Most doors remain closed for former convicts, further hampering their ability to move forward with their lives. As an example, while in college, before landing a career in WordPress and technology, my first major was forensic science. It was a field of study that brought immense joy into my life. And then one day, when meeting with my academic advisor, I just passingly mentioned my criminal background. Later that week, she brought me into her office and advised me to switch my major, telling me that government agencies will not hire me because of my background. I was devastated. It really is a system designed to perpetuate our alienation in this society. But thankfully, I found WordPress and the openness of its inclusive community. And it's that inclusiveness that enabled me to be the person you see here today. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, if we're truly to embrace these values, we must encompass all shades of the human experience, including those that are created by one's mistakes. And that's where WordPress shines. In this community, I found acceptance and meaning and most of all, belonging. I was able to start working for some amazing companies and I will never forget what all of those leaders said to me whenever I mentioned my criminal background. Those were some of the first times I ever felt fully and wholly included by leaders in WordPress, despite knowing my criminal history. WordPress and its amazing open community helped me understand that there is hope. And we must continue to foster this inclusiveness in all of our decisions and actions every day. So I challenge each of you to educate yourself, learn about the obstacles within our justice system, understand the hurdles that people like me would criminal records face, and especially if you're an employer, just think twice before rejecting potential talent because of mistakes of their past. It's these mistakes that we as humans make that help us become better people, help us grow and enable us to be more inclusive and understanding of others. So let's be wholly inclusive just like the WordPress community. Thank you. Thank you.