dbt-labs · nghi-ly · Nov 14, 2023 · Nov 9, 2023 · Nov 10, 2023 · Nov 10, 2023
@@ -2,11 +2,11 @@
 id: bruno-de-lima
 title: Bruno de Lima
 description: |
-  I am an Analytics Engineer and aspiring tech writer coming from an academic engineering background.
+  Hi all! I'm a Data Engineer, deeply fascinated by the awesomeness dbt. I love talking about dbt,           creating content from daily tips to blogposts and engaging with this vibrant community!
 
-  I worked at Indicium as an Analytics Engineer for more than a year, having worked with dbt (of course, every day) for transformation; BigQuery, Snowflake, and Databricks as data warehouses; Power BI and Tableau for BI; and Airflow for orchestration.
+  Started my career at the beginning of 2022 at Indicium as an Analytics Engineer, working with dbt from     day 1. By 2023, my path took a global trajectory as I joined phData as a Data Engineer, expanding my       experiences and forging connections beyond Brazil. While dbt is at the heart of my expertise, I've also    delved into data warehouses such as Snowflake, Databricks, and BigQuery; visualization tools like Power    BI and Tableau; and several minor modern data stack tools.
 
-  I actively participate in the dbt community, having attended two dbt meetups in Brazil organized by Indicium; writing about dbt-related topics in my Medium and LinkedIn profiles; contributing to the code; and frequently checking dbt Slack and Discourse, helping (and being helped by) other dbt practitioners. If you are a community member, you may have seen me around!
+  I actively participate in the dbt community, having attended two <a href="https://www.meetup.com/en-AU/florianopolis-dbt-meetup">dbt meetups in Brazil</a> organized by Indicium; writing about dbt-related    topics in my Medium and LinkedIn profiles; contributing to the code; and frequently checking <a href="https://www.getdbt.com/community/join-the-community">dbt Slack</a> and <a                            href="https://discourse.getdbt.com/">Discourse</a>, helping (and being helped by) other dbt practitioners. If you are a community member, you may have seen me around!
 image: /img/community/spotlight/bruno-de-lima.jpg
 pronouns: he/him
 location: Florianópolis, Brazil
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ socialLinks:
     link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brunoszdl/
   - name: Medium
     link: https://medium.com/@bruno.szdl
-dateCreated: 2023-03-28
+dateCreated: 2023-11-02
 hide_table_of_contents: true
 ---
 
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ It took me some time to become an active member of the dbt community. I started
 
 Inspired by other members, especially Josh Devlin and Owen Prough, I began answering questions on Slack and Discourse. For questions I couldn't answer, I would try engaging in discussions about possible solutions or provide useful links. I also started posting dbt tips on LinkedIn to help practitioners learn about new features or to refresh their memories about existing ones.
 
-By being more involved in the community, I felt more connected and supported. I received help from other members, and now, I could help others, too. I was happy with this arrangement, but more unexpected surprises came my way. My active participation in Slack, discourse, and LinkedIn opened doors to new connections and career opportunities. I had the pleasure of meeting a lot of incredible people and receiving exciting job offers.
+By being more involved in the community, I felt more connected and supported. I received help from other members, and now, I could help others, too. I was happy with this arrangement, but more unexpected surprises came my way. My active participation in Slack, Discourse, and LinkedIn opened doors to new connections and career opportunities. I had the pleasure of meeting a lot of incredible people and receiving exciting job offers, including the one for working at phData.
 
 Thanks to the dbt community, I went from feeling uncertain about my career prospects to having a solid career and being surrounded by incredible people.
 

@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+---
+id: dakota-kelley
+title: Dakota Kelley
+description: |
+  For the last ~2 years I've worked at phData. Before that I spent 8 years working as a Software Developer in the public sector. Currently I'm a Solution Architect, helping our customers and clients implement dbt on Snowflake, working across multiple cloud providers.
+
+  I first started reading about dbt when I was in grad school about 3 years ago. When I began with phData I had a fantastic opportunity to work with dbt. From there I feel in love with the Engineering practices and structure that I always felt were missing from Data Work. Since then, I've been fortunate enough to speak at dbt Coalesce 2022 and I'm speaking again at dbt Coalesce 2023. On top of this, I've written numerous blogs about dbt as well.
+image: /img/community/spotlight/dakota.jpg
+pronouns: he/him
+location: Edmond, USA
+jobTitle: Solution Architect
+companyName: phData
+socialLinks:
+  - name: LinkedIn
+    link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dakota-kelley/
+dateCreated: 2023-10-03
+hide_table_of_contents: true
+---
+
+## When did you join the dbt community and in what way has it impacted your career?
+
+I joined the dbt community not too long after my first working experience. One of my passions is giving back and helping others, and being a part of the community allows me to help others with problems I've tackled before. Along the way it helps me learn new ways and see different methods to solve a wide variety of problems. Every time I interact with the community I've learned something new and that energizes me.
+
+## What dbt community leader do you identify with? How are you looking to grow your leadership in the dbt community?
+
+This is a tough one. I know there are several, but the main qualities I resonate with are from those who dig in and help each other. There are always nuances to others situations, and it's good to dig in together, understand those, and seek a solution. The other quality I look for is someone who is trying to pull others up with them. At the end of the day we should all be striving to make all things better than they were when we arrived, regardless if that's the dbt Community or the local park we visit for rest and relaxation.
+
+## What have you learned from community members? What do you hope others can learn from you?
+
+The thing I hope others take away from me, is to genuinely support others and tackle problems with curiosity. There used to be a time where I was always worried about being wrong, so I wouldn't get too involved. It's okay to be wrong, that's how we learn new ways to handle problems and find new ways to grow. We just all have to be open to learning and trying our best to help and support each other.
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@
 id: fabiyi-opeyemi
 title: Opeyemi Fabiyi
 description: |
-  I'm an Analytics Engineer with Data Culture, a Data Consulting firm where I use dbt regularly to help clients build quality-tested data assets. I've also got a background in financial services and supply chain. I'm passionate about helping organizations to become data-driven and I majorly use dbt for data modeling, while the other aspect of the stack is largely dependent on the client infrastructure I'm working for, so I often say I'm tool-agnostic. 😀
+  I'm an Analytics Engineer with Data Culture, a Data Consulting firm where I use dbt regularly to help      clients build quality-tested data assets. I've also got a background in financial services and supply      chain. I'm passionate about helping organizations to become data-driven and I majorly use dbt for data     modeling, while the other aspect of the stack is largely dependent on the client infrastructure I'm        working for, so I often say I'm tool-agnostic. 😀
 
-  I'm the founder of Nigeria's Young Data Professional Community. I'm also the organizer of the <a href="https://www.meetup.com/lagos-dbt-meetup/" title="Lagos dbt Meetup" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lagos dbt Meetup</a> which I started, and one of the organizers of the DataFest Africa Conference. I became an active member of the dbt Community in 2021 & <a href="https://coalesce.getdbt.com/blog/how-to-leverage-dbt-community-as-the-first-and-only-data-hire-to-survive" title="spoke at Coalesce 2022" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">spoke at Coalesce 2022</a>.
+  I'm the founder of Nigeria's Young Data Professional Community. I'm also the organizer of the <a           href="https://www.meetup.com/lagos-dbt-meetup/" title="Lagos dbt Meetup" rel="noopener noreferrer"         target="_blank">Lagos dbt Meetup</a> which I started, and one of the organizers of the DataFest Africa     Conference. I became an active member of the dbt Community in 2021 & <a                                    href="https://coalesce.getdbt.com/blog/how-to-leverage-dbt-community-as-the-first-and-only-data-hire-to-   survive" title="spoke at Coalesce 2022" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">spoke at Coalesce        2022</a>.
 image: /img/community/spotlight/fabiyi-opeyemi.jpg
 pronouns: he/him
 location: Lagos, Nigeria
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ socialLinks:
     link: https://twitter.com/Opiano_1
   - name: LinkedIn
     link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/opeyemifabiyi/
-dateCreated: 2023-07-02
+dateCreated: 2023-11-01
 hide_table_of_contents: true
 ---
 

@@ -2,11 +2,15 @@
 id: josh-devlin
 title: Josh Devlin
 description: |
-  After "discovering" dbt in early 2020, I <a href="https://www.getdbt.com/community/join-the-community/?utm_medium=internal&utm_source=docs&utm_campaign=q3-2024_dbt-spotlight_aw&utm_content=____&utm_term=all___" title="joined the community" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">joined the community</a> and used it as a learning tool while I tried to get dbt introduced at my company. By helping others, I learned about common pitfalls, best practices, and the breadth of the tool. When it came time to implement it months later, I already felt like an expert!
+  Josh Devlin has a rich history of community involvement and technical expertise in both the dbt and wider analytics communities.
 
-  In December 2020 I attended the first virtual Coalesce conference, attending all 4 days across 3 time zones! I found my quirky-nerdy-purple-people, and felt at home.
+  Discovering dbt in early 2020, he quickly became an integral member of its <a href="https://www.getdbt.com/community/join-the-community">community</a>, leveraging the platform as a learning tool and aiding others along their dbt journey. Josh has helped thousands of dbt users with his advice and near-encyclopaedic knowledge of dbt.
 
-  3 years later I had the pleasure of presenting at my first <a href="https://www.meetup.com/sydney-dbt-meetup/" title="dbt Meetup in Sydney" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dbt Meetup in Sydney</a>, and then <a href="https://coalesce.getdbt.com/blog/babies-and-bathwater-is-kimball-still-relevant" title="at the first in-person Coalesce" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">at the first in-person Coalesce</a> in New Orleans. My passion is helping people, and I'm glad that the dbt community gives me a place to do that!
+  Beyond the online community, he transitioned from being an attendee at the first virtual Coalesce conference in December 2020 to a <a href="https://coalesce.getdbt.com/blog/babies-and-bathwater-is-kimball-still-relevant" title="at the first in-person Coalesce" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">presenter at the first in-person Coalesce event</a> in New Orleans in 2022.  He has also contributed to the dbt-core and dbt-snowflake codebases, helping improve the product in the most direct way.
+
+  His continuous contributions echo his philosophy of learning through teaching, a principle that has not only enriched the dbt community but also significantly bolstered his proficiency with the tool, making him a valuable community member.
+
+  Aside from his technical endeavors, Josh carries a heart for communal growth and an individual's ability to contribute to a larger whole, a trait mirrored in his earlier pursuits as an orchestral musician. His story is a blend of technical acumen, communal involvement, and a nuanced appreciation for the symbiotic relationship between teaching and learning, making him a notable figure in the analytics engineering space.
 image: /img/community/spotlight/josh-devlin.jpg
 pronouns: he/him
 location: Melbourne, Australia (but spent most of the last decade in Houston, USA)

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ description: |
 image: /img/community/spotlight/karen-hsieh.jpg
 pronouns: she/her
 location: Taipei, Taiwan
-jobTitle: Director of Product & Data
+jobTitle: Director of Tech & Data
 companyName: ALPHA Camp
 organization: ""
 socialLinks:
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ socialLinks:
     link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenhsieh/
   - name: Medium
     link: https://medium.com/@ijacwei
-dateCreated: 2023-03-24
+dateCreated: 2023-11-03
 hide_table_of_contents: true
 ---
 

@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+---
+id: sydney-burns
+title: Sydney Burns
+description: |
+  In 2019, I started as an analytics intern at a healthcare tech startup. I learned about dbt in 2020 and joined the community to self-teach. The following year, I started using dbt professionally as a consultant, and was able to pick up various parts of the stack and dive into different implementations. That experience empowered me to strike a better balance between "best practices" and what suits a specific team best. I also <a href="https://coalesce.getdbt.com/blog/babies-and-bathwater-is-kimball-still-relevant" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">spoke at Coalesce 2022</a>, a highlight of my career!
+
+  Now, I collaborate with other data professionals at Webflow, where focused on enhancing and scaling our data operations. I strive to share the same enthusiasm, support, and knowledge with my team that I've gained from the broader community!
+image: /img/community/spotlight/sydney.jpg
+pronouns: she/her
+location: Panama City, FL, USA
+jobTitle: Senior Analytics Engineer
+companyName: Webflow
+socialLinks:
+  - name: LinkedIn
+    link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneyeburns/
+dateCreated: 2023-11-05
+hide_table_of_contents: true
+---
+
+## When did you join the dbt community and in what way has it impacted your career?
+
+The stack I used in my first data role was outdated and highly manual. Where I live, modern tech companies are few and far between, and I didn't have many in-person resources nor enough knowledge to realize that another world was possible at my skill level. I was thrilled to find a pocket of the Internet where similarly frustrated but creative data folks were sharing thoughtful solutions to problems I'd been struggling with!
+
+## What dbt community leader do you identify with? How are you looking to grow your leadership in the dbt community?
+
+Christine Berger was my first ever (best ever!) data colleague, and the one who first introduced me to dbt.
+
+There are certain qualities I've always valued in her, that I've found in many others across the community, and strive to cultivate in myself — earnestness, curiosity, creativity, and consistently doing good work with deep care.
+
+## What have you learned from community members? What do you hope others can learn from you?
+
+I spent too much time in my early career feeling scared to ask for help because I didn't want others to think I was incompetent. I'd spin my wheels on something for hours before finally asking someone to help me.
+
+The community has proven one thing to me time and time again: there are people here who will not only help you, but will be palpably *excited* to help you and share what they know, especially if it's clear you've made efforts to use your resources and try things on your own first. I'm one of those people now!
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const communityDescription = "The dbt Community is where analytics engineering l
 // This date determines where the 'Previously on the Spotlight" text will show.
 // Any spotlight members with a 'dateCreated' field before this date
 // will be under the 'Previously..' header.
-const currentSpotlightDate = new Date('2023-06-01') 
+const currentSpotlightDate = new Date('2023-10-31') 
 
 function CommunitySpotlightList({ spotlightData }) {
   const { siteConfig } = useDocusaurusContext()