The amazing, unstoppable women of Joomla are always here for all Joomla users. They never stop impressing us with their power and achievements. This month we have another amazing woman with us: Elisa Foltyn. Elisa has answered some of our questions to let us get to know her better.

Could you please introduce yourself?

Hi, I'm Elisa from Germany. Originally a designer, I studied marketing but truly find joy in developing solutions that make someone's life or work easier.

Can you tell us about your role as a Joomla volunteer - what is it that you do?

I'm not currently part of a specific team and my involvement varies. Sometimes, I dedicate several hours per week, while at other times, I'm less active. Despite this fluctuation, I'm happy to contribute significantly whenever I can.

I understand you got an award at JoomlaDay DACH, could you tell us more about that?

JoomlaDay DACH has awards for websites in three categories: small, medium and large. Me and my team got the large website award for the website of the Unicorns American football team, which is a very succesful American football team in my city. The organisation is fully run by volunteers. We helped them to migrate their Joomla 3 site to Joomla 5, did a small re-launch and implemented some changes that made it easier for them to manage the content. The football players' profiles, for example, are managed in core articles.

I think this award is a good recognition. Not just for myself, but also for my colleague Barbara (who put lots of effort in making sure all the content got in the right places - yes, she's in the picture with me) and for all volunteer organisations. 

What does Joomla mean to you?

Joomla feels like family and serves as a safety net. The community is invaluable to me both professionally and personally. I know I can rely on others for help in any situation, and they can rely on me too. Whether it's related to Joomla, business, or personal matters, the support is always there.

What makes you particularly happy volunteering for Joomla?

Being part of something larger and the ease of contributing to it brings me great joy.

If you could change something about your whole Joomla volunteering experience, what would that be?

I wish for more collaboration and, importantly, ensuring that the work we do is implemented. It's disheartening to see efforts go to waste because there's no follow-through. For instance, I redesigned Joomla.org to update its look, but it hasn’t been implemented, which is quite disappointing.

Do you think being a woman in the Joomla community makes a difference and how?

There’s still a need for men to learn how to interact with women, especially at events. We're there as experts. I've fought hard to earn respect, but some women are shy and face inappropriate comments. This needs to change.

Is there anything else you would like to share with the world as a woman in technology?

As a woman in technology, I want to emphasize the importance of diversity and inclusion. Our unique perspectives drive innovation. Let's continue to break barriers, support each other, and create an environment where everyone can thrive regardless of gender.

Thank you Elisa for being an amazing Joomla woman and congratulations on your award!

So stay tuned for the upcoming amazing Joomla women of this series.