Valérie Galassi receives the Yoast Care fund for her contribution to the WordPress community

Meet Valérie Galassi, a valued member of the WordPress Community and Polyglots Teams! Jenny Dupuy nominated her for the Yoast Care fund because of her commitment and valuable contributions. Let’s learn more about this passionate WordPress enthusiast.

Nominator Jenny Dupuy: “Valérie has been contributing to the WordPress project for many years, often taking part in the monthly meetings of the French WordPress Documentation team and the French WordPress Translation team. She strives to spread the word about the contribution and even gave a talk at WordCamp Bretagne in September 2024. She co-organizes, with me and Eric Martin, the contribution days that take place before WordCamps in France. And she was part of the team of volunteers for WC Europe 2025 in Basel. Finally, she has been a member of the WPFR association for many years.”

Let’s get to know Valérie Galassi

Those are some lovely words by Jenny. Let’s get to know Valérie a bit better and ask her some questions about her work and passion for WordPress:

Hi, Valérie! What do you do in the WordPress space?

WordPress is my go-to web creation tool, which I adopted in 2011. I first used it as an amateur, then professionally, when I started my own business. Thanks to WordPress, now, I create and develop websites for small businesses as a freelancer.

To give back to WordPress, I contribute a lot. I’ve already contributed to the core, translated extensions, and co-organized WordCamps and Contribution Days. I have also been a speaker several times.

How did you first discover WordPress, and why did you start contributing?

I discovered WordPress in 2011 when I created my book review blog. Thanks to its reputation, I knew this CMS by name, but at the time, I had no knowledge of website development. I learned how to use it self-taught, thanks to all the information I found on forums, video tutorials, and articles.

This made me want to learn more about web development, so I went back to school in 2012 to learn programming languages. This enabled me to set up my own business in 2014 and make it my profession. WordPress naturally became my tool for creating websites.

I started contributing in 2014 by joining the WordPress in Nice Meetup group. Then, in early 2015, I attended my first WordCamp in Paris. There, I met the people active in the French WordPress community, who gradually led me to become a more active contributor. My very first contributions were with the French Polyglot team. I started translating plugins into French.

Then, very quickly, I started organizing WordPress events like WordCamps. At the moment, I co-organise the WCEU in Basel and have been co-organizing Contributions Days for several years.

What excites you most about WordPress?

Without any hesitation: to be part of the French and worldwide Open Source WordPress community. This active community puts a collective effort into developing this tool for creating websites.

What’s more, open source conveys great values, making technologies accessible to everyone. Compared to proprietary software, open source breaks down barriers.

What advice would you give to someone just starting with WordPress?

My main advice would be to adopt a gradual approach and take the time to discover its features. WordPress is an incredibly powerful platform, but it can seem intimidating at first. Start with the basics: learn how to create pages and posts, explore themes, and familiarize yourself with the dashboard.

I’d also encourage people to join the WordPress community. There are many forums, tutorials, Slack channels, and events where members share their knowledge and help beginners. This community is one of WordPress’s greatest strengths.

What’s your favorite WordPress memory or something you’re most proud of?

I’m most proud of having been the team leader of WordCamp Nice in 2018. Organizing WordCamps is rewarding, a real challenge, and a great experience. But I have fond memories of all the WordCamps I’ve participated in, both as an attendee and as an organizer or speaker.

Thank you for this interview, Valérie, and for all your contributions to the WordPress community! Do you know someone like Valérie Galassi who also deserves to be in the spotlight? Go to our Yoast Care page and nominate them right away.