How DevFests helped me shape my career?

Introduction

If you are in tech, or want to get into tech, you may have heard of DevFest. DevFest is a yearly developer event run by Google Developer Groups (GDGs) in cities all over the world. Each one is planned by the local GDG team as well as GDG teams from local universities and colleges also collaborate. There are talks, workshops, and lots of chances to meet other developers. (Fun fact: my name is Dev, so people joke that this festival is named after me. I have not corrected them yet 👀)

What I love most about DevFest is that no single company runs it. It is a community effort. Many sponsors come together to make it happen. Some speakers get support from their company. But many speakers pay for their own travel, and they get no financial incentive or profit from it. They come only to share what they know, and that deserves real respect. Organizers and volunteers give their time for free. Nobody does it for profit. They do it for the fun of it and to share what they know.

In this blog, I will share how DevFests helped me shape my career. I went from sitting in the audience as a student to speaking on the stage.

Attendee

My first DevFest was DevFest Toronto 2023. I was in the 4th semester of my program. It was the first time I met the Toronto tech community. I saw some interesting talks and met many new people. My network started to grow from there. In 2024, I went to DevFest Toronto again. This time, I did not just meet people. I made good friends.

At one of the GDG Toronto events, I went to a session on LangChain. Rishab Kumar gave the talk. That session is what got me into GenAI. After it, I started learning more about GenAI on my own.

By 2024, I had also started writing blogs. So as I learned GenAI, I wrote about it. I wrote about the projects I was building. I wrote small tutorials for people who were just starting out. I also wrote about problems that engineers face. Whenever I found a solution to one, I shared it in a blog.

I also got inspired by Rishab to become a tech speaker. Later on, he became a really good friend.

Speaker

DevFest and GDG events made me want to go to more tech events. One of them was at Microsoft. Soon, I wanted to do more than just attend. So the next step for me was volunteering, and I started volunteering at Microsoft.

After volunteering, the next step was speaking. In 2025, I started my journey as a tech speaker. My first ever talk was at Global Azure Bootcamp 2025, held at the Microsoft HQ in Toronto. I got this chance because of the connections I had made at these events. Later that year, I spoke at 4 different events, including a DevFest too.

That DevFest was DevFest London, Ontario. I heard about its CFP (call for proposals) through a mutual friend who was on the organizing team. This time, I was not in the audience. I was on the stage. That talk grew my network even more, and it opened doors to more events.

By this time, I had a good connection with the GDG Toronto organizers. So I started helping them host events at the TribalScale office. This way, I could give back to the same community that helped me grow.

In 2026, I spoke at DevFest Montreal. I got in by applying to the CFP. I also had a friend on the Montreal organizing team. TribalScale has been kind enough to cover my travel costs for talks like this, so I can travel to these events and share what I know. Next, I am speaking at DevFest Toronto, the same event where my journey started as a student.

Tips

First, find your local GDG: go to gdg.community.dev and join the chapter in your city.

If you are a student or new to tech, here is how to get the most out of a DevFest. First, talk to the speakers after their sessions. They are there to share, and most of them are happy to chat. Then, connect with them on LinkedIn and send a short follow-up message. Finally, write a blog about a session you liked. It helps you learn the topic better, and it shows others what you are learning.

If you want to start speaking, start local. Small meetups and local events are a great place to practice. You do not need a new topic every time. Give the same talk at different events and make it better each time. Once a talk works well, turn it into a hands-on workshop.

Conclusion

I love sharing knowledge, and I believe in learning together. This is also why I enjoy working at TribalScale. Collaboration and empowerment are a big part of how we work. Speaking is also my way of giving back to the community that I owe so much to.

A big thank you to the GDG Toronto organizers. This journey would not have been possible without you. I also want to thank TribalScale for sponsoring my talks and supporting me along the way.

If this story speaks to you, come to DevFest Toronto on November 15 at Northeastern University Toronto. I will be speaking there too. Use the promo code FLS to get your ticket here. Come say hi. Who knows, maybe your journey starts there too.

If you liked this story, follow my journey on my socials. I share blogs, short videos, and updates from my talks. You can find all my socials on my website.