Avery Swartz is a Toronto-based award-winning web designer, consultant, speaker, and tech skills instructor. A self-described design geek, she helps to demystify the web for small business owners, charities, and arts organizations. In addition to her web design work, Avery is the founder and lead instructor of Camp Tech, offering practical, professional tech skills training in a fun and friendly environment.

Avery has been an active participant in Toronto’s WordPress community for a number of years, and as one of our illustrious Sunday panelists, she’s bringing her tech and business chops to WordCamp Toronto 2013.

What do you want to teach folks at WordCamp?

I would love people to learn a bit more about what it’s like to do professional WordPress training, both for clients (one-on-one instruction) and for groups.

What attracted you to WordPress in the first place?

I love the platform itself – how it’s open source and easy to mess around with. I also love the community.

What are you most looking forward to at WordCamp Toronto?

Catching up with WordPress friends and colleagues, and meeting new people.

Why did you decide to speak?

I love the WordPress community and Word Camp, and wanted to give back by participating in some way.

What is your favourite plugin or theme, and why?

Ooooooh tough question! I do custom theme development when I’m building websites, but when I’m teaching students, I encourage them to use the Canvas theme by WooThemes. It allows for a lot of customization without knowing code, and the WooThemes support is amazing (a total must for beginners that are going to need assistance at some point).