For the JavaLand x Women in Tech series, Ixchel Ruiz has interviewed female speakers of the upcoming JavaLand 2026 at Europa-Park. These speaker spotlights give you the opportunity to get to know the speaker better and get their valuable input and insight on current topics. You can find more background information regarding the Women in Tech movement as well as Ixchel's motivation behind it in our previous article.
Session Title: A JUG-gle Is Real - Growing Java Communities: Challenges, Shifts & Opportunities
Time: Wednesday, March 11 | 15:00 – 15:40
Room: Circus Celebration
Language: English
Focus: Methodology & Culture
Most developers are familiar with Java communities, where meetups happen, talks are shared online and discussions flow through Slack or Discord. But what keeps these communities alive and connected? How do they adapt when expectations change and disruption strikes?
This session asks an easy-to-overlook question: what really sustains a community when the world around it changes?
Meet the Speaker: Dominika Tasarz-Sochacka
Dominika Tasarz-Sochacka is a Community Manager and Senior Marketing Specialist at Payara, based in Worcester in the United Kingdom, with over 15 years of experience in the Java industry. In her current role, she focuses on supporting and growing developer communities, amplifying voices across the global Java and Jakarta EE ecosystems, and encouraging knowledge sharing among developers.
Throughout her career, she has organised educational events, created technical content and fostered meaningful connections between developers, open-source projects and community leaders. She has spoken at Java and open-source conferences, collaborated with Java Champions and Jakarta EE experts, and contributed to community growth worldwide.
As one of the original team members at Payara, she played a pivotal role in establishing the Payara brand and developing its user community. Today, she continues to help developer communities thrive by creating spaces for collaboration and promoting innovation in enterprise Java.
Why Dominika Brought This Conversation to JavaLand
Dominika’s session was inspired by a recurring pattern she noticed while hosting the JUGs Spotlight series on the Payara Podcast. In conversations with Java User Group leaders, she heard similar concerns: participation and expectations have shifted, younger developers engage differently, and the pandemic reshaped how communities meet and grow.
Rather than focusing purely on technology, her talk highlights the human side of open-source software development and community building. It explores the value of local Java communities, practical ways to get involved, and the significant time and expertise that community leaders and speakers dedicate to the cause, motivated by a desire to connect, learn, and grow.
Attendees will gain insight into the real challenges many Java communities face, from geographical limitations and localisation issues to engaging younger developers and collaborating with universities. Dominika also reflects on the legacy of hybrid and virtual formats and the importance of continuity, consistency, and leadership in sustaining long-term community health.
The One Idea She Wants You to Take Home
People are the foundation of every successful tech community.
Communities are created, shaped, grown, and sustained by people. Technology enables connection, but it is human effort, generosity, and consistency that keep communities alive. The heart of the Java ecosystem has always been its people, and the future of our communities depends on how we continue to invest in one another.
This is the core message Dominika wants every attendee to remember and apply.
Her Perspective: Being a Woman in the Java Community
Dominika describes her experience in the Java community as overwhelmingly positive. Although she was often the only woman in the room, she never felt treated differently or excluded because of it.
One change she finds especially meaningful is the increasing visibility and acceptance of women balancing professional life with motherhood. Seeing women attend tech events with babies or young children, openly acknowledging both roles, reflects a growing cultural shift toward inclusivity. As a mother of two small children herself, this acceptance has been deeply meaningful.
She also highlights the bright, thoughtful, and open presence of women active in the community today. Their contributions encourage younger women to see tech as a place where they belong and help shape a more diverse and welcoming ecosystem.
Why JavaLand Is the Right Place for This Talk
For Dominika, JavaLand is all about people. After years of virtual and hybrid engagement, she is especially looking forward to reconnecting with familiar community members face to face and meeting new ones. The human energy that comes from in-person conversations, spontaneous ideas, and shared experiences is what makes JavaLand uniquely valuable.
She also enjoys the conference’s vibrant atmosphere, amplified by its location at Europa-Park, and looks forward to talks that go beyond frameworks and APIs to focus on how we collaborate, evolve, and sustain open ecosystems over time.
Join the Conversation
This session invites you to look beyond code and tooling and reflect on the people who make the Java community thrive.
If you are involved in a Java User Group, thinking about starting one, or simply benefiting from community work, this talk will give you perspective, practical ideas, and inspiration. Bring your experiences, questions, and curiosity to JavaLand 2026 and be part of the conversation.
This article’s grammar and syntax were refined using ChatGPT and DeepL. The content reflects the speaker’s ideas, hopes, and statements.
