Have you ever thought about how a community can transform your career? I’ve experienced this firsthand. My journey in the tech world gained new meaning in 2023 when I joined the AWS User Groups. Here, I’ll share how this experience changed everything for me. Welcome, here we talk about events, experiences, and knowledge, especially in the cloud computing stack. I’m Priscila Araújo, one of the organizers of the AWS User Groups in Brasília. I’ve been working with technology since 2011, and in this space, I will tell you how the user groups positively impacted my journey, which began to transform in 2023.
First, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I’m passionate about Minas Gerais, my beloved hometown, from where I still maintain strong roots today. I love technology because I believe in its power to change lives and difficult realities. Additionally, I value my family and the tech communities I am a part of.
My story with technology truly began in 2009, when I arrived in Brasília. Yes, I’m a resident of the “quadradim” — as we affectionately call the Distrito Federal in Brazil. Although I love this land, I’m a true Minas Gerais native at heart, and my passions go beyond just pão de queijo! I love taking care of people, learning more about cloud technology, connecting organizations, and democratizing the power to innovate and create.
I will share important details about how my life has changed since I joined the User Groups. This is our main theme here, so how about we discover together what this means?
My journey in the world of technology took an incredible turn when I discovered the AWS User Groups. Since I started participating in 2023, these communities have not only expanded my technical knowledge but also opened doors to valuable connections and unforgettable experiences.
In this post, I’ll share how these groups impacted my life, from transformative events to friendships and achievements that changed my perspective on collaboration, personal growth, and the professional universe.
Technology Communities: Much More Than Just Technical
If you work with any technology stack, you’ve probably come across the topic of technology communities: a space entirely focused on exchanging experiences among people passionate about, of course, technology. As described in the article, many of these communities were created by the companies themselves as a strategy to spread their culture, trends, updates, etc.
But in my view, the creation of technology communities goes beyond that. The benefits are always shared among all. Those who are highly knowledgeable on a subject teach and continue learning even more, while those who are lost or just starting their journey find in the community support and resources to study and grow. Through communities, it is possible to share more than just tools and technologies: they are controlled and safe spaces where everyone can develop and deliver something valuable.
Here in Brasília, we have several communities, from the more traditional ones to the emerging ones. Communities like Pyladies, Plone, and FLISOL are traditional examples, each addressing important topics within the tech society. Oh, and we can’t forget the AWS user groups. Let me tell you how they came about!
AWS User Groups (UGs) are communities where developers discuss AWS news, learn practical skills, and interact with other members. Events take place both virtually and in person.
Amazon, an American company founded in 1994 by entrepreneur Jeff Bezos, evolved from an online bookstore to operate in areas like e-commerce, cloud computing, streaming, and artificial intelligence. Known for its strong culture of innovation, Amazon, through its cloud division AWS, created its communities. More specifically, in September 2007, the Rochester AWS Users Group (RAWSUG) was founded in New York.
“Mitch Garnaat and David Kavanagh, both long-time enthusiastic AWS developers, said: ‘We’re proud to announce the formation of a local Amazon Web Services user group.’ It’s hard to say who’s prouder — them or the AWS team here in Seattle. It’s going to be a fun and interesting night!”
(Source: https://aws.amazon.com/pt/blogs/aws/birth-announcem/)
Over 17 years ago, this type of community was created. Today, these groups are spread across the globe, with more than 400 units. Brasília is also on the list, with its own UG since 2023. How cool is that! I love participating in all of this.
How AWS User Groups Changed My Perspective
Now that you know how AWS groups work, let’s explore how these communities offer much more than technical knowledge — they are sources of lasting friendships. In the previous section, you learned a little about AWS user groups and their origins. Know that these are very inclusive communities made up of people from different regions around the world. We are over 400 distinct groups, encompassing all types of professionals, organizations, and lifestyles. Our groups are diverse, including women, non-binary individuals, Black people, and people with disabilities. Recently, the content from one of our events was translated into Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) in Goiânia, and another was held exclusively for women in Belo Horizonte, AWSome Women Summit Brazil. This is amazing!
Generally, these groups are created in cities, whether in large metropolises or even small localities, as in the case of the groups in São Paulo. All it takes is for someone to be interested in the topic and decide to start their group. In Brasília, for example, even with a large community of AWS cloud consumers, especially in services focused on the public sector, there was no user group until 2023. This was a big wish of the global community, which was realized in a special way that year, just when my journey aligned with this need.
The AWS community has been essential for my development. Through our meetings, I’ve not only absorbed new knowledge that helps me daily in project development with my clients but also mastered trends and technical concepts that give me authority among my peers. This knowledge helps me make decisions in projects involving the delivery of computing services. Additionally, the leadership skills and rich networking I’ve developed support me through various stages of projects.
User groups provide a growth environment where you can share your ideas, learn from others, absorb solutions and knowledge, and have a lot of fun. We always organize meetups with some sort of happy hour. At each gathering, you’ll have the chance to meet new people and initiatives focused on spreading knowledge about the AWS cloud. These events take place both virtually and in person.
The year is full of opportunities. Come take advantage of them!
Knowledge that Transforms: The Technical Foundation of User Groups
A globally recognized definition of Cloud Computing is the one provided by NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) in the United States, which can help us understand the technological focus of User Groups (UGs). NIST describes cloud computing as a model that enables access to multiple services in a ubiquitous, convenient, and on-demand manner. It is a set of shared resources, such as networks, servers, storage, applications, and services, that can be quickly provisioned.
This is one of the most respected definitions of Cloud Computing globally. Later, we will explore its fundamentals in more detail and advance to more sophisticated topics. But this is the core stack, the center of meetings and studies in user groups. Many of us, when we first joined user groups, had not yet used cloud services for our projects. Within the community, we learned how to begin our journey and/or enhance our toolbox for the cloud solutions we create.
The fact is that a lot of knowledge isn’t learned just from books or the internet; learning comes from day-to-day deployments and teamwork within cloud service providers. Additionally, much of this practical knowledge is acquired through meetups — informal events that promote knowledge exchange and moments of fun. These typically include inspiring talks, technical workshops, and rich discussions, often accompanied by pizza, soda, or beer.
These gatherings have been my main source of practical learning about the cloud. Through them, I not only deepened my knowledge of AWS concepts but also developed skills that I directly apply in my work as a Digital Business Manager.
Friendships That Marked My Journey
One of the most interesting aspects of being a member of the AWS community is the opportunity to meet many incredibly interesting people. This journey of content creation is closely linked to this part of the community. One of the goals of the Purple Spot channel is to share the stories of community members globally, showcasing how cloud computing has changed their lives and transformed their stories. We will be able to draw valuable lessons from the lives and experiences of these members, and we are creating this post to tell my story, particularly about the creation of this channel.
The networking power of user groups within communities is so vast that you can meet people not only in your city and other states of Brazil but also, around the world. In addition to advancing your technical knowledge and hard skills, you also develop soft skills like negotiation, networking, teamwork, project management, and relationship-building. The truth is that getting involved with user groups will take your life to a whole new level. In 2024, for example, I participated in a fascinating AWS project called New Voices, but that’s a topic for another post.
It was incredible how participating in various initiatives within the community helped me grow, even in my second language, English. The AWS community goes far beyond technical learning. Here, I found people with similar passions, built strong friendships and felt part of something larger. Exchanging experiences with colleagues from different fields taught me that, in technology, the diversity of ideas is as important as innovation.
Fun and Innovation: The Lighter Side of Technology Communities
One of the promising topics here on our channel is to talk about fun and innovation. Within the AWS communities, we have a very fun way of learning, communicating, and helping each other. In fact, everything we do aims to bring fun into the process.
One of the most interesting things I like to do within the community is to travel to attend events from other groups, to participate in Community Days, and other events within our community. The fact is that if you get involved with a user group, fun is guaranteed. There will be many happy hours, group trips, tours, visits to large offices, and other things you won’t want to miss.
So, one tip we give here on the channel is for you to find out today which local user group is active in your city, through the link I will leave here shortly. Or didn’t find a local user group? Don’t get discouraged, we can help you create your local user group. Just click on this link and talk to us; we’ll guide you on how to set up your group in your city. AWS has an entire support program for creating new groups. You must connect with an existing group and talk to someone to learn how to navigate this path.
Well, this is an interesting topic that will be the focus of another post, but you can already download the necessary information, here in the link, to participate or create your user group.
Who said learning can’t be fun? From creative dynamics to post-event social gatherings, AWS User Group meetings have always balanced learning with moments of relaxation. These moments have created unforgettable memories and reinforced the collaborative spirit of the community.
Fun and Innovation: Events That Made an Impact: Brasília on the Cloud Map
So, you already know that my journey began in 2023 when I joined user groups, but I haven’t told you where this happened. I can’t leave out one of the biggest events we have here in the Cerrado. Well, if you’re not from Brazil, you might be wondering: “What is the Cerrado?” The Cerrado is one of the most common biomes in Brazil, and several states are part of this region, including Goiás, Minas Gerais, and Distrito Federal.
Here in the Cerrado, we have a major event called Cloud Summit Cerrado. This event, led and conceived by a great colleague in the community, Marcelo Paiva, along with Deivid Veras, takes place every year in Goiânia. It’s a pretty cool, well-organized event, filled with opportunities for fun, great people, and speakers who come to share their knowledge with us. I learned about the event in 2023, and it was my first experience with tech events. I was trying to understand how to approach this world, get a better grasp of Cloud Computing, and figure out how I could incorporate this knowledge into my career.
I found out about Cloud Summit Cerrado through the internet, bought my ticket, and left Brasília after work hours. It was quite hectic and rushed! I arrived in Goiânia towards the end of the event, just a few hours before it concluded, but it was worth it because, through this event, I met some amazing people. The event was supported by the user community, represented by Nelly Andrade, who was the Community Manager for Latin America in that time. I joined the AWS booth and participated in a really fun and engaging quiz. As I told you, fun is always guaranteed here!
I also met Marcelo Paiva and my partner Jucinei Santos, who was also in Brasília. We were challenged to create the first user group in Brasília. Well, I didn’t even know what that was, but I love challenges and accepted the invitation. When I got back to Brasília, I started talking to Nelly about the groups, and we began to build the structure of our community.
I must say that this first experience was fantastic for me, and everything I’ve done in the community up until today has roots in that event. I also must mention that 2024 was another interesting year, as I had the chance to return to the same event, the Cloud Summit Cerrado, but this time as a speaker, alongside Ana Cunha, an AWS Senior Developer Advocate at AWS, who kindly invited me to participate as a co-author in a Cloud presentation. This was very important for my career and my involvement in the community. It allowed me to develop many skills while communicating a topic I was learning a lot about and reinforcing other abilities.
As the leader of the AWS community in Brasília, I had the opportunity to organize memorable meetups, participate in tech forums, and even create content for major events like the AWS Summit São Paulo 2024. Seeing the impact these events had on others was one of the most rewarding experiences of my journey.
A promising invitation
If you’re seeking professional growth, new friendships, or simply want to learn more about the cloud, don’t miss the chance to join an AWS User Group. No matter where you are, the impact these communities can have on your career is transformative.
Since 2023, my experience with AWS User Groups has been a journey of great learning and achievements. I’ve tried to summarize a lot of what happened from 2023 to 2024, but I can’t leave out so many other things. We’ll have other opportunities to specifically talk about AWSome Women, which is exclusive to women, or about the various local meetups we’ve held in Brasília. It’s also worth mentioning the participation of our groups in events of other communities, such as Flysol, Plone, Pyladies, and Campus Party Brasília.
Leading the Brasília community has allowed me to turn dreams into reality, create deep connections, and contribute to the growth of other professionals. Along the way, I’ve received a lot and made new friendships that I wish to carry forever! Today, I see how the power of collaboration and knowledge-sharing can shape careers, build friendships, and strengthen communities.
If you’re not yet part of an AWS User Group, here’s my invitation: join, connect, and let this community transform your life, just as it transformed mine.
I’ll leave some “Purple Pilules” with valuable links for you to start your journey in a user group!
Purple Pilules
Discover your local user group:
Global AWS User Group CommunityIf you are in Brasília, contact us and join us!
- Want to create your own UG? Talk to us! awsbrasilia | Instagram | Linktree
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