About Thulisile
Thulisile is an Open Source maintainer and community builder who works across documentation, programs, governance, and contributor experience. She spends her time building, scaling, and sustaining global developer communities, by improving how Open Source projects are run, how knowledge is shared, and how communities grow sustainably.
Currently, Thulie is involved in the AsyncAPI Initiative, where she contributes both strategically and hands-on as Chair of the Governance Board and a member of the Technical Steering Committee. She helps guide direction, support working groups, mentor contributors, and stay close to the day-to-day realities of the community.
In practice, her work looks like:
- Designing and running Open Source programs and working groups
- Maintaining community processes and governance practices
- Supporting contributors and helping them grow into long-term participation and leadership
- Organizing community conferences and events
- Writing and improving developer documentation and educational content
- Using data, feedback, and observation to improve how communities operate
Thulie cares deeply about Open Source, inclusive communities, and building spaces where contributors can learn, grow, and feel supported.
Speaking Topics
Open Source, Community & Strategic Volunteering: Your Hidden Technical Resume
Building a successful tech career goes beyond courses and certifications. It's about the projects you contribute to, the communities you engage with, and the impact you make along the way.
- Techrity, 2026
A Shared Responsibility: How You Can Get Involved in Sustaining The Initiative
AsyncAPI has become a crucial player in the Event-Driven and Asynchronous API space mainly because of the passionate and dedicated community that supports it. However, the success of AsyncAPI depends on the active involvement of individuals and teams who utilize the spec and tooling, including companies, product owners, and vendors. Community building goes beyond technical expertise or writing code; it also involves engaging in discussions that shape the future of AsyncAPI. In this session, I will delve into the various ways you can contribute to the growth and sustainability of AsyncAPI. You’ll have the opportunity to learn how to participate in maintainership and working groups, join discussions that shape the project direction, advocate for practices that promote sustainable initiatives, and provide feedback that can lead to improvements. Additionally, I’ll share how you can lend your expertise to help the community ensure that the needs of today are met while making sure the community is also well-equipped for future challenges and eventually becoming a community builder. Watch the presentation
- APIdays India, 2025
From Ingredients to Output: The AsyncAPI Generator 101
Curious about creating documentation, code, or apps from your AsyncAPI files? Join me for a beginner-friendly walkthrough of the AsyncAPI Generator, which transforms AsyncAPI documents into functional outputs using customizable templates. We'll cover the basics of AsyncAPI and its importance in event-driven architectures. Then, explore the Generator, including its requirements (an AsyncAPI document and a template) and its output capabilities. Using simple analogies, we'll explain how templates serve as recipes and AsyncAPI documents as ingredients. We'll break down how templates are built, from simple components to advanced React-like logic, and see how they use the data in AsyncAPI files to produce meaningful results from markdown documentation to server code. Watch the presentation
- API Conf Lagos, 2025
Understanding the Role of Community in your Project
A strong community is the backbone of any successful open-source project. This talk was conducted to equip hackathon finalists with the skills and knowledge to build vibrant and sustainable communities around their projects.
- She Code Africa, 2024