Atlanta
September 13, 2025 (9am - 5pm)
Atlanta’s neighborhoods pulse with creativity and warmth, making the city an ideal location for XO Ruby Atlanta—a single-day, single-track conference designed for locals and regional guests from Atlanta, Birmingham, Nashville, and surrounding areas. This event is tailored for those aiming to learn, connect, and build community, all at a price that keeps it accessible.
XO Ruby Atlanta is a single-day, single-track conference designed to draw folks in from the city and the region. An approachable $100 ticket price coupled with no need for a hotel or airfare means you can connect with your community without breaking the bank.
Registration / Set up
Welcome
Fish Bowl Game
Scaling PostgreSQL Beyond Query Optimization
As Rails apps grow, Postgres often becomes a silent bottleneck—not because of bad queries, but because default behaviors no longer hold up. This talk covers the practical side of scaling Postgres when query tuning alone isn’t enough. We’ll dig into memory tuning, how autovacuum can quietly fall behind, what to watch for in index and bloat maintenance, and when HOT updates make a difference. The focus is on techniques that are commonly overlooked but have a measurable impact in production. If your database feels like it’s fighting you, this talk will show you how to fight back.
Alex Yarotsky
Break
Play with your code
Why are programming games more fun than our day jobs? We're going to dig into this exact question and see what lessons we can learn from them, and how we can bring it back to our developer experience. Also, we're going to talk about some rad programming games you should play!
Rachael Wright-Munn
The Disability Dilemma
Through interactive exercises, we’ll explore the often unseen challenges people face and how they shape the way we work and build products. You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of how small shifts in awareness can spark lasting change.
Katya Sarmiento
Lunch
Empty Pipeline, Empty Future
Thomas Cannon
Overreacting – from React to Hotwire
Igor Aleksandrov
Break
Refactoring Volatile Views into Cohesive Components
It's easy for models to grow unwieldy, accumulating methods, attributes, and responsibilities. But views can be even worse. Let's refactor the mess into clean, cohesive components with ViewComponent.
Jeremy Smith
TBA
We're still working on filling this slot. Should you be here? Let us know if you want to speak.
Break
TBA
We're still working on filling this slot. Should you be here? Let us know if you want to speak.
Katya Sarmiento
Katya is a Rails developer and product builder passionate about creating tools that support neurodiversity and mental health. She has over 20 years of UX/UI experience and ran her own business delivering SaaS, e-commerce, and community tech solutions before moving full-time into Rails development two years ago. When not coding, she enjoys crocheting, anime, gaming, and spending time with her toddler, Luna.
Alex Yarotsky
CTO at Hubstaff, where I’ve spent the last 6 years scaling a high-throughput Rails app backed by PostgreSQL. Author of Lift the Elephant, a pragmatic playbook for scaling Postgres beyond query tuning.
Igor Aleksandrov
Igor is the CTO and co‑founder of JetRockets, where he’s spent over a decade building innovative solutions for U.S. clients. A Ruby engineer and Docker Captain, he brings a global perspective to tech leadership and enjoys cycling and scuba diving in his free time.
Jeremy Smith
Jeremy is a product-focused Rails developer running HYBRD, a one-person web studio. He has been working with Ruby for the past 15 years. He co-hosts the IndieRails podcast, leads Ruby on Trails (a backpacking trip for Rubyists), and is a former organizer of Blue Ridge Ruby.
Rachael Wright-Munn
Rachael wants to share the joy and beauty of programming through programming games and regular open-source streams on Twitch. She's been a software engineer since 2012, 3x Team Lead, and manages a few small open-source projects.
Thomas Cannon
Thomas has been a Rubyist for 12+ years; and cares deeply about the intersection of art, labor, and the culture of craft. When not working at his dayjob or wrangling his two chaotic dogs, he's refining scalable patterns for real-world problems through Practical Computer.
TBA
To be announced ...
Limelight Theatre
349 Decatur St. SE Suite L, Atlanta, GA 30312
Venue
Step into Limelight Theatre, a vibrant space where stories come alive and ideas take center stage. This dynamic venue invites bold presenters and curious audiences to connect, share, and learn through compelling storytelling and engaging conversations. It’s the perfect place to be inspired, challenged, and transformed by the power of authentic voices and fresh perspectives.
Transportation
Whether you’re driving or taking public transit, Limelight Theatre in Atlanta offers convenient access for all visitors. The venue is easily reachable by MARTA, with King Memorial MARTA Station right a. If you choose to drive, street parking and nearby lots provide flexible options to suit your needs, making it simple to arrive ready.
Nearby
