Suggestions
Jelena Zanko
DevRel & Community Leader - Full-Stack Community Management
Professional Background
Jelena Zanko is a distinguished Community Manager and expert in building engaged, vibrant communities within the technology sector, boasting over 14 years of experience. A former 'super user' for tech community platforms, Jelena seamlessly transitioned into a management role where she has excelled at creating and fostering interactions among thought leaders passionate about diverse topics such as food, wine, cars, and various open-source technologies. For the last seven years, her focus has been on growing and engaging OSS (open-source software) developer communities. With profound expertise in user acquisition and community engagement strategies, Jelena has executed countless successful initiatives, including hosting events, curating conference content, and implementing innovative community gamification strategies to enhance user engagement.
In her role as a global community leader, Jelena has successfully launched and expanded new markets, overseeing community management strategies that resulted in substantial user growth. Her extensive management experience includes hiring, training, and supervising remote teams dedicated to community building. Moreover, she has excelled in the technical aspects of community management, such as forum moderation, product roadmap oversight, and backlog management to ensure community needs align with corporate objectives.
Education and Achievements
Jelena Zanko received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia, equipping her with a unique understanding of human behavior and motivation, which significantly contributes to her proficiency in community management. Her educational background, combined with hands-on experience in the field, enables her to create vibrant communities that resonate with users.
Notable positions in her career include:
- Sr. Manager, Global Community Programs at Elastic: Here, Jelena leads efforts to enhance community outreach and integration across global platforms.
- Director, Community Advocacy at Imply: In this role, she focused on advancing community engagement and advocacy for technological solutions.
- Sr. Regional Director at Yelp: Jelena was instrumental in launching community strategies across various Asian markets while living in Hong Kong, enhancing the company's footprint in Southeast Asia.
Leadership Experience
As a seasoned leader, Jelena is known for her ability to nurture talent and build cohesive teams. At Yelp, she hired and led 14 remarkable employees, including Community Managers and marketing specialists, while overseeing 36 talented professionals across five teams. Her leadership has fostered an environment where innovative ideas and community-focused strategies can flourish, empowering individuals to reach their full potential.
Consulting Experience
In addition to her full-time roles, Jelena has provided consulting services to esteemed clients such as Vivino, Wheelwell, Hortonworks, and Cloudera. Her consulting work draws on her extensive knowledge of community management and user engagement strategies, helping businesses enhance their community outreach and increase user retention.
Specialties
Jelena's areas of expertise are diverse, underscoring her as a versatile leader in community management. Specialties include:
- Developer advocacy and relations
- Community growth strategies
- Diversified event programs
- Technical event programming
- International expansion and localization
- Ecosystem development
- Team building and people management
Through her strong background in engagement strategies and technical proficiency, Jelena Zanko continues to leave a significant mark on the tech community landscape.
