Event Summary
Gather & Networking - 6:30
Screening - 7:10
Q&A - 8:40
How did a "hobby project" created during a Christmas break in 1989 become the most popular programming language on the planet? Today, Python is the undisputed backbone of the AI revolution, the primary tool for data science, and the engine behind everything from Netflix’s recommendation algorithms to the flight software of the Mars Rover.
Join the Austin Forum for a special screening of "Python: The Documentary" (2025). This 90-minute film takes us from the quiet research labs of Amsterdam to the high-stakes boardrooms of Silicon Valley. Featuring interviews with creator Guido van Rossum and the community leaders who steered the language through its "Great Python 2 to 3" crisis, the film captures the human story, the "Zen" philosophy, and the inclusive community spirit that turned a simple script into a global phenomenon.
Following the screening, we will host an interactive Q&A session with a panel of Austin’s top Python experts. Whether you are a veteran "Pythonista" or have never written a line of code, this discussion will explore:
The Road to Expertise: Practical, high-value advice on how to transition from a casual user to a Python expert, including tips on mastering the ecosystem and contributing to open-source projects.
The AI Engine: Why Python became the "language of choice" for TensorFlow, PyTorch, and the Generative AI explosion.
The Business Impact: How Python enables companies to move from idea to production with unprecedented speed and scale.
The Future of the Language: A look at the next decade of Python, focusing on performance enhancements and the new "mobile and web" frontiers.
This event is a must for developers, data scientists, tech leaders, and students who want to understand the past, present, and future of the language that is quite literally writing our future.
Panelists
Kelsey Nowell, Senior Machine Learning Engineer
Kelsey Nowell is a Senior Machine Learning Engineer based in Austin, Texas. She has a background in data science and software development with a degree from Harvard University. Kelsey is known for her expertise in implementing and optimizing machine learning applications to improve operational efficiency and enhance customer experiences in the retail sector.
In her current role at Merck, she works on the AI Agent Platform Engineering team. Her current focus is enabling framework agnostic agent deployments and advanced authorization in agentic flows on behalf of users. She is also a PyLadies organizer.
Travis Oliphant
Travis Oliphant is an American data scientist, software developer, and entrepreneur known for his contributions to the Python scientific computing ecosystem. He is the primary creator of Numpy, a foundational package for numerical computation in Python, and a founding contributor to SciPy, which together form the bedrock on which modern AI and machine learning development was built. Oliphant is also a co-founder of NumFOCUS, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity in the United States that supports open-source scientific software. He is also a founder of several technology companies, including Anaconda, Quansight, and OpenTeams.
Dr. Andy R. Terrel, Computer Scientist