I’m excited to announce that 8th Light has agreed to acquire WisdomGroup, the leading voice in Chicago’s vibrant Ruby community. This acquisition combines two powerful institutions in the software craftsmanship movement, and will greatly enhance 8th Light’s ability to raise the bar for the software industry worldwide.
WisdomGroup’s two full-time employees, Founder Ray Hightower and Kevin Zolkiewicz, will join 8th Light’s team of software professionals, while continuing to lead their widely popular MeetUp groups and conferences.
8th Light and WisdomGroup began collaborating 10 years ago, and have continued working closely together to foster a community of software craftsmanship in Chicago. Ray and Kevin were present at 8th Light’s first software craftsmanship meeting, and they designed the first mobile app for SCNA 2010. They have remained productive partners, presenting at 8th Light Universities, and inviting 8th Light crafters to present at their own MeetUps and conferences.
Since founding the company in 2006, our mission has been to raise the bar for the software industry worldwide. This mission involves many different factors that are all important to its success, from delivering high quality software to educating anyone interested in learning more about our craft. In all of these areas, Ray and Kevin bring expertise and enthusiasm that makes everyone around them better.
At WisdomGroup, Ray and Kevin built two decades of experience building productive partnerships with clients and delivering high-quality solutions. They will continue filling these roles while joining 8th Light’s team.
Ray and Kevin are also leaders and organizers of some of Chicago’s most popular MeetUps and conferences, including ChicagoRuby, WindyCityRails, and WindyCityThings. Since assuming leadership in August of 2007, they have grown the ChicagoRuby community to more than 3,900 members.
Their shared passion for continual learning, sharing knowledge with others, and crafting high-quality software solutions makes them a perfect fit for 8th Light, and we’re thrilled to have them join our team.
