This year’s SoFlo DevCon, South Florida’s premier developer conference, brought together tech professionals, students, and thought leaders for a full day of learning, networking, and innovation. The 2025 theme, “To the Future and Beyond,” focused on how emerging technologies—especially artificial intelligence—are transforming not just how we work, but how we connect with each other and the world around us. The conference emphasized the balance between technical advancement and human-centered values, offering valuable insights for students preparing to enter the tech industry.
Kindness Is a Networking Strategy
Rebecca Bakels, Senior Developer Advocate at City Furniture, reminded us that in a high-tech world, human traits still hold value. Kindness isn’t just nice—it’s a strategic tool for building meaningful professional connections.
AI Offers Information—Humans Offer Wisdom
Rick Tuttle of Veritec Solutions drew a sharp line between what AI can do and what it can’t. AI like ChatGPT is powerful for retrieving and organizing information, but only humans can apply values, judgment, and ethics. AI can help start a project or guide research, but real understanding comes from people.
Building a Responsible AI Future
Glen Benjamin of LAN Infotech emphasized the need to make AI safe, ethical, and inclusive. He pointed to Microsoft’s New Future of Work research, which explores how AI is reshaping productivity and collaboration. The key takeaway: AI should enhance—not replace—meaningful work.
The New Future of Work – Microsoft Research
Mastering the Art of Prompting
To get the best results from AI tools like Copilot or ChatGPT, you need clear, purposeful prompts. Think persona, objective, context, and boundaries. Microsoft’s resources on prompting can help you refine this skill.
- Cooking up a great prompt: Getting the most from Copilot – Microsoft Support
- Get better results with Copilot prompting – Microsoft Support
The Power of Open Source
Open source communities—like the Rust Foundation, OWASP, and the Python Software Foundation—offer opportunities to learn, contribute, and collaborate. The platforms make it easier than ever to get involved.
Open Source Communities
- https://openssf.org/getinvolved/
- Python Software Foundation
- Open Source Initiative – The steward of the Open Source Definition, setting the foundation for the Open Source Software ecosystem.
- The Rust Foundation – Official
- Welcome to The Apache Software Foundation
- OWASP Foundation, the Open Source Foundation for Application Security | OWASP Foundation
- Open Source Security Foundation – Linux Foundation Projects
- Cloud Native Computing Foundation
Open Source Mentorship
Hackathons Are Real-World Practice
Platforms like Devpost host in-person and virtual hackathons where developers can test skills, collaborate, and build real projects. It’s not just coding—it’s teamwork, problem-solving, and time management in action.
In Person and Online Hackathon options – Devpost – The home for hackathons
Vibe Coding: Go with the Flow
A new approach called “vibe coding” is catching on—using AI tools to code more fluidly by focusing on goals instead of syntax. Developers describe their intent, and AI helps generate, debug, or improve the code. It’s creative, efficient, and collaborative.
Bottom Line: Whether you’re networking with kindness or coding alongside AI, the future of tech depends on a thoughtful blend of human insight, ethical responsibility, and collaborative tools.
