Naomi Ceder—educator, author, and former chair of the Python Software Foundation—shares her raw, powerful journey of becoming. From hiding her identity for decades to leading one of the world’s most influential tech communities, Naomi rewrites the rules on resilience, authenticity, and inclusion. She shares candid insights on Imposter Syndrome—rooted in her lived experience as a trans woman—and why owning your truth is the most powerful antidote. Naomi opens up about transitioning in midlife and why she stopped waiting for permission to be herself. Along the way, she challenges how we teach, why representation matters, and how real change is built. If you’ve ever felt like you don’t belong, this conversation is your reminder: you do. Listen in and get inspired to lead with truth, build with purpose, and never shrink who you are. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more empowering stories from remarkable women. Thank you for listening ❤ See below for transcript, timestamps, to get in touch, and more. TRANSCRIPT: https://www.shelightstheway.com/naomi-ceder-interview-transcript STORY: https://www.shelightstheway.com/stories/naomiceder FOLLOW: Website: shelightstheway.com/ Newsletter: www.shelightstheway.com/newsletter LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/she-lights-the-way/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/shelightstheway/ X: x.com/she_lights_way LISTEN TO THE POD: Podbean: https://shelightstheway.podbean.com/ RSS: https://bit.ly/SheLightsTheWayRSS Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4091de0 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4h8Kq0N Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/3YeCt1m READ THE BLOG: https://medium.com/@she_lights_the_way https://shelightstheway.substack.com/ CONNECT: Contact us: www.shelightstheway.com/contact Share a story: www.shelightstheway.com/story EPISODE LINKS: Naomi’s Website: https://www.naomiceder.tech/ Naomi’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomiceder/ Naomi’s BlueSky: @naomiceder.bsky.social The Quick Python Book: https://www.manning.com/books/the-quick-python-book-fourth-edition Trans*Code: https://www.trans.tech/ The Hatchery: https://us.pycon.org/2024/events/hatchery/index.html Friendly Guides Series:https://www.springer.com/series/17128 KEY MOMENTS: 00:00 A powerful reframe of Imposter Syndrome 02:00 Introductions 03:00 Helping make tech approachable 04:00 Naomi’s discovery of constructivist, student-driven learning 07:00 Why real motivation matters in education 09:00 A pivotal moment with Guido van Rossum 11:00 Early days of PyCon 12:00 Naomi’s role in the evolution of the Python community 14:00 Giving quieter or newer contributors a space to shine 15:00 A deeply personal turning point 17:00 Building spaces for diverse voices in tech 21:00 The birth of TransCode 23:00 How TransCode events became transformative experiences 24:00 Reflecting on the honor of serving as PSF chair 25:00 Naomi’s biggest challenges & greatest lessons learned 27:00 Value of perseverance in hard transitions 28:00 Naomi’s decision to live authentically as a trans woman 30:00 Healing from internalized misogyny and transphobia 32:00 Naomi’s antidote to Imposter Syndrome 36:00 What gives Naomi hope 38:00 Choosing listening over labeling 39:00 What She Lights the Way means to Naomi 40:00 Closing *Correction: At 10:00, Naomi mentions Linux World 2021, where she intended to say Linux World 2001.