Welcome to The People Behind the Programs, a blog series celebrating the voices, stories, and impact of the community professionals powering connection and belonging across the globe.

Today, we meet Ully Sampaio, a Community Programs Manager at Elastic in Maryland, USA. Her work centers around fostering developer communities through strategic engagement and impactful programs.

Ully’s journey to community management was paved with varied experiences in communication roles across diverse industries. Each experience deepened her understanding of the essential role community plays in any field. Let’s hear her story in her own words.

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How It Started

I’ve always been a people-person, relationship building has been my superpower for as long as I can remember. Early in my career, I worked across a wide range of marketing and communication roles, from corporate communications to social media and events. I supported diverse audiences, like physicians, nurses, engineers, and biotech professionals, and while the industries varied, one thread remained consistent: building trust and fostering a sense of community.

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I officially stepped into the tech community world in 2018 when I joined Elastic. It was my first time working in tech and my first time partnering directly with developers. Very quickly, I realized how natural this work felt to me. Supporting developers, nurturing relationships, and creating spaces for people to learn and share aligned perfectly with my strengths and background. Since then, I’ve grown into senior community manager roles, eventually leading programs, ambassador initiatives, and developer-focused event strategies that deepen engagement and drive real business impact.

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A Day in the Life

In my current role, I manage community programs and events with a strong focus on developer engagement. A typical day blends strategic planning with hands-on execution. I organize and support meetups in key cities with active user bases, while also identifying regions where we want to spark or grow community activity.

I also plan and execute developer-focused conferences, which are incredible opportunities to connect directly with users, understand their needs, and strengthen long-term relationships. Alongside events, I manage a contributor and ambassador program that recognizes top community contributors, supports their growth, and encourages them to create meaningful content for the broader ecosystem. My goal is always to empower community members on their journey to becoming experts and advocates, helping them amplify their voice while expanding the reach and impact of Elastic technology.

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The Tools that Power My Work

Social media is my go-to tool because it's where the community naturally expresses itself. It gives me visibility into what developers are learning, building, and sharing. I regularly monitor conversations to spot people presenting at conferences, posting tutorials, or engaging with new features. From there, I can proactively reach out to offer support with talk reviews, send swag, invite them to join the Contributor Program, or encourage them to participate in our flagship events. It’s both a discovery tool and a relationship-building channel that keeps me close to the community’s pulse.

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Advice for Newcomers

Community building takes time, consistency, and genuine care. It’s not something you can rush, and the strongest communities grow from authentic relationships, not just programs.

A great community manager needs to serve as both an internal and external advocate: representing the company to the community, and representing the community’s needs back to the company. Take the time to truly understand your audience, listen to their goals, frustrations, and motivations. Then translate that insight into business value. When you can clearly show how community efforts support product adoption, awareness, and customer success, you gain strong internal support and the freedom to build impactful programs.

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Resources I Suggest

One resource I highly recommend is the book The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business by Erin Meyer. It offers valuable insights into cultural differences and how they affect business interactions across global markets.

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💬 Let’s connect on LinkedIn — I’d love to hear from fellow community builders.

💡 The People Behind the Programs is a blog series that shines a light on the community professionals powering impactful programs around the world. Want to share your story or nominate someone doing incredible community work? Submit your spotlight here.

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