Chasing Entropy Podcast 025: Heidi Potter on Building Community and Leading with Kindness

In this episode of Chasing Entropy, I sit down with Heidi Potter, longtime organizer of ShmooCon and now CEO of Turngate, for a heartfelt conversation about community, chaos, and legacy in cybersecurity.

From ShmooCon to What’s Next

For 20 years, Heidi helped shape ShmooCon into one of the most influential community-driven conferences in the industry. She reflects on the decision to sunset the event, sharing stories of the unexpected impact it had: first talks that launched careers, lifelong friendships, even marriages that began at the con. What started as a grassroots gathering became a cornerstone of hacker culture, thanks to her team’s dedication and her philosophy of “happy staff, happy event.”

Lessons in Transparency and Leadership

Heidi shares how ShmooCon embraced radical transparency through its Own the Con sessions—revealing the financial realities, challenges, and choices behind running a conference. She explains why building the right team and treating the venue itself as part of that team are essential to success. Her guiding principle of “lead with kindness” underscores both her event leadership style and her approach to life.

Stories, Chaos, and Community Magic

From snowstorms that stranded attendees for days, to the legendary “Shmoo Bus,” to the serendipity of LobbyCon, Heidi and Dave trade stories that highlight the humor, chaos, and magic that defined the event. For Heidi, coordinating chaos isn’t just a skill, it’s a way of finding order, meaning, and connection in unpredictable moments.

Looking Forward

While ShmooCon has closed its doors, Heidi isn’t done building community. She’s already laying the groundwork for new events under her Moose Meat initiative, with plans to create smaller, more flexible gatherings in the future. Above all, her focus remains on giving back to the community and leading with kindness.

Listen now to hear Heidi’s reflections on two decades of ShmooCon, her insights on building inclusive communities, and why the stories we create together matter just as much as the code we write.