chore(blog): add Maya's community spotlight blog

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+---
+title: "From Curiosity to Contribution - Maya’s Inspiring Journey into Open Source and Leading Design at AsyncAPI!"
+date: 2025-09-08T06:00:00+01:00
+type: Communication
+tags:
+  - Interview
+  - Spotlight
+  - Community
+  - Marketing
+cover: /img/posts/marketing-images/maya-story.webp
+authors:
+  - name: Atinuke Oluwabamikemi Kayode
+    photo: /img/avatars/bami.webp
+    link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atinuke-oluwabamikemi-kayode-5b838b1b7/
+    byline: AsyncAPI Community Marketing Specialist
+excerpt: "In this AsyncAPI Community Spotlight, we chat with Aishat Muibudeen (Maya), a product designer turned Lead Design Maintainer at AsyncAPI. From her first contribution in 2022 to founding Open Nest Africa, Maya’s journey shows how showing up and staying curious can lead to leadership in open source."
+---
+
+In this edition of the AsyncAPI Community Spotlight, we sat down with [Aishat Muibudeen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aishatmuibudeen/), fondly known in the community as Maya, a product designer, community builder, and the current Lead Design Maintainer at AsyncAPI. Maya shares her fascinating journey from open source newbie to core contributor and founder of [OpenNest-Africa](https://opencollective.com/open-nest-africa). This is her story.
+
+**Bami: Let’s start with a quick intro. Tell us about yourself, what you do and who you are.**
+
+***Maya:** Hi, my name is Aishat Muibudeen, but most people in the community know me as Maya. I’m a product designer and a community person at heart. I’m currently the Lead Design Maintainer at AsyncAPI and a member of the Code of Conduct Committee. Outside of AsyncAPI, I’m also the founder of [OpenNest-Africa](https://opencollective.com/open-nest-africa).*
+
+## Starting from Zero: Maya’s First Steps in Open Source
+
+**Bami: That’s awesome! Now, take us back to where it all began. How did you get into open source, and how did your AsyncAPI journey start?**
+
+***Maya:** Back in 2022, I barely understood how open source worked. I was curious but also confused. One thing about me, though, is when I’m interested in something, I go all in. I discovered AsyncAPI on X (formerly Twitter), where they had a call for technical writers. I didn’t have the experience, but I was eager to join a community. I reached out to the recruiter, explained I wasn’t a technical writer but was passionate about design. She referred me to the design lead, and that’s where it all began. At first, everything felt overwhelming. GitHub, for instance, looked like an alien world, very code-heavy and unfamiliar to a designer. But I kept showing up to meetings, I asked questions, and I messaged people in DMs asking how to contribute. My first contribution was designing speaker cards for the AsyncAPI Online Conference in October 2022. When my PR got merged by [Lukasz Gornicki](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukasz-gornicki-a621914/), I was over the moon. My first official open source contribution!*
+
+## Leading the Design Charge at AsyncAPI
+
+**Bami: Incredible journey so far! Now, let’s dive into your work leading the design team and working on various initiatives. What has that experience been like?**
+
+***Maya:** Leading the design working group has been both challenging and rewarding. After my first few contributions, I took the initiative to design the AsyncAPI Conference on Tour website in 2023. It was my first big solo project, and there were barely any active designers in the community at the time. I had to research, brainstorm ideas, and execute everything from scratch. That project opened the door to me becoming the Lead Design Maintainer and member of the Technical Steering Committee. It wasn’t easy. I was still in school and juggling responsibilities, but I kept showing up. Slowly, more designers started joining, and we began holding regular meetings. Another major initiative I led was building the AsyncAPI Design System. For designers, a design system is like a central library of reusable components such as typography, icons, and buttons. It helps maintain visual consistency across platforms. This project was part of the AsyncAPI mentorship program, now the maintainership program.*
+
+## Designing the Design System: A Milestone Project
+
+**Bami: Let’s talk more about the maintainership project. Why did you choose to work on the design system, and what did it involve?**
+
+***Maya:** I chose the design system because our growing design team truly needed it. A design system isn't just about colors or components, it's a shared language. It sets the tone for who we are as a community and how we communicate visually consistently. At the time, Missy, leading the design efforts, had started a basic UI kit with some foundational colors and typography. I saw an opportunity to evolve that initial work into something more robust, something future designers could build with, rely on, and contribute to. It felt like the kind of project that could empower the entire team, not just now but for a long time.*
+
+**Bami: Were there any challenges you faced while working on it?**
+
+***Maya:** Absolutely. I had never built a design system from scratch before, I had only worked with existing ones. There were no other designers in the community to guide me at the time, so it felt like I was figuring it out alone. To navigate that, I leaned into my network. I reached out to mentors and friends outside of AsyncAPI for support. One of my mentors, Ace, really kept me grounded,he helped me stay focused and reminded me that I didn’t have to have it all figured out at once. Looking back, I realize there were people like [Fran Mendez](https://www.linkedin.com/in/fmvilas/) already in the community who could’ve supported me, but I didn’t know that then. It was a learning curve in more ways than one, not just in design, but in how I ask for help and find support within the spaces I’m part of.*
+
+## The Birth of Open Nest Africa
+
+**Bami: That’s so insightful. Now tell us about your own initiative, OpenNest-Africa. What inspired it?**
+
+***Maya:** OpenNest-Africa was born out of something I deeply understood, how hard it can be to find your footing in open source, especially when you’re just starting out and don’t have a technical background. My journey with AsyncAPI changed that for me. I found a space where I could contribute, lead, and grow, through design, through community, and through care. That experience opened my eyes, and I wanted to create something that could open doors for others too. In 2022, I participated in SheCodeAfrica’s HerFest,  our team placed second in the GitHub project category, and that was a turning point. I realized I had the skills, clarity, and vision to help others get started in open source, too. By 2024, during the HerToberfest by She Code Africa (SCA),  I took everything I had learned,  from contribution models to inclusive community design, and co-founded OpenNest-Africa with three other incredible women. Though it started in Africa, OpenNest-Africa is a global initiative. We created it for beginners everywhere,  whether you’re technical, non-technical, or just curious - to find guidance, support, and a community that feels safe and welcoming. We built the space we wish we had. And now we nurture it so others can find their place, too.*
+
+## Wrapping Up
+
+**Bami: Maya, your story is not just inspiring, it’s a guidebook for non-technical folks trying to break into tech and open source. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us.**
+
+***Maya:** Thank you, Bami! I’m glad to be able to share my story. Open source has changed my life, and I hope others find the courage to start, even if they don’t have it all figured out. Just show up, ask questions, and never stop learning.*
+
+## Fun Segment: Have You Ever?
+
+> **Bami: I think that is all. Now the fun fact. There’s a lot of fun facts, but we can do “Have you ever?” Ten questions.**
+>
+> ***Maya:** Okay.*
+
+> **Bami: Have you ever fixed bugs? Do you fix bugs? You’re not a developer.**
+>
+> ***Maya:** I think I have, on my portfolio when I was doing it on VS Code.*
+>
+> **Bami: This has to be API-related o.**
+>
+> ***Maya:** Oh no, no no no.*
+>
+> **Bami: Have you ever created a PR you were super proud of?**
+>
+> ***Maya:** Yes. Yes, yes.*
+>
+> **Bami: Have you ever accidentally broken something important while pushing your PR?**
+>
+> ***Maya:** No, I thought I did break something but Lukasz told me I did not, so no, I’ve never done that.*
+>
+> **Bami: Okay. Have you ever helped a new contributor find their way in the community?**
+>
+> ***Maya:** Yeah, I mean, yeah. Several times. Yes, a lot.*
+>
+> **Bami: Amazing. I like the excitement.**
+>
+> **Bami: Have you ever had a eureka moment while doing your design work? Now “eureka” is a time where it’s just super exciting for you.**
+>
+> ***Maya:** Yes, yes.*
+>
+> **Bami: Have you ever joined a meeting in your pajamas?**
+>
+> ***Maya:** A lot of times I do.*
+>
+> **Bami: Have you ever been surprised by how fast someone reviewed your PR?**
+>
+> ***Maya:** No, I have not.*
+>
+> ***Maya:** Yes, I have. As a matter of fact, I learn something new from other contributors everyday.*
+>
+> **Bami: Have you ever gotten frustrated but kept going anyway?**
+>
+> ***Maya:** Yes, yes. We don't give up here.*
+>
+> **Bami: Have you ever been called out for doing way too much?**
+>
+> ***Maya:** No, I told you. I know myself, I know what I want. What I can and can not do. Plus the community members are cool people. So no.*
+>
+> **Bami: Alright. Cool. Thank you so much for your time. It was beautiful hearing your story.**
+>
+> ***Maya:** You’re welcome. And thank you too. It's been a pleasure being on this call*
+
+## Spotlight Summary
+
+- Name: Aishat Muibudeen (Maya)
+- Role at AsyncAPI: Lead Design Maintainer, Code of Conduct Committee Member
+- Key Contributions: AsyncAPI Conference on Tour Website (AACOT’23), Design System, Leading the Design Community
+- Community Project: Founder, OpenNest-Africa
+- Started Contributing: October 2022
+
+## Final Thoughts
+
+Maya’s story is a reflection of how open source welcomes all kinds of contributors. With passion, persistence, and a desire to learn, anyone can contribute meaningfully. Her growth from newcomer to design leader is proof that showing up consistently and embracing the learning curve can lead to incredible opportunities. If Maya's story moved you, take that as your sign to start contributing today.
+Explore opportunities at [asyncapi.com](https://www.asyncapi.com/en) and begin your own open source journey.