Ash Shaw (@feedmymedia) – WordPress user profile

Bio

I founded LightSpeed in 2003 as an IT support company, and by 2007 we had fully embraced WordPress, evolving into a design and development agency. Since 2014, LightSpeed has been fully remote, working with clients across industries while keeping roots in Cape Town — a city where the mountains and sea are never more than a short ride away.

Today, our focus is on building scalable, content-first WordPress and WooCommerce solutions. We’re behind open-source projects like the LSX Design System, LSX Design block theme, and Tour Operator plugin, and continue to champion workflows that empower both businesses and developers.

I’ve also had the privilege of speaking at WordCamp Europe 2025, and serving on the Volunteers Team at WordCamp Europe 2024, experiences that deepened my commitment to giving back to the community that shaped my career.

Outside of building, I’m a regular guest on OpenChannels.FM podcasts and have appeared on BugHerd webinars, sharing insights on workflows, remote agency life, design systems, accessibility, and the future of WordPress development.

Interests

When I’m not working with WordPress, I’m usually moving. I’m an avid cyclist with a history in road, mountain, gravel, commuting, and touring — including bike-packing adventures across Thailand, Europe, and the US. I’ve also competed in triathlons since 2010, run trail races since 2006, and practiced yoga since the early 2000s. More recently, Muay Thai has become a source of discipline and strength, and dance continues to be a passion — from club nights in Berlin to festivals that fuel my creativity.

I’m equally passionate about technology and design. I enjoy working with AI tools like GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) alongside Figma prototyping and GitHub workflows (issues, branches, pull requests, and release management). The intersection of AI, open source, and creativity inspires both my professional work and personal projects.

WordPress Origin Story

I was introduced to WordPress at BarCamp Cape Town in 2006, sparking an incredible journey of learning and growth. A highlight was WordCamp Cape Town 2008, where I had the privilege of meeting Matt Mullenweg — an experience that cemented my commitment to WordPress and its community.

Since then, I’ve organised and attended multiple WordCamps, both locally and internationally. Each event has inspired me, lifting me to new heights, and reminding me why this community is so special. The friendships, collaborations, and shared purpose I’ve found through WordPress continue to fuel my work every day.

Member Since: February 25th, 2008
Location: South Africa
Website: lightspeedwp.agency
GitHub: ashleyshaw
Job Title: Founder
Employer: LightSpeed WordPress Development
Find me on:

Contribution History

Photo Contributor
Plugin Developer
Theme Developer
Themes Team
Translation Contributor
Translation Editor
WordCamp Organizer
WordCamp Speaker

Committed [3434303] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 2.1.1 from GitHub
7 days ago
Committed [3424145] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 2.1 from GitHub
4 weeks ago
Committed [3424122] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 2.1 from GitHub
4 weeks ago
Committed [3424110] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 2.1 from GitHub
4 weeks ago
Committed [3423827] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 2.1 from GitHub
4 weeks ago
Confirmed as a speaker for WordCamp Europe 2025
7 months ago
Committed [3293946] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 2.0.1 from GitHub
8 months ago
Created ticket #216763 on Themes Trac:
THEME: LSX Design – 1.4.1
8 months ago
Committed [3290525] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 2.0.0 from GitHub
8 months ago
Committed [3290523] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 2.0.0 from GitHub
8 months ago
Committed [3290521] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 2.0.0 from GitHub
8 months ago
Committed [3288474] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 2.0.2 from GitHub
8 months ago
Committed [3287831] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 1.5.1 from GitHub
8 months ago
Committed [3287793] to Plugins SVN:
Remove 1.2*
8 months ago
Committed [3214524] to Plugins SVN:
Tag release 2.0.0
1 year ago
Committed [3214502] to Plugins SVN:
Commit 2.0.0
1 year ago
Committed [3214480] to Plugins SVN:
Delete unnecessary files
1 year ago
Created ticket #183967 on Themes Trac:
THEME: LSX Design – 1.4.0
1 year ago
Created ticket #181274 on Themes Trac:
THEME: LSX Design – 1.3.1
2 years ago
Created ticket #177813 on Themes Trac:
THEME: Minimal LSX – 1.3.0
2 years ago
Created ticket #177809 on Themes Trac:
THEME: LSX Design – 1.3.0
2 years ago
Created ticket #159346 on Themes Trac:
THEME: LSX Design – 1.2.0
2 years ago
Committed [2955187] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 1.5.4 from GitHub
2 years ago
Committed [2955175] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 1.4.7 from GitHub
2 years ago
Committed [2955169] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 1.3.5 from GitHub
2 years ago
Committed [2955168] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 1.3.6 from GitHub
2 years ago
Created ticket #147752 on Themes Trac:
THEME: LSX Design – 1.1.0
2 years ago
Committed [2953195] to Plugins SVN:
Updating the screenshots
2 years ago
Committed [2951945] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 1.2.8 from GitHub
2 years ago
Committed [2951939] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 1.2.7 from GitHub
2 years ago
Committed [2951933] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 1.4.2 from GitHub
2 years ago
Committed [2951514] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 1.3.3 from GitHub
2 years ago
Committed [2951498] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 2.0.1 from GitHub
2 years ago
Committed [2951486] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 2.0.1 from GitHub
2 years ago
Committed [2951216] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 1.4.9 from GitHub
2 years ago
Committed [2951214] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 1.3.6 from GitHub
2 years ago
Committed [2951213] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 1.2.7 from GitHub
2 years ago
Committed [2951212] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 1.2.7 from GitHub
2 years ago
Committed [2951211] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 1.5.7 from GitHub
2 years ago
Committed [2944452] to Plugins SVN:
Updating the plugin description
2 years ago
Committed [2944175] to Plugins SVN:
Updating the plugin assets
2 years ago
Committed [2944166] to Plugins SVN:
Updating the plugin assets
2 years ago
Committed [2944164] to Plugins SVN:
Updating the plugin assets
2 years ago
Committed [2944155] to Plugins SVN:
Updating the plugin assets
2 years ago
Pull request #43 merged into WordPress/community-themes:
Header & single updates
2 years ago
Created ticket #143709 on Themes Trac:
THEME: LSX Design – 1.0.4
3 years ago
Created ticket #143708 on Themes Trac:
THEME: LSX Design – 1.0.3
3 years ago
Submitted pull request #43 to WordPress/community-themes:
Header & single updates
3 years ago
Committed [2922167] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 2.0.0 from GitHub
3 years ago
Committed [2920596] to Plugins SVN:
Update to version 2.0.0 from GitHub
3 years ago