{"id":157097,"date":"2025-08-25T10:33:26","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T15:33:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/?p=157097"},"modified":"2025-09-10T09:27:44","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T14:27:44","slug":"meet-the-experts-erika-sentz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/meet-the-experts-erika-sentz\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Experts: Erika Sentz"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From our award-winning team of support specialists<\/a> who troubleshoot technical challenges to the engineers who drive innovation across our platform<\/a> to the passionate professionals who build connections with our customers<\/a> and partners<\/a>, every member of our globally distributed team is vital to the success of WP Engine as well as the thousands of brands and businesses we serve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WP Engine\u2019s mission is to power our customers\u2019 confidence online. Our Meet the Experts series shines a light on some of the individuals who bring this mission to life through their work every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this feature, we\u2019ll introduce you to Erika Sentz, our North American Lead Events Manager based in Baltimore. She oversees planning and strategy for the in-person events<\/a> WP Engine attends and sponsors throughout North America, as well as our many virtual events throughout the year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Erika<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Say hello to Erika!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For Erika, life is about finding balance. She lives just outside downtown Baltimore, which keeps her close enough to enjoy the city\u2019s food scene, but not too far from the countryside either. While she enjoys the city, she also spends a lot of time at a horse farm near her home in Pennsylvania, often starting her mornings in the barn or in the saddle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s my reset button and my happy place,\u201d she says. \u201cBeing remote-first means I never have to give that up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside of the stables, Erika is an avid learner. Her 35-minute commutes to the farm are often spent listening to audiobooks and podcasts like Lenny\u2019s Podcast<\/a>, From A to B<\/a>, and Think Fast, Talk Smart<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve lost count of how many real-world problems I\u2019ve solved thanks to an insight I picked up while listening to one of these,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erika\u2019s career journey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Erika\u2019s path to WP Engine started with a desire for change. She was looking for a role that aligned with her passions for both technology and creating human connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had a job alert turned on for experimentation-based roles, and one day WP Engine popped up,\u201d she recalls. \u201cAt the time, WP Engine was one of my \u2018dream\u2019 companies: tech-focused, remote-first, and a brand I already knew well from my days freelancing and building websites for small businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hiring process moved quickly. A recruiter reached out on a Friday, and just one week later, she had an offer in hand. \u201cLeaving my old company and my friends there wasn\u2019t easy, but I knew this was the right move for my career,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Erika leads strategy and execution for events created by, sponsored by, or attended by WP Engine. Her role oversees everything from large-scale conferences and high-touch roundtables in North America to reimagining our webinars to make them more impactful for attendees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her background as a web strategist and CRO practitioner informs her approach, so every touchpoint is intentional, data-informed, and designed to be tested and optimized over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI treat every event like an experiment: define the goal, test the approach, measure the results, and refine for the next time,\u201d she explains. \u201cThat mindset ensures our events don\u2019t just happen\u2014they evolve, delivering more value with every iteration.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her role also makes her one of WP Engine\u2019s frontline ambassadors. Whether she\u2019s representing the brand at an in-person conference or designing virtual events that educate and inspire, Erika helps connect WP Engine with current and prospective customers, agency partners<\/a>, developers<\/a>, and the WordPress\u24c7[1]<\/sup> community more broadly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Words of wisdom: Say yes, then figure it out<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Erika is more than just a learner; she\u2019s a doer. So, when asked about her best professional advice, she focuses on embracing new opportunities. \u201cSay yes, then figure it out,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not to say you should take on everything,\u201d she explains, \u201cbut I\u2019ve learned that saying yes to opportunities that scare me a little has always pushed me to grow. Moving to the events team was one of those moments. I didn\u2019t have all the answers on day one, but I trusted myself to learn, adapt, and make an impact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also finds inspiration in one of WP Engine CEO Heather Brunner\u2019s oft-repeated mantras: Don\u2019t let perfect be the enemy of good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a lifelong perfectionist, that\u2019s been a huge mindset shift,\u201d Erika says. \u201cEvents, web, and experimentation all demand agility\u2014sometimes you just need to launch, learn, and adjust.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erika is passionate about seeing beyond the tactical skills of a project, emphasizing the importance of telling the full story behind your work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing able to connect the dots between what you did and why it matters to your audience will set you apart,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Powered by people<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When asked what she loves most about WP Engine, Erika\u2019s answer echoes the sentiment shared by many of the other experts we\u2019ve interviewed<\/a>: it\u2019s the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe sheer expertise in every \u2018room\u2019\u2014virtual or otherwise\u2014constantly levels me up, both professionally and personally,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erika\u2019s work helps connect WP Engine to communities across North America and beyond as she creates intentional, thoughtful experiences that leave a lasting impact, but she credits the company with creating a culture of connection in-house as well. That collaborative, inclusive culture is especially important in a virtual-first environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can be remote and still feel deeply woven into the fabric of the company,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to find out more about what it\u2019s like to work at WP Engine? Visit <\/strong><\/em>our careers site<\/em><\/strong><\/a> to explore current openings and check out our blog for more inspiring stories from WP Engine\u2019s experts!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From our award-winning team of support specialists who troubleshoot technical challenges to the engineers who drive innovation across our platform to the passionate professionals who build connections with our customers and partners, every member of our globally distributed team is vital to the success of WP Engine as well as the thousands of brands and…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":318,"featured_media":153638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[454,411],"tags":[1492],"class_list":["post-157097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-careers","category-finely-tuned-expert","tag-meet-the-experts"],"yoast_head":"\nMeet the Experts: Erika Sentz<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In our Meet the Experts series, we talk with the people working behind the scenes every day to power confidence online.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Meet the Experts: Erika Sentz\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In our Meet the Experts series, we talk with the people working behind the scenes every day to power confidence online. In this feature, we\u2019ll introduce you to Erika Sentz, our North American Lead Events Manager based in Baltimore.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/meet-the-experts-erika-sentz\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"WP Engine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/wpengine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-25T15:33:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-10T14:27:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WPE-IMG-MeetTheExperts-1200x627@2x-1024x535.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"535\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Riley Cullen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Meet the Experts: Erika Sentz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"In our Meet the Experts series, we talk with the people working behind the scenes every day to power confidence online. In this feature, we\u2019ll introduce you to Erika Sentz, our North American Lead Events Manager based in Baltimore.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WPE-IMG-MeetTheExperts-1200x627@2x.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@wpengine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@wpengine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Riley Cullen\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/meet-the-experts-erika-sentz\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/meet-the-experts-erika-sentz\/\",\"name\":\"Meet the Experts: Erika Sentz\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-25T15:33:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-10T14:27:44+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/#\/schema\/person\/ba34e9468cbf591c7537e6c846b8a0d0\"},\"description\":\"In our Meet the Experts series, we talk with the people working behind the scenes every day to power confidence online.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/meet-the-experts-erika-sentz\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/meet-the-experts-erika-sentz\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/meet-the-experts-erika-sentz\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Meet the Experts: Erika Sentz\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/\",\"name\":\"WP Engine\",\"description\":\"Managed Hosting for WordPress\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/#\/schema\/person\/ba34e9468cbf591c7537e6c846b8a0d0\",\"name\":\"Riley Cullen\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ea30d05fc6f0519be29943b17a1980c89f9e0897251cf1983191b3f380ed8c74?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ea30d05fc6f0519be29943b17a1980c89f9e0897251cf1983191b3f380ed8c74?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Riley Cullen\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Meet the Experts: Erika Sentz","description":"In our Meet the Experts series, we talk with the people working behind the scenes every day to power confidence online.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Meet the Experts: Erika Sentz","og_description":"In our Meet the Experts series, we talk with the people working behind the scenes every day to power confidence online. In this feature, we\u2019ll introduce you to Erika Sentz, our North American Lead Events Manager based in Baltimore.","og_url":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/meet-the-experts-erika-sentz\/","og_site_name":"WP Engine","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/wpengine","article_published_time":"2025-08-25T15:33:26+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-09-10T14:27:44+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":535,"url":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WPE-IMG-MeetTheExperts-1200x627@2x-1024x535.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Riley Cullen","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Meet the Experts: Erika Sentz","twitter_description":"In our Meet the Experts series, we talk with the people working behind the scenes every day to power confidence online. In this feature, we\u2019ll introduce you to Erika Sentz, our North American Lead Events Manager based in Baltimore.","twitter_image":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WPE-IMG-MeetTheExperts-1200x627@2x.png","twitter_creator":"@wpengine","twitter_site":"@wpengine","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Riley Cullen","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/meet-the-experts-erika-sentz\/","url":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/meet-the-experts-erika-sentz\/","name":"Meet the Experts: Erika Sentz","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-08-25T15:33:26+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-10T14:27:44+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/#\/schema\/person\/ba34e9468cbf591c7537e6c846b8a0d0"},"description":"In our Meet the Experts series, we talk with the people working behind the scenes every day to power confidence online.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/meet-the-experts-erika-sentz\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/meet-the-experts-erika-sentz\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/meet-the-experts-erika-sentz\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Meet the Experts: Erika Sentz"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/#website","url":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/","name":"WP Engine","description":"Managed Hosting for WordPress","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/#\/schema\/person\/ba34e9468cbf591c7537e6c846b8a0d0","name":"Riley Cullen","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ea30d05fc6f0519be29943b17a1980c89f9e0897251cf1983191b3f380ed8c74?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ea30d05fc6f0519be29943b17a1980c89f9e0897251cf1983191b3f380ed8c74?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Riley Cullen"}}]}},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157097","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/318"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=157097"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157097\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/153638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=157097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=157097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=157097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}