It’s all about community with JNUC. That is the biggest and most important thing I took away from JNUC 2026 this year, apart from all the technical stuff, of which there was plenty, but that isn't what this article is about.
I had been to a JAMF Nation User Conference before, back in 2025, and it was great. This year was no exception, with one large distinction: it wasn’t my first JNUC this time. I was lucky enough to get to go this year via the “Diversity Sponsorship.” Which is, in very plain words, an amazing opportunity offered by Jamf to give tickets to a lucky few users who fall into any of the diversity categories.
Myself, a trans woman living in the South, I fell into the LGBTQ+ area of the diversity spectrum. With the sponsorship, the other winners and I were able to attend a very thorough “Level Up!” class that was offered a day before the conference officially began. The class was great, full of information, and genuinely worth whatever they would have charged, plus more. Along with the sponsored ticket and class, there was the ability to have an evening with the diversity winners and the Jamf Community party with the Heroes, a great group of people who are very active on the Jamf forums and provide solid advice to those who ask! We played pool, we talked—a lot—and I loved it, and later on another day, a lunch with leadership.
Day one was great. It started with breakfast with the Jamf Diversity sponsor team, and then to the keynote auditorium. The keynote was fantastic and very well done; nothing new there. When I eventually said bye to the other sponsors and winners, I found myself running into people I met last year, and it was beyond gratifying to see the same faces and new ones. Consistency is big, kindness is huge, and Jamf & JNUC offered both.
Day two was the perfect kind of chaos that you can expect from a large conference. Brain Dates, a personal favorite of mine, breakout sessions, and vendors made up much of the morning. The diversity winners and the sponsors then had a separate lunch with JamfF leadership, Beth Tschida included! We did brief introductions and then just talked.
Leadership seemed genuinely invested in our perspectives. It was refreshing and really spoke to some of the same things I noticed my first time: community and a sense of empathy and connection that runs consistently through every Jamf staff member I interacted with and, later, shared a drink with, and much, much later the next night, sang karaoke with... from the tables, of course.
The conference continued with the tasty hustle and bustle that has its own rhythm at JNUC. That hustle and bustle could always be put on pause by finding the Pride Corner in the cafeteria area. Clearly marked, full of rainbows, flags, and stickers… yes, please. It was a bastion my first year when everything was confusing and I was figuring things out—where to go, etc. This year, it was much more of the same, with less confusion and more opportunity to guide new people.
I was able to talk to others like me, talk about things that people who have never been may miss, and take part in building the community, whether it was introducing them to a Slack channel or exchanging LinkedIn profiles. The day ended with the Jamf Nation User Party. Great food, great live music, drinks—both non-alcoholic and alcoholic—and a bus ride back. Truly a wonderful time, punctuated by the community after the celebrations ended. We talked, snacked, and proceeded to find a place for the aforementioned karaoke.
The last day, is always mellow. The diversity sponsors and the winners all tended to find each other, and I loved it. Throughout the whole event, we were kept in contact with and notified of plans, etc. It wasn’t managed; it was natural and organic. We had a group text where questions would be asked and answered, and a Slack channel for the same.
I really cannot say anything else except that I loved it. As a trans individual who was genuinely nervous to go to Kansas City, Mo., it was so validating that they brought their own values with them. It is small for some and huge for others, but just a sign that said—and I am paraphrasing here—“Choose the bathroom that fits your chosen gender best” was a clear sign that they really do care. I was never called sir, or him, or anything other than how I presented, by anyone at all there. It spoke again of the safety and community that I have now mentioned many times.
It was a great opportunity, and I hope more people put in for their chance in 2027. Shout-out to
I can’t wait to see you all for JNUC 2027!
