Merge pull request #56 from Cheukting/main

Add blog post about PyPodcats Kickstart 2025

content/english/blog/kickstart_2025.md

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+---
+title: "PyPodcats Kickstart 2025"
+meta_title: "PyPodcats Kickstart 2025"
+description: "Check out the great plans and highlights for PyPodcats in 2025"
+date: 2025-02-18T05:00:00Z
+categories: ["Blog Post",]
+author: "Cheuk"
+tags: ["python", "community", "women in tech", "women in Python", "women in open source"]
+draft: false
+image: "/images/kickstart-2025.png"
+---
+
+Hi everyone! After a short break from last year, we are ready to kick off 2025 and we have big plans!
+
+First, we have a new host joining our team this year! We will keep her identity a secret until our first episode this year but here are a few facts about her, can you guess who she is?
+
+1. She has contributed to organising several Python conferences over the past few years.
+
+2. She is an organizer of the PyLadies chapter in Paris 🇫🇷 and is passionate about the community.
+
+3. She enjoys Zumba classes and spending time with friends. Some of us had drinks with her after a conference in Paris last year.
+
+The next announcement will be about our media platform. Thanks to the Python Software Foundation we have been posting our podcast episodes to their YouTube channel. Here is a recap:
+
+- [Introducing Hidden Figures of Python Podcast Series](https://pypodcats.live/episodes/ep-0)
+- [Joanna Jablonski](https://pypodcats.live/episodes/ep-1)
+- [Karolina Ladino](https://pypodcats.live/episodes/ep-2)
+- [Vicky Twomey-Lee](https://pypodcats.live/episodes/ep-3)
+- [Jessica Tegner](https://pypodcats.live/episodes/ep-4)
+- [Mona Obedoza](https://pypodcats.live/episodes/ep-5)
+- [Niharika Vadluri](https://pypodcats.live/episodes/ep-6)
+- [Anna Makarudze](https://pypodcats.live/episodes/ep-7)
+
+This year, we will have our own [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@PyPodcats) so please follow and subscribe to us so you will get notified when we have new episodes. It is very important to support us by subscribing as more subscribers will unlock more YouTube features for us.
+
+We thank the Python Software Foundation for their financial support over the past year as well. We received 2000 USD 💰 of funding from them which helped us to use tools and services that make the podcast possible. The complete breakdown of our operational costs can be found transparently on our [Financial info page](https://pypodcats.live/about/financials/). In 2024, we spent 2234.44 USD 💸 to pay for expenses related to podcast production, such as [StreamYard](https://streamyard.com/pal/c/5633886810406912), transcription using [Veed.io](https://veed.cello.so/o8ZKNYc1twy), speaker equipment reimbursement, as well as domain name and email host. We’ve also shared access to our subscription services with PyLadiesCon to [help them with their conference](blog/pypodcats_supports_pyladiescon/). 
+
+
+Python Software Foundation is going to relaunch its grants program in March this year, unfortunately, PyPodcats will not satisfy the application categories. Therefore, we have set up an [Open Collective platform](https://opencollective.com/pypodcats) which helps us collect support in the form of donations to keep the podcast going. Even the price of a coffee ☕️ per month will be able to help us celebrate the achievement of underrepresented and hidden figures in the Python community.
+
+