The Umbraco MVP programme recognises individuals who make an exceptional contribution to the global Umbraco community.
Announced annually at Codegarden in Copenhagen, the programme celebrates those helping shape the platform through product feedback, community leadership, events, education, knowledge sharing, advocacy and innovation.
This year, three members of the Cantarus team were recognised as Umbraco MVPs for 2026.
The announcements were made at Codegarden 2026, Umbraco's flagship global conference, where community members, partners, clients and Umbraco teams from around the world gathered to share ideas, celebrate achievements and explore the future of the platform.
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The event was particularly memorable for Cantarus. Alongside the MVP recognitions, Grey Muir took to the stage on the opening day of Codegarden to deliver her talk, From Stakeholders to Beholders: How Running a DnD Campaign Can Make You a Better Developer, to an international audience.
While each recognition is personal, together they represent something bigger: a shared commitment to strengthening the Umbraco ecosystem through community leadership, knowledge sharing, product feedback, education, inclusion, advocacy and collaboration.
One of Umbraco's greatest strengths has always been its community.
Behind the platform is a global network of developers, strategists, marketers, digital leaders and product specialists who openly share knowledge, support one another and help shape the future of the platform.
For organisations built around communities, membership and engagement, the strength of the ecosystem behind a platform matters just as much as the technology itself. The people helping shape products, share experiences and support others ultimately influence the long-term success of every implementation.
As the first transatlantic Contributing Platinum Umbraco Partners, Cantarus has always believed that contributing to the wider community creates better outcomes for everyone. By sharing knowledge, supporting events, contributing to product discussions and helping connect people across the ecosystem, we're investing in the future of the platform our clients rely on every day.
For Jon Whitter, contribution is centred around helping people learn, connect and build confidence within the Umbraco ecosystem.
As co-organiser of the Umbraco Manchester Meetup, Jon has helped grow one of the UK's most active local Umbraco communities, creating regular opportunities for developers and digital professionals to share knowledge and learn from one another.
Alongside his community work, Jon continues to contribute as a member of the Umbraco Cloud Advisory Board, providing real-world feedback and insight to help shape the ongoing evolution of the platform.
Over the past year he has delivered workshops across Manchester, Leeds and Codegarden, supported first-time speakers, contributed educational webinars, authored technical content and helped organise Umbraco in the City, a one-day community conference that attracted around 90 attendees from across the UK.
His renewed MVP recognition reflects a long-standing commitment to helping others develop their skills, share their experiences and find their place within the community.
Grey's contribution combines technical expertise, creativity and inclusion.
Over the past year she has delivered talks at Umbraco Manchester and Umbraco in the City, exploring everything from proof-of-concept thinking to the increasingly popular From Stakeholders to Beholders: How Running a DnD Campaign Can Make You a Better Developer.
The talk challenged developers to think differently about storytelling, planning and user experience, creating conversations that extended beyond technical implementation and into the broader experience of building digital products. Following its success within the community, the session was selected for Codegarden 2026, where Grey presented it on the opening day of the conference.
Alongside their speaking contributions, Grey continues to serve on the Umbraco Orchestration Advisory Board, helping shape the future direction of one of Umbraco's newest products through practitioner feedback and real-world experience.
Grey is also a strong advocate for inclusion within the community, helping ensure Umbraco remains a welcoming and supportive environment where people feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to community events and discussions.
Grey’s MVP renewal recognises their contribution across product innovation, knowledge sharing and community culture.
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For Kirstie Buchanan, contribution has focused on helping connect Umbraco with the organisations, partners and communities that can benefit most from the platform.
Having worked with Umbraco for more than 15 years across four partner agencies, her focus over the past year has been on creating opportunities for collaboration between Umbraco teams, partners, clients and industry sectors, particularly across membership organisations, associations, non-profits and education.
Following her appearance alongside Umbraco at the Codegarden Business Summit in 2025, she continued to translate that partnership message into practical initiatives designed to bring people together around shared challenges and opportunities.
These included launching The Loom, a leadership conversation series featuring senior voices from across the digital ecosystem, which launched with Mats Persson, CEO of Umbraco, and helping create an ongoing AI webinar series in partnership with Umbraco exploring how membership organisations can adopt AI responsibly and practically.
She has also worked closely with Umbraco on industry events, webinars, roundtables and thought leadership programmes, sharing speaking platforms and exhibition presence at major sector events in both the UK and the United States, while supporting partner collaboration and introductions across the wider ecosystem.
Her first-time MVP recognition reflects the growing importance of advocacy, education, partnership and community leadership in helping open-source platforms continue to grow.
One of the reasons I've stayed involved with Umbraco for more than 15 years is the community behind it. There is a genuine willingness to share knowledge, support one another and collaborate in ways that ultimately benefit clients, partners and the platform itself.
For me, MVP recognition is really a reflection of those relationships and collaborations. Over the past year I've had the opportunity to work with Umbraco teams, partners, clients and community members across the UK, Europe and North America, helping create conversations, programmes and connections that bring people together around shared challenges and opportunities.
I'm incredibly proud to receive MVP recognition, but even more proud to be part of a community that continues to set the standard for collaboration, openness and mutual support.
The MVP programme recognises individual contribution, but it also highlights the importance of participation across the wider ecosystem.
Today, Cantarus contributes across multiple areas of the Umbraco community, including Cloud, Orchestration, AI and Sustainability initiatives, alongside active involvement in community events, educational programmes, partner collaboration and product feedback activities.
One of the most encouraging aspects of the MVP programme is the breadth of contribution it recognises. Across the global Umbraco community, MVPs are helping shape products, organise events, mentor new contributors, support advisory boards, create educational content, champion inclusion and strengthen relationships across the wider ecosystem.
The recognition of Jon, Grey and Kirstie reflects that evolution. While their contributions differ significantly, they share a common goal: helping others succeed and strengthening the community around the platform.
Lee Adams, CEO of Cantarus, commented:
"What stands out to me is that these recognitions represent three very different but equally valuable forms of contribution. Jon's work in community building, Grey's contribution to product innovation and knowledge sharing, and Kirstie's focus on partnership, advocacy and ecosystem growth all help strengthen the Umbraco community in different ways.
As a business, we're proud to contribute across multiple areas of the ecosystem, but more importantly we're proud of the people who invest their time in helping others learn, connect and succeed. That's ultimately what makes communities thrive."
The recognitions were announced at Codegarden 2026 in Copenhagen, making the achievement particularly special as they were celebrated alongside the wider international community that continues to make Umbraco one of the most collaborative and supportive ecosystems in digital.
Together, these recognitions reflect something we believe strongly at Cantarus: the best digital experiences are built when technology, community and collaboration work hand in hand.
Congratulations to Jon, Grey and Kirstie on this well-deserved recognition.