The Twilio Heroes, a class of 12 developers, have been selected from a pool of applicants who demonstrated exceptional skills and passion for software development. The group, nicknamed the "Barn Owls," includes individuals with diverse backgrounds and interests, such as Ruby and Python programming, web development, game development, and UX/UI design. Many members of the class are organizers or mentors in their communities, aiming to empower others through technology and improve their own skills. The Twilio Heroes program aims to provide these developers with tools and resources to create software solutions that benefit their communities, while fostering a collaborative environment for knowledge sharing and growth.