Kyler Middleton

From fixing computers on farms to democratizing DevOps

Kyler discusses her path from rural tech repair jobs to revolutionizing tech education.

Aaron Gustafson

Advancing inclusion with progressive enhancement

Aaron’s journey towards progressive enhancement and inclusive design.

Annalu Waller

Champion accessibility to unleash untapped potential

Dr. Annalu Waller on the intricate, interdependent network of support that shapes our lives.

Ruth Ikegah

Putting the African open source community on the map

Ruth’s dream is to show people that Africans aren’t just consumers of open source: They’re creators as well.

Rohan Gupta

Invite the critics and keep learning

Rohan, aka Blue Edge, on gaining different perspectives, maintaining a growth mindset, and staying true to yourself.

Santosh Yadav

Out of the slums and into open source

Using software development as a path out of poverty, Santosh knows a little support goes a long way.

Leonardo Javier Russo // MobilityLauncher

Raising the bar for open source standards

Leonardo is working toward a future where everyone can seamlessly participate in open source.

Jana Iris

Building super fans through genuine human connections

Jana’s successful career is driven by her empathy and love for the developer community.

Avi Press

The purest form of collaboration

Avi on the beauty of open source, versatility of computer science, and a viable solution to support burnt-out maintainers.

Dr. Johanna Pirker

(Virtual) reality check

Johanna on the colorful, cross-disciplinary world of computer science, and making education accessible to all.

Aaron Francis

Sometimes they say yes

Aaron on playing it uncool, advocating for yourself, and asking for your dream job.

Kara Carrell

Stewards of code, stewards of each other

Kara on supporting, sharing, and contributing to the contributors of open source.

Jonathan Leitschuh

The thrill of open source security

Jonathan finds broken things and fixes them to make the world a more secure place.

Frances Coronel

Great leaders create more leaders

Frances on building community, gaining social capital, and embracing your identity.

Mahmoud Hashemi

Driven by conversation and connection

Mahmoud on projects for the public good, sticky challenges, and the purity of open source.

Peggy Rayzis

Championing the nontraditional path

Peggy creates more value than she captures, amplifies underrepresented contributors, and champions as many people as possible.

Karthik Iyer

The art of learning a little about a lot

Karthik goes with the flow, follows his passions, and gives back to the community.

Rose Judge

Challenging the expectations of open source

Rose on the art of observation, projecting confidence, and seizing opportunities to learn.

Feross Aboukhadijeh

There are no warranties on open source

Feross on building OSS building blocks, rewriting the rules, and releasing obligations.

Adewale Abati

Keeping an Ace up your sleeve

To make a global impact, Adewale shines the spotlight on Nigerian developers and prioritizes accessibility.

Tatiana Mac

Move intentionally and fix things

Tatiana on chasing good energy, considering intent, and judging yourself on your last action.

Pedro Nauck // Docz

Prioritizing health and balance over Docz

Pedro went from unhealthy, anxiety-filled days to a more sustainable, creative lifestyle.

Keeley Hammond // Electron

All it takes is one ‘yes’

Keeley on prioritizing your passion, assigning equal roles in OSS, and paying contributors fairly.

Felipe de Morais // AfroPython

Lowering the barrier of entry into open source

Felipe does all he can to make it easier for others to get involved and thrive in the IT world.

Cassidy Williams

Lift as you climb

Cassidy on creating content, building relationships, and how much you get by giving back.

Liyas Thomas // Hoppscotch

Hoppscotch’s maintainer builds open solutions for all

When Liyas sees an opportunity to make a developer’s life easier, he doesn’t hesitate.

Neha Batra

Open source momentum and how to find it

Neha knows that to drive value, we have to start by focusing on everyone’s experience.

Anthony Sottile

Learning by doing, from Python to Twitch

Drawn to the community aspect of open source, Anthony uses Twitch as a modern classroom.

Aaron Turner // WebAssembly

From hacking prepaid phones to maintaining WebAssembly

Aaron Turner learned code to upgrade his phone, change his life, and give those with limited means access to better tools.

Tracy Hinds // Open Source Initiative

Asking tough questions to make room for valuable projects

Tracy Hinds works behind the scenes to resolve conflicts so open source developers can do their best work.

Limor Fried // Adafruit Industries

Leading the community of Adafruit

Limor Fried on making firm decisions, weeding out negativity, and building something better, together.

Nader Dabit // react-native-elements

From finding his calling to mastering React Native

Nader is energized by getting vulnerable on open source, learning, teaching, and connecting.

Shirley Wu

Chasing dreams, data, and creative coding

Shirley on creating art, representing Asian women in tech, and finding the work that resonates.

Monica Powell // react-ladies

Elevating others and making open source approachable

Monica nurtures inclusive spaces to educate, learn, be creative, and collaborate.

Segun Adebayo // Chakra UI

Coding at the speed of design with Chakra UI

Part designer, part UX engineer, Segun is all about accessibility, inclusion, and empathy.

Salah Al-Dhaferi // ReCoded-Org

Learning to code against all odds

After a challenging 15-year education journey in Yemen, Salah pays it forward by teaching aspiring young coders.

Tanner Linsley // chartjs

When open source is symbiotic with your business

Hooked on open source, Tanner has a knack for building solutions people need.

Lorena Mesa // pyladies

Building a globally diverse, welcoming Python community

Lorena finds the sweet spot between Python, politics, community governance and open source.

Jory Burson // jquery

Setting the right bar for open source standards

Jory takes matters into her own hands and asks the tough questions to optimize collaboration.

Marcy Sutton // whatwg

Making accessibility in tech the rule, not the exception

Marcy on the power of advocacy to normalize accessibility and bring more voices to open source.

Kathy Korevec

Chasing challenges to ship developer solutions

Armed with research, conviction and user empathy, Kathy is determined to find answers.

Brian Douglas // open-sauced

Taking a chance on others, and yourself

Bdougie on the pivotal (often heartbreaking) moments that led him to find his true calling.

Angie Jones // applitools

My differences are my superpowers

Angie makes a point to stay empathetic, share her knowledge, and give back to the community.

Safia Abdalla // nteract

Dream big, and follow through even bigger

Safia leverages her position as a maintainer to empower underrepresented contributors

Caleb Porzio // Laravel Livewire

Bringing simplicity, joy, and order to web development

Caleb on monetizing his craft and the value of transparency and sustainability in open source.

Gina Häußge // OctoPrint

It’s a 3D world, and we all belong

How Gina’s pet project grew into an entire ecosystem that took over her life (in a good way).

Nick DeJesus // use-shopping-cart

Shaping a more empowering future for eCommerce

Nick on more knowledge sharing, education, and support—and less code switching.

Shikha Mishra // Magento

Finding recognition and responsibility in open source

Driven by a strong work ethic, Shikha prioritizes happiness, work satisfaction, and community.

Andrea Griffiths

Part of something bigger, from the Army to open source

Andrea made a career change and discovered a new world of possibilities.

Jerome Hardaway

The modern veteran: A coding superhero

Jerome is changing the game for veterans, writing code, and seeking racial equality for Black Americans.

Michał Gołębiowski-Owczarek // jQuery

Looking deep to have a big influence

Michał’s work on jQuery is fueled by his attention to detail and desire to make an impact.

Mariatta Wijaya // Python

Breaking down barriers for women everywhere

A parent, engineer, woman of color, and open source maintainer, Mariatta leads by example.

Robby Russell // Oh My Zsh

Finding strength and purpose in collaboration

How Robby relies on his team, mends software, and stays true to his project.

Marc Cornellà // Oh My Zsh

Inspired to not only consume, but contribute

How Marc is driven by the community, its challenges—and due dates.

Wes McKinney // Apache Arrow

The sustainable future open source deserves

Wes prioritizes the community to improve data science tools and empower scalable solutions.

David Nolen // clojurescript

Scaling open source by creating potential

David believes in making space for ideas, staying true to your vision, and the power of “no.”

Chrissy LeMaire // dbatools

Finding connection and joy in the open source world

From the Bayou to Europe, Chrissy builds a life that would make her younger self proud.

Benjie Gillam // Graphile

The art of helping people and setting boundaries

For Benjie, open source isn’t just about sponsorships and code, but empathy and connection.

Gift Egwuenu // RubyGems

The connections behind the contributions

Gift starts small to ignite local and global open source engagement.

Alex Ellis // OpenFaaS

Balancing open source sacrifice and success

Even as he struggles with funding, Alex recognizes the value of creativity and camaraderie.

Evan You // Vue

Starting with an idea and building a community

How Evan empowers developers to first define and then reach their goals.

Jordan Harband // TC39

Maintaining kindness and commits

How Jordan approaches each line of code with compassion, gratitude, and purpose.

Issy Long // Homebrew

Learning, connecting, and building a routine

Issy stresses the importance of staying patient with themself and taking breaks.

Dirk Lemstra // ImageMagick

A balancing act: Puzzles and practicality

How Dirk found the middle ground between his day job and open source.

Sonia John // ProtoSchool

Me, my computer, and the will to act

Sonia’s journey from self-taught coder to decentralized web advocate.

Ovilia Zhang // Apache ECharts

Finding inspiration from, with, and for the community

Ovilia makes an impact by dedicating time to both code and creativity.

Samson Goddy // Sugar Labs

Dreaming big to unify Africa’s open source community

Samson proves that it takes just one inspired developer to ignite change.

Henry Zhu // Babel

A leap of faith: Committing to open source

How Henry bridged his faith and finances with open source.