About
Dawn provides consulting services around open source strategy, contributor strategy…
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Dawn Foster shared thisOpen source project governance is something I'm particularly passionate about, but I’ve also started thinking more about the intersection between public governance and open source. This blog post has links to recent talks that I've done on both of these topics! https://lnkd.in/e2CeVXwu
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Dawn Foster reposted thisDawn Foster reposted thisHow can open source strengthen governance, accountability, and public service delivery across Africa? Join us for a live conversation on YouTube with Dawn Foster and Yigakpoa S. as they explore the role of open source in shaping more transparent, collaborative, and citizen-centered public systems. From digital public infrastructure to civic technology and government innovation, we'll discuss why open source matters beyond software and what it means for the future of governance on the continent. Date: 16 June 2026 Time: 1:00 PM (WAT) Live on YouTube You can join using the link below: https://lnkd.in/ejKrN96u Turn on your notifications, Set a reminder and join the conversation. #OpenSource #PublicGovernance
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Dawn Foster shared thisIn this tough economy, OSPOs are often left with people needing to continue to do all of the work, but with fewer people. If you lead or work in an OSPO, I encourage you to think about how you can use documentation and Q&A channels to help scale your work, and this post from last January can help. https://lnkd.in/eNH2ppcQ
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Dawn Foster reposted thisDawn Foster reposted this‼️ Hi CHAOTICS! You have TWO days left to vote for our open Board of Directors seats - it's important that you do ‼️ All of the details you need are in the #general channel in the CHAOSS slack or in the Community repo of our GitHub org: https://lnkd.in/gV6P9dzz Come help build the future of CHAOSS!GitHub - chaoss/community: This is the main CHAOSS community repository. Feel free to open an issue to discuss a topic of community interest! This repository also holds governance, mentorship, and other community-related documentationGitHub - chaoss/community: This is the main CHAOSS community repository. Feel free to open an issue to discuss a topic of community interest! This repository also holds governance, mentorship, and other community-related documentation
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Dawn Foster shared thisOSPOs and other open source teams often struggle to demonstrate the value of their work in a way that resonates with the people in leadership positions within their organization. The topic of demonstrating open source value is one that I’ve been blogging about and giving presentations about frequently over the past year, so I wrote a blog post to collect all of that work in one place to make it easier for people to find. The post also includes a video of my recent talk, A Strategic Approach to Demonstrating the Value of OSS Efforts, at the Open Source Summit Minneapolis in May. I hope you enjoy it! https://lnkd.in/eyJWJ4csA Strategic Approach to Demonstrating the Value of OSS EffortsA Strategic Approach to Demonstrating the Value of OSS Efforts
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Dawn Foster shared thisI published an article in IEEE's Computer with advice and resources for improving open source project sustainability through good governance practices. It's only 4 pages, so it's a nice, easy read if you want to learn about how governance impacts project success and sustainability. https://lnkd.in/e_NYr6MVOpen Source Governance Practices: A Path to Improving SustainabilityOpen Source Governance Practices: A Path to Improving Sustainability
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Dawn Foster shared thisSo much of the critical infrastructure that we rely on contains open source projects that are under-resourced and struggling. One (of many) ways to help these projects is by funding development and maintenance so that contributors can focus on this work, but times are tough. OSPOs are feeling the pinch, and it can be hard to justify continuing to fund open source projects. Measuring the impact of funding open source isn’t easy, and there is no one approach, so I just wrote this blog post to help you get started. https://lnkd.in/e9Bt2FmP
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Dawn Foster shared thisIf you work in an OSPO, don't forget to fill out this year's survey to help us all understand the evolution of how organizations are managing their open source activities!Dawn Foster shared thisHow does your organization manage its open source activities? Your unique insight will help shape this year's OSPO story. Linux Foundation Research and the TODO (OSPO) Group have launched the 9th annual OSPO Survey, in partnership with the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) and FinOps Foundation, to map out the evolving role of Open Source Program Offices worldwide. As emerging technologies redefine the enterprise landscape, this year's study takes a deep look into how OSPOs are actively driving: ▪️ AI Governance & Policy: Managing risk and responsible adoption. ▪️ InnerSource & Collaboration: Breaking down internal silos to accelerate velocity. ▪️ Security & Compliance: Hardening the software supply chain against modern threats. ▪️ FinOps & Cloud Strategy: Optimizing cloud spend and open source efficiency. Your input creates practical, data-driven guidance for organizations navigating the intersection of open source and AI governance. Take the survey today: https://lnkd.in/esHPpsnv
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Dawn Foster reposted thisDawn Foster reposted thisOne week to go to State of Open Con on the Road, Edinburgh. The perfect opportunity to learn about AI and open source from world-leading experts. Amanda Brock, Adrian Jackson, Adrian Mouat, Anastasia Stasenko, Andrew Martin, Camilla de Coverly Veale, Chaamini Mangaleswaran, Chris Plank ☁, Chris Yiu, Dave Buckley, Fintan Ryan, Iain G. Mitchell KC, Jean-Baptiste Kempf, Justin Cormack, Juliette Denny, Keith Bergelt, Lee Fulmer, Liz Rice, Mallory Durran, Matt Jarvis, Matt Barker, Mike McQuaid, Nick Jones, Paula Kennedy, Sachiko Muto, Sal Kimmich, and Tom Wilkinson. We're also joined by the table holders, GitHub, Percona, NatWest, Occasio Insights, Growth Engineering, and Cyber Secured India, robot demos by The National Robotarium by Heriot-Watt University, podcast by Chris Weston https://wb40podcast.com. See the speakers, schedule and get tickets at https://lnkd.in/eqq_9Q6y #opensource #AI #opensourceai #aiskills #stateofopencon #soocon26 #openuk #openhq #aiscotland #AI #aimodels #aiagents
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Dawn Foster liked thisDawn Foster liked thisUN Open Source Week is just around the corner, and we're excited to return to NYC 🗽 Digital infrastructure is built, maintained, and used globally, and the challenges this ecosystem faces cannot be solved by any single actor alone. The Sovereign Tech Agency and our special delegation of open source experts are here to contribute our experience, perspectives, and practical guidance. Here’s where you can find us throughout the week, find all the direct links in the comments: 📍Monday June, 22, Maintain-a-thon 📍Tuesday June 23, Breakfast reception with Parliamentary State Secretary Thomas Jarzombek and Open Source x AI day 📍Thursday June 25, OSPOs for Good, on two panels Adriana Groh at “Open Source and Digital Sovereignty in a Connected World” and Paul Sharratt at “Financing Open Source and Digital Public Goods” 📍Friday June 23, Community-Led Side Events on Open Source and Digital Collaboration On the Capacity Building track: “Public Investment for Open Source Infrastructure: The Sovereign Tech Agency Model in a Global Ecosystem” #UNOpenSourceWeek #maintainathon #PublicDigitalInfrastructure
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Dawn Foster liked thisDawn Foster liked thisNext stop: New York City! I'm so excited to announce that I'll be attending UN Open Source Week in New York City next week, and moderating a panel with some of the finest women in open source technology on June 26th's Community-Led Side Events Day. The panel will talk all about the power of digital public infrastructure and the intersection with diverse maintainership in open source, and how the two support each other. I'm excited to bring Alyssa Wright, Elaine W. and Karen Sandler on stage for an enlightening chat one of my favorite topics! UN Open Source Week has been an event I've wanted to attend for years, and I want to give a big shoutout to Danica Fine, Lahari Chowtoori and Brian Proffitt for providing us with the opportunity to show up :) See you all there! #unopensourceweek
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Dawn Foster liked thisDawn Foster liked thisWe can't wait to be heading to #UNOpenSourceWeek2026 by United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies! From 22–26 June, the open source world comes together 🌍 This will be another wonderful opportunity to reconnect with the community, meet face-to-face, and celebrate the incredible work happening across the Open Source ecosystem. We can't wait to meet familiar faces, welcome new ones, and keep building momentum together. 🚀 #OpenSource #OSPO #AcademicOSPOs #CURIOSSCommunity #UNOpenSourceWeek
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Dawn Foster liked thisWhat did bringing contributors together from 14 countries to projects that helped reforest 2.6M acres teach us? Community infrastructure happens beyond issue templates. EveIyn Luu will share that story from our end alongside Lahari Chowtoori, Ruth Suehle, and Dawn Foster on the panels focused on Building the Next Generation What we're getting into: How students and new maintainers move from first pull request to real-world public-interest open source work through hackathons, mentorship, OSPOs, and community health metrics. And what it takes to operationalize an OSPO across governments, enterprises, and Indigenous communities Joining us for community day June 26?United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies
United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies
Dawn Foster liked thisOne week to go. UN Open Source Week 2026 begins Monday, 22 June at UN Headquarters in New York — the premier global forum for advancing open source collaboration in support of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Digital Compact. Five days with five themes: 🔹 22 June – UN Tech Over 🔹 23 June – Open Source x AI 🔹 24 June – Digital Public Infrastructure Day 🔹 25 June – OSPOs for Good 🔹 26 June – Community-Led Side Events Co-organized by United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies and United Nations Office of Information and Communications Technology Full agenda: https://lnkd.in/eC47iRbS #UNOpenSourceWeek #DigitalCooperation -
Dawn Foster liked thisCongratulations to our new CHAOSS board members! https://lnkd.in/g_tmUVPBCHAOSS 2026 Governing Board Election Results - CHAOSSCHAOSS 2026 Governing Board Election Results - CHAOSS
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Dawn Foster liked thisOne week to go! 🚀 The CURIOSS community is excited to join and engage with global changemakers at UN Open Source Week 2026. We can’t wait to contribute to the conversations, collaborations, and innovations that advance open source solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Digital Compact. See you at #UNOpenSourceWeek2026! 🌍💡 #CURIOSS #OpenSource #DigitalPublicGoods #GlobalDigitalCompact #Innovation #UNUnited Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies
United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies
Dawn Foster liked thisOne week to go. UN Open Source Week 2026 begins Monday, 22 June at UN Headquarters in New York — the premier global forum for advancing open source collaboration in support of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Digital Compact. Five days with five themes: 🔹 22 June – UN Tech Over 🔹 23 June – Open Source x AI 🔹 24 June – Digital Public Infrastructure Day 🔹 25 June – OSPOs for Good 🔹 26 June – Community-Led Side Events Co-organized by United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies and United Nations Office of Information and Communications Technology Full agenda: https://lnkd.in/eC47iRbS #UNOpenSourceWeek #DigitalCooperation -
Dawn Foster liked thisDawn Foster liked thisHow can open source strengthen governance, accountability, and public service delivery across Africa? Join us for a live conversation on YouTube with Dawn Foster and Yigakpoa S. as they explore the role of open source in shaping more transparent, collaborative, and citizen-centered public systems. From digital public infrastructure to civic technology and government innovation, we'll discuss why open source matters beyond software and what it means for the future of governance on the continent. Date: 16 June 2026 Time: 1:00 PM (WAT) Live on YouTube You can join using the link below: https://lnkd.in/ejKrN96u Turn on your notifications, Set a reminder and join the conversation. #OpenSource #PublicGovernance
Experience
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Self-employed
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Education
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University of Greenwich
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Dissertation title: Understanding Collaboration in Fluid Organizations, a Proximity Approach. Used network analysis along with various statistical methods to understand collaboration within the Linux kernel.
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Volunteer Experience
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Governing Board Member and WG Lead
CHAOSS
- Present 7 years 6 months
CHAOSS (Community Health Analytics Open Source Software) is a Linux Foundation project focused on creating analytics and metrics to help define community health for open source projects.
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Director / Board Member
OpenUK
- Present 6 years 6 months
We are a UK organisation committed to develop and sustain UK leadership in Open Technology.
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TODO Group Steering Committee Member
The Linux Foundation
- 2 years
The TODO Group is a group of companies who collaborate on practices, tools, and other ways to run successful and effective open source projects and programs. The Steering Committee is responsible for overall operations and budgetary issues.
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Advisor
Bitergia
- 10 years
Bitergia develops open source software and provides services for community, activity and performance analytics for open source and inner source projects to help organizations understand software development teams and processes.
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Co-Founder and Board Member
legion of tech
- 3 years
Legion of Tech was a non-profit organization created to grow and nurture the local Portland technology community through free, educational events, like Ignite Portland, BarCamp Portland, Startupalooza and more.
Honors & Awards
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CNCF TAGGIE
CNCF
The TAGGIE award is a key recognition within the CNCF Community Awards, given to individuals who have done the most to advance the CNCF TAGs. This award celebrates those contributors whose efforts are instrumental in scaling contributions from the technical and user community while ensuring the integrity and quality necessary to make cloud native ubiquitous.
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OpenUK 2023 Awards: Individual Category
OpenUK
An Individual who has demonstrated outstanding work in an individual capacity within the Open Technology ecosystem across any of open source software, open hardware, open data, or who uses open standards and open innovation. This includes forging ahead and offering a unique contribution to a project or a community, project leadership, code, documentation, artwork, support, promoting awareness, good governance or encouraging open practices by others – the full gambit of contributions.
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OpenUK Honours list 2023: Top 100 Open Source Influencers in the UK
OpenUK
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OpenUK Honours list 2021: Top 100 Influencers in Open Technology in the UK
OpenUK
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John Collins
The scale of the recent software project failures at The Arts Council and RTE may be significantly less than past public sector tech snafus like PPARS and the e-voting machines, but there's still a depressing familiarity about them. I wrote a piece for The Currency analyzing five key areas where both RTE and The Arts Council failed to follow established best practices for large software projects. Link in comments.
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Tobias Kirchherr
🚀 What really drives platform engineering success? We sat down with Steve Fenton, Head of DevRel & Principal DevEx Researcher at Octopus Deploy, to unpack insights from their latest Platform Engineering Pulse research — and the takeaways are eye-opening. 💡 Highlights: * Making security and ops policies mandatory doesn’t slow teams down — it actually fuels healthier platform adoption. * GitOps and Argo are redefining how modern teams think about deployments. * The metrics that actually matter for platform success aren’t always DORA — sometimes Monk metrics tell a more complete story. It’s a short, research-backed, and incredibly practical conversation for platform teams and engineering leaders who want to make their platforms stick. 🎧 Tune in to hear what the data says about building platforms that developers love — not just tolerate: https://lnkd.in/ddzMdBiU #PlatformEngineering #DevEx #GitOps #DevOps #EngineeringLeadership #SoftwareDelivery
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Rabya Khan
Young Minds, Big Future: Children and AI in the UK The Alan Turing Institute’s latest research with children, parents, and teachers shows how generative AI is already shaping young lives. Nearly 1,800 participants shared their views. The study investigates children’s experiences and perceptions of tools like ChatGPT, raising concerns about misinformation, environmental impact, fairness, and eagerness to be involved in shaping the future of AI. Here are 6 key takeaways: 1️⃣ Early adoption is real – 1 in 4 children aged 8–12 have used generative AI, mostly ChatGPT. 2️⃣ Digital divide is widening – 52% of private school students use AI vs only 18% in state schools. 3️⃣ Special needs support – children with additional learning needs use AI more often to communicate, learn, and express themselves. 4️⃣ Mixed teacher views – 85% of teachers say AI boosts their productivity, but 72% worry it harms critical thinking in students. 5️⃣ Bias and fairness – children of colour often feel under-represented in AI outputs, highlighting the need for inclusive design. 6️⃣ Environmental concern – children worry about the energy and water costs of AI, asking for greener technology. The report reminds us that generative AI is no longer on the sidelines, it is becoming part of children’s daily lives and classrooms. Thriving UK youth will depend on equal access, strong AI literacy, and ethical design. Now is the time to guide, educate, and empower them. #FutureSkills #AILiteracy #GenAI #AIForEducation #EdTechUK #UpskillingYouth #atomcampUK https://lnkd.in/d6CsE_Ni
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