{"$schema": "https://c3voc.de/schedule/schema.json", "generator": {"name": "pretalx", "version": "2026.1.1"}, "schedule": {"url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/schedule/", "version": "1.15", "base_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de", "conference": {"acronym": "fossback26", "title": "FOSS Backstage 2026", "start": "2026-03-16", "end": "2026-03-17", "daysCount": 2, "timeslot_duration": "00:05", "time_zone_name": "Europe/Berlin", "colors": {"primary": "#e60077"}, "rooms": [{"name": "Auditorium", "slug": "4632-auditorium", "guid": "1ddd165f-4197-510d-a2af-9f0953509f9e", "description": null, "capacity": null}, {"name": "bUm Box", "slug": "4633-bum-box", "guid": "deb473ee-a453-5811-bbc3-605d58e50a3e", "description": null, "capacity": null}, {"name": "Wintergarten", "slug": "4634-wintergarten", "guid": "888139d6-e46d-5d53-b8d2-844aa948a342", "description": null, "capacity": null}], "tracks": [{"name": "Governance & Community", "slug": "6134-governance-community", "color": "#FCCE57"}, {"name": "Economics", "slug": "6135-economics", "color": "#6BD9CC"}, {"name": "Legal & Compliance", "slug": "6136-legal-compliance", "color": "#333333"}, {"name": "Growing Open Source", "slug": "6137-growing-open-source", "color": "#FFD2D7"}, {"name": "Security", "slug": "6138-security", "color": "#98D0E7"}, {"name": "Design", "slug": "6139-design", "color": "#E60077"}, {"name": "Diversity & Inclusion", "slug": "6140-diversity-inclusion", "color": "#052DA5"}], "days": [{"index": 1, "date": "2026-03-16", "day_start": "2026-03-16T04:00:00+01:00", "day_end": "2026-03-17T03:59:00+01:00", "rooms": {"Auditorium": [{"guid": "89fa0370-a6ec-572b-8825-37256008959b", "code": "TYUAXM", "id": 85709, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T10:05:00+01:00", "start": "10:05", "duration": "00:40", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-85709-can-open-source-be-secure-by-design", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/TYUAXM/", "title": "Can Open Source be Secure by Design?", "subtitle": "", "track": "Security", "type": "Keynote", "language": "en", "abstract": "The tech Industry has relied heavily on Free and Open Source Software for 20 years but under-investing in its security and maintenance has increased global cybersecurity risk. \u00c6va Black will reflect on this history and show how regulations could improve security across the ecosystem.", "description": "For twenty years, the tech industry has externalized more and more risk into the digital commons of free and open source software. Despite the undeniable economic benefits of open source collaboration, by withholding security-essential features and under-investing in communities which maintain that commons, industry has invited disaster.\r\n\r\nIn response to the sharp rise in global cybersecurity incidents and the role FOSS has played in some of them, some governments mobilized investments and contemplated regulations \u2014 such as SOSSA in the U.S. and the CRA in Europe \u2014 to improve the safety of our now-digital world.\r\n\r\n\u00c6va Black will reflect on historical inflection points that led to these challenges and share their view of how the Cyber Resilience Act could create a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve the sustainability of open source communities through Voluntary Security Attestations.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "LBZBRV", "name": "\u00c6va Black", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/LBZBRV_sMyYMQT.webp", "biography": "\u00c6va Black is an international thought leader on open source software security, with over 25 years of experience building digital infrastructure, leading open source projects, and advising on cybersecurity policy.\r\n\r\n\u2014 \u201cTechnical Luminary\u201d \u2014 <a href=\"https://www.wired.com/story/inside-cisa-under-trump/\" target=\"_blank\">Wired</a>\r\n\r\nAfter leading OSS Security Programs first in the Azure Office of the CTO and then at the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Agency, \u00c6va founded Null Point Studio, a boutique cybersecurity consulting firm in the Netherlands, to continue supporting the sustainability and security of free and open source software.\r\n\r\n\u2014 \u201cchild prodigy turned creative genius\u201d \u2014  <a href=\"https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/cisa-welcomes-aeva-black-joining-our-team-strengthen-open-source-software-security\" target=\"_blank\">CISA</a>\r\n\r\nA veteran of the first dot-com bubble, \u00c6va\u2019s signature red-and-black aesthetic has darkened conference stages around the world since 2005. When not behind a computer screen, they can be found on a motorcycle or looking for new ways to support their local queer community.", "public_name": "\u00c6va Black", "guid": "ffa091c4-6925-5cc7-80cb-6029a21db2db", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/LBZBRV/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/TYUAXM/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/TYUAXM/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "9b2cdb49-1823-5c79-8b46-66e89cb8d26f", "code": "AY3X7W", "id": 83390, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T11:00:00+01:00", "start": "11:00", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-83390-does-foss-buy-sovereignty-participation-vs-ownership", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/AY3X7W/", "title": "Does FOSS Buy Sovereignty? Participation vs. Ownership", "subtitle": "", "track": "Governance & Community", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Policy debates often assume FOSS adoption delivers digital sovereignty. But does it? Sovereignty stems not from license freedoms but from technical capacity and community influence. Active participation in FOSS development\u2014not mere adoption\u2014determines whether nations achieve independence from proprietary lock-in and foreign control.", "description": "Digital sovereignty has become central to EU technology policy, with FOSS frequently positioned as a solution to dependencies on foreign proprietary systems. But simply deploying open source software does not automatically deliver sovereignty.\r\nThis talk examines what actually confers digital sovereignty, license freedoms or something more demanding: sustained participation in development communities, institutional knowledge, and capacity to shape technological trajectories. The critical distinction is between passive adoption (downloading and deploying FOSS) and active engagement (contributing code, influencing governance, operating critical infrastructure).\r\nAnalysis of different national strategies reveals a counterintuitive finding: copyright ownership matters less than developmental participation. More provocatively, certain forms of international collaboration enhance rather than compromise strategic autonomy, a concept this talk frames as \"interdependent autonomy.\" Participation in global FOSS communities can strengthen rather than weaken national capabilities.\r\nKey takeaways: what sovereignty requires beyond license compliance, why passive adoption often fails to deliver independence, how different FOSS governance models affect sovereignty outcomes, and whether collaborative innovation can compete with proprietary R&D for strategic capabilities. The implications reshape procurement policy, workforce development strategies, and alliance frameworks for technology cooperation.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "BBHY3Z", "name": "Mirko Boehm", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/BBHY3Z_uXsukL2.webp", "biography": "Mirko Boehm contributes to free and open source software as a community builder, licensing expert and researcher. His work spans major projects including the KDE Desktop, the Open Invention Network and the Open Source Initiative. He holds a PhD in innovation economics and serves as visiting lecturer and researcher on open source software at the Technical University of Berlin.\r\nHis professional background encompasses entrepreneurship, executive management, software development and service as a German Air Force officer. Since joining the Linux Foundation in June 2023 as senior director for community development at Linux Foundation Europe, he drives engagement and collaboration among European open source stakeholders. He is fluent in English and German and resides in the Berlin area.", "public_name": "Mirko Boehm", "guid": "bfcfcf8f-e5c5-5e01-8081-b8882ea1e682", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/BBHY3Z/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/AY3X7W/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/AY3X7W/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "d8468a2d-f7e7-56ef-9151-55d4fb3ca1b0", "code": "YXBVP3", "id": 83375, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T11:35:00+01:00", "start": "11:35", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-83375-open-source-in-local-governments-lessons-from-across-the-eu", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/YXBVP3/", "title": "Open Source in Local Governments: Lessons from across the EU", "subtitle": "", "track": "Growing Open Source", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Discover how European local governments successfully collaborate on open source solutions. Based on 5 in-depth case studies including Consul Democracy, Digitransit, and Golemio, learn proven governance models, collaboration archetypes, and actionable strategies for scaling sustainable cross-border digital public services.", "description": "As Europe aims for 100% online public services by 2030, local governments face unique challenges in adopting and reusing open source software, particularly when building internal capacity, adapting for the needs of the public sector, working within existing regulations, and collaborating across borders. This talk presents exciting research from a new Open Source Observatory (OSOR) study on open source in local governments, examining five mature European case studies of local government open source collaboration, from Madrid's Consul Democracy platform used globally to Prague's Golemio smart city solution.\r\n\r\nParticipants will discover three critical collaboration archetypes: local governments as adopters, community actors as stewards, and service suppliers as technical enablers. They will learn how cities overcome barriers like conservative procurement practices, limited technical capabilities, and vendor lock-in through innovative governance models and cross-border partnerships. Key takeaways include: proven strategies for designing reusable solutions from day one, funding models that ensure project sustainability, effective roles for local government associations, and recommendations for building capable service supplier ecosystems.\r\n\r\nWhether you're a policymaker, technologist, or open source advocate, you will gain practical insights for creating and sustaining digital infrastructure through collaborative open source development in the public sector.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "UNEYWZ", "name": "Nicholas Gates", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/UNEYWZ_6QoPniA.webp", "biography": "Nicholas (Nick\u2018) Gates is a Senior Policy Advisor at OpenForum Europe (OFE), where he leads OFE\u2019s policy advocacy work on the EU-funded NGI Commons and OSAwards.eu projects, as well as coordinates OFE's research work and organise the annual OpenForum Academy Symposium. He works primarily on open source software, particularly adoption and use in the public sector, funding and sustainability challenges, and the use of open source for social good. Nick has significant experience in digital government and tech policy research and advocacy, particularly around open source, public goods, public financial management, and digital service delivery.", "public_name": "Nicholas Gates", "guid": "f0a9f90e-2bd3-5715-8803-453e8a3219da", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/UNEYWZ/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/YXBVP3/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/YXBVP3/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/YXBVP3/resources/OSOR_FOSS_Backs_cyoMY7m.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "e3ab3b5f-99ba-592e-8b02-915e9be50092", "code": "U9WVEF", "id": 82853, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T12:10:00+01:00", "start": "12:10", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-82853-2-5-years-of-sta-bug-resilience-how-we-helped-a-lot-of-foss", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/U9WVEF/", "title": "2.5 Years of STA Bug Resilience: how we helped a lot of FOSS", "subtitle": "", "track": "Security", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Between major updates for Log4J, substantially increasing test coverage for SystemD, updating hundreds of CVE reports at NIST for Yocto and providing a new infrastructure-as-code solution for PHP, work on FOSS projects for the Sovereign Tech Agency is as varied as it is impactful. This talk recaps the highlights from that past two and half years.", "description": "Since October 2023 Neighbourhoodie Software has been the Sovereign Tech Agency\u2019s partner for the Bug Resilience Program and has helped improve a large number of high-profile FOSS projects.\r\n\r\nFor FOSS maintainers, this talk covers how the program works, how you can apply and what you can expect from it.\r\n\r\nFor the generally curious, this talk gives a fascinating insight into the variety of the FOSS landscape, what projects of different sizes, ages and importances struggle with, and how the team at Neighbourhoodie managed to make substantial contributions. The insights begin with the peculiarities of how certain projects organise their project communication, what they think is important to address (versus what the world might think is important) and we\u2019ll cover the gratitude project maintainers send us after a job well done.\r\n\r\nThis talk also covers strategies for how to become a valuable contributor in projects of high complexity and impact in just a couple of days. Communication and honesty are obviously key, but some skill is required and this talk will help you get up to speed, should you want to join and help a project.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "UB3FFJ", "name": "Jan Lehnardt", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/UB3FFJ_SCV854U.webp", "biography": "Jan Lehnardt is a developer and businessperson from Berlin. He\u2019s the project lead for Apache CouchDB and PouchDB as well as a CEO at Neighbourhoodie Software where he oversees the FOSS work for the Sovereign Tech Agency.", "public_name": "Jan Lehnardt", "guid": "b775749e-f47f-562a-80ae-a606729023c6", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/UB3FFJ/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/U9WVEF/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/U9WVEF/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "0e4f0ed2-7fd6-5097-817c-69361f3d5c2a", "code": "8HNECT", "id": 83277, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T14:00:00+01:00", "start": "14:00", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-83277-building-the-open-alternative-dpgs-for-digital-sovereignty", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/8HNECT/", "title": "Building the Open Alternative: DPGs for Digital Sovereignty", "subtitle": "", "track": "Growing Open Source", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Digital sovereignty is becoming a key objective of societies and nations. Learn how Digital Public Goods (DPG) like Mastodon can build a decentralised internet and challenge big tech. A joint talk by DPGA & Mastodon\u2014we'll unpack the concept, analyse EU policy, and offer concrete strategies for a sovereign digital future.", "description": "Digital sovereignty\u2014the ability for nations, organisations, and individuals to control their own digital future\u2014is one of the key policy priorities of our time. This joint talk, shared between a representative from the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA) and a team member from Mastodon, will explain how Digital Public Goods (DPGs) are a key building block for achieving greater digital sovereignty in the wake of geopolitical insecurity. \r\n\r\nWe will start by unpacking the term \"digital sovereignty\" and the role open source technologies and digital public goods play in it. We will then discuss the strengths and weaknesses of core EU policies that support the open source ecosystem, mandating interoperability and data portability as key measures to level the playing field and provide opportunities for open alternative solutions. \r\n\r\nWe will use Mastodon as a prime example of a globally recognised, federated DPG that challenges entrenched market powers, discussing practical pathways for seizing the opportunities EU policies provide. We aim to move beyond philosophical debates to offer concrete strategies for leveraging FOSS for the public good, helping to build and maintain a decentralised and democratically controlled internet infrastructure with sovereignty at its heart.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "YBSEH7", "name": "Andy Piper", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/YBSEH7_PIlHp2X.webp", "biography": "Head of Communications at Mastodon", "public_name": "Andy Piper", "guid": "7e5ab588-2e43-5ccc-bff5-971e100d032b", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/YBSEH7/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/8HNECT/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/8HNECT/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/8HNECT/resources/BuildingTheOpen_rn4aPXH.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "81f1bd01-bf10-5671-aea9-532a19a6efb9", "code": "DBGRPB", "id": 83376, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T14:35:00+01:00", "start": "14:35", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-83376-how-the-city-of-munich-measures-digital-sovereignty", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/DBGRPB/", "title": "How the city of Munich measures digital sovereignty", "subtitle": "", "track": "Governance & Community", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Due to the changed global political situation, digital sovereignty is a priority goal for every organization. The city of Munich has developed a simple method for measuring digital sovereignty and has derived measures based on this. In our talk, we will present the measurement method, planned measures, and how FOSS can help achieve this goal.", "description": "With 43,000 employees, the City of Munich administration is the largest employer in the city and has its own comprehensive IT provider. With our own data center, we have the opportunity to achieve a high degree of digital sovereignty. In order to systematically increase our digital sovereignty, we have developed a measurement method that evaluates various criteria. In our talk, we will show how the measurement method is used and what measures have been derived from it. We will place a special focus on measures that promote the use of FOSS.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "YMUKF7", "name": "Jutta Kreyss", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/YMUKF7_fQvLr8g.webp", "biography": "Jutta Kreyss is IT-Architect of the City of Munich. She joined the City of Munich to push LiMux in 2009. The municipal decidet to switch the client from LiMux to Windows in 2017. Jutta supported and fulfilled the change to Windows. She switched her responsibility as an ITA from \u201cClients\u201d to \u201cCloud\u201d in 2022 and continues her work in the \u201cCloud Center of Expertise\u201d of the City of Munich.", "public_name": "Jutta Kreyss", "guid": "7b03286f-7740-52f3-9ea9-ad5c32e3c813", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/YMUKF7/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/DBGRPB/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/DBGRPB/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/DBGRPB/resources/CityOfMunichSor_9yNlSps.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "2c45d256-8879-5147-973e-5db0263fe2fa", "code": "HUYQVA", "id": 82876, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T15:30:00+01:00", "start": "15:30", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-82876-a-frictionless-inner-source-journey", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/HUYQVA/", "title": "A Frictionless Inner Source Journey", "subtitle": "", "track": "Growing Open Source", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Inner Source success hinges on easy contributions. However, complex frameworks can be a barrier. We simplified our process by removing bureaucratic hurdles, automating compliance, and simplifying project involvement. Discover how to create a frictionless Inner Source experience and unlock your company's collaborative potential!", "description": "For Inner Source to thrive and gain contributors, we need to make the experience as frictionless as possible. Often, we have built large frameworks around Inner Source with the intention of maximizing safety and governance, but these frameworks can inadvertently create unintended obstacles for potential contributors. \r\n\r\nLet us share with you how we can address this challenge. We assessed the full process for contributing to Inner Source within our company, including all requirements, necessary actions, and governance regulations. We analyzed and measured where people spend time in the process, and then came up with suggestions for cutting the red tape and also for automating unloved compliance topics. \r\n\r\nFinally, for a smooth Inner Source journey, also from an individual project perspective, we need to make it as easy as possible to contribute. We\u2019ll share some examples and suggestions here which can serve as a model for achieving this.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "ZTLPYQ", "name": "Dr. Wolfgang Gehring", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/ZTLPYQ_RvoP9gN.webp", "biography": "Dr. Wolfgang Gehring is an Ambassador for Open and Inner Source and has been working on enabling and spreading the idea within Mercedes-Benz. A software engineer by trade, Wolfgang\u2019s goal is to help enable Mercedes-Benz to fully embrace FOSS and become a true Open Source company. He has a passion for communities, leads Mercedes-Benz Tech Innovation\u2019s Open Source Program Office, is a member of the Mercedes-Benz FOSS Center of Competence, and a Director of the Eclipse Foundation.\r\n\r\nIn his free time, Wolfgang likes to engage in conversations about soccer and is an avid traveler and scuba diver. He calls Albert Einstein\u2019s birth city of Ulm his home in Southern Germany.", "public_name": "Dr. Wolfgang Gehring", "guid": "4d0d37dc-5ff7-5c63-8461-8c1da5571e19", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/ZTLPYQ/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/HUYQVA/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/HUYQVA/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/HUYQVA/resources/Wolfgang_Gehrin_6q4ry5N.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "aecacf51-9562-580d-91f9-9d9ccd4c0275", "code": "LMFJLF", "id": 83205, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T16:05:00+01:00", "start": "16:05", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-83205-is-innersource-commons-good-for-open-source", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/LMFJLF/", "title": "Is InnerSource Commons good for open source?", "subtitle": "", "track": "Governance & Community", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "The InnerSource commons promotes the adoption of open source practices to accelerate development within a company's culture. It's also said that it prepares the ground for those companies to begin contributing and releasing open source software... but can we prove it?", "description": "Using data from hundreds of millions of open source repositories provided by ecosyste.ms we seek to answer the question: is The InnerSource Commons good for open source? \r\n\r\nWe look at data from 800 member companies to answer what might seem like a simple question, in the process unpacking what it means to support, contribute, and maintain open source software. What a 'healthy' open source project looks like, and where and how we can identify and support important projects that need our help.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "YBXXHP", "name": "Benjamin Nickolls", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/YBXXHP_mXnSmRa.webp", "biography": "Ben started working with Andrew Nesbitt following the Heartbleed vulnerability in 2014. In the decade since they\u2019ve built the world\u2019s most comprehensive and accurate dataset about open source production and use\u2026 twice.\r\n\r\nTheir latest project Ecosyste.ms tracks 230m repos and 11m packages from thousands of data sources, mapping 19 billion dependencies between them. Ecosyste.ms provides a free set of tools and data for developers, researchers, and policymakers to help identify, secure, and sustain open source software.\r\n\r\nBen is also Strategic Director at Open Source Collective, Director of Open Finance Consortium, and the creator of a boardgame or two.", "public_name": "Benjamin Nickolls", "guid": "885f015b-dc0b-522e-84ae-91cc5f539d8a", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/YBXXHP/"}, {"code": "PUKZVN", "name": "Andrew Nesbitt", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/PUKZVN_eayUDZp.webp", "biography": "Andrew Nesbitt is a UK-based software engineer specializing in package management, open source discovery, and sustainability. He created and maintains Ecosyste.ms, a free infrastructure tracking millions of packages across dozens of ecosystems with completely open APIs. \r\n\r\nBuilding on his earlier work with Libraries.io, he focuses on making dependencies visible, enabling proper attribution across package ecosystems, and helping researchers and maintainers understand the critical infrastructure that underpins open source.\r\n\r\nHis work centers on solving discovery problems in open source: surfacing hidden dependencies, mapping transitive relationships between projects, and identifying which software truly matters for sustainability efforts. Andrew also created Octobox for managing GitHub notifications and 24 Pull Requests to encourage contribution culture. \r\n\r\nHe's passionate about package management systems, dependency analysis, and building the data infrastructure needed to support healthier open source ecosystems. When not working on open source sustainability, he's wrangling his five mini poodles and modifying Japanese sports cars.", "public_name": "Andrew Nesbitt", "guid": "c60b182f-d7ac-5142-8349-689e0f8eaba6", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/PUKZVN/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/LMFJLF/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/LMFJLF/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/LMFJLF/resources/Andrew_Nesbitt__ADm6dZd.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "b538fde8-85da-522a-8019-72fc0aa49d1e", "code": "99J3CV", "id": 83394, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T16:40:00+01:00", "start": "16:40", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-83394-from-tires-to-code-building-michelin-s-ospo", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/99J3CV/", "title": "From Tires to Code: Building Michelin's OSPO", "subtitle": "", "track": "Governance & Community", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Michelin, a 136-year-old industrial giant, is building its open source culture. This talk is a feedback from our OSPO, detailing our strategy, governance, and change management programs. We'll share our progress and achievements, our key lessons, and the significant challenges still ahead on our journey.", "description": "Launching an OSPO in a global, non-tech-native corporation presents unique cultural, legal, and organizational hurdles. This session provides a practical feedback on how Michelin built and now operates its OSPO.\r\n\r\nWe will walk through the entire journey, covering:\r\n\r\n* The historical context and business strategy that drove the need for a formal OSPO.  \r\n* The practical steps of establishing a strong governance model and the OSPO's structure  \r\n* A deep dive into our multi-faceted program for cultural change. This is now the core of our strategy and includes:  \r\n  * Company-wide training modules (which we are now in the process of open sourcing).  \r\n  * A gamified badging system to incentivise learning and contribution.  \r\n  * The creation and management of an OSS Champions community to scale our efforts.  \r\n* Our approach to external communication   \r\n* The tools we use.  \r\n* And finally, the road ahead us: the significant challenges that remain on our journey.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "TH7USQ", "name": "Florent Zara", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/TH7USQ_DIahu8v.webp", "biography": "Florent has been involved (both personally and professionally) in the FLOSS community since 1999. Professionally, Florent has worked for nearly 20 years in a consulting company as a Open Source advisor for large companies, helping them with software quality, Open Source governance, licensing, Innersource, as well as change management. Today, as Open Source Services Team Lead, he's helping (new) Eclipse members and projects better understand, manage and master Open Source. He's also an active participant in the OSPO Alliance and the Good Governance Initiative. On his personal side, he's an administrator and board member at LinuxFr.org (reference french-speaking, community driven website about Free and Open Source software).", "public_name": "Florent Zara", "guid": "546bf752-23a8-5c39-9154-20edd57d72e3", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/TH7USQ/"}, {"code": "WHCNBV", "name": "Julien Millau", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/WHCNBV_1DpgJCx.webp", "biography": "Distinguished Engineer at Michelin, specializing in software and mobile development. I contribute to client-experience initiatives, including connected tire solutions, and I am an active member of the Michelin Open Source Program Office. I am passionate about sharing knowledge and engaging in thoughtful discussions on technology.", "public_name": "Julien Millau", "guid": "bd449e94-87d7-523c-a8e7-c1469ca41f28", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/WHCNBV/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/99J3CV/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/99J3CV/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/99J3CV/resources/20260316_From_T_zwnxVUa.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "9bbb0967-ecd6-5d9c-9eff-4850384dba2f", "code": "CL33TG", "id": 94775, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T17:20:00+01:00", "start": "17:20", "duration": "00:05", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-94775-shifting-left-on-human-rights", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/CL33TG/", "title": "Shifting Left on Human Rights?", "subtitle": "", "track": null, "type": "Lightning Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "The W3C integrates accessibility, security, and ethics into web standards. Inspired by UN human rights recommendations, this talk explores the W3C\u2019s review process, its vital importance, and how these principles can be applied to other domains.", "description": "In Open Standards and specifically in W3C, we have a culture and a process of wide review to ensure that specifications that\r\nmove through our process are evaluated for things like accessibility, internationalisation, privacy and security. We also have\r\nintroduced ethical considerations. Meanwhile the UN Office of the Hight Commissioner of Human Rights has released a report last\r\nyear about how Open Standards development organisations can and should be incorporating human rights into their process. This\r\ntalk is a speed run through what we're doing in this space in W3C, why it matters - and hopefully how it could be applied to other\r\ndomains.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "J8KALN", "name": "Daniel Appelquist", "avatar": null, "biography": null, "public_name": "Daniel Appelquist", "guid": "70808f4d-2f7b-5e35-bfc5-48f0a4c173cd", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/J8KALN/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/CL33TG/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/CL33TG/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/CL33TG/resources/01_Shift-left_m0naXva.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "c7725e48-c368-53a7-847f-0d6fb929f8b2", "code": "HF89EC", "id": 94776, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T17:25:00+01:00", "start": "17:25", "duration": "00:05", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-94776-using-content-from-wikidata-in-your-apps", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/HF89EC/", "title": "Using content from Wikidata in your apps", "subtitle": "", "track": null, "type": "Lightning Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Wikidata is a CC 0 licensed, semantic knowledge base of linked data. This talk argues for its use in apps, highlighting its diverse data types and strengths. It concludes with a showcase of existing applications to demonstrate Wikidata\u2019s practical potential.", "description": "Wikidata is an openly licensed (CC 0) knowledge base containing a wide array of subjects. Thanks to the semantic model,\r\nsubjects can be linked to each other and it can be queried in various ways. This talk is an argument of why you should use\r\ncontent from Wikidata in your apps. The talk will show what kind of data is available, and what it is particularly good at. It'll end\r\nwith a mosaic / medley / showcase of a few apps already using Wikidata.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "UXSXLE", "name": "Jan Ainali", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/UXSXLE_UaV8QOj.webp", "biography": "Jan is an advocate for openness and collaboration. He is running the company [Open By Default](https://openbydefault.se) where he helps other organizations on their journey to becoming more open. He has a history of working with open source at the Foundation for Public Code, open knowledge at and with Wikimedia and open data at Creative Commons.", "public_name": "Jan Ainali", "guid": "532600cc-4197-5498-966d-cff6194948c2", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/UXSXLE/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/HF89EC/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/HF89EC/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/HF89EC/resources/Using_Wikidata__5MDoVJs.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "20258474-3de8-53dc-8562-ca0b9224a6dd", "code": "CESJWE", "id": 94778, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T17:30:00+01:00", "start": "17:30", "duration": "00:05", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-94778-connecting-open-source-projects-with-public-institutions", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/CESJWE/", "title": "Connecting Open Source Projects with Public Institutions", "subtitle": "", "track": null, "type": "Lightning Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Public institutions increasingly rely on open-source software but lack direct ties to its maintainers. This talk proposes institutionalizing exchange channels to share roadmaps and report bugs. By bridging this gap, both developers and the public sector can better align their goals and strengthen critical digital infrastructure.", "description": "Public institutions across Germany and Europe are increasingly building administrative software on open source libraries. Yet the\r\nopen source projects underpinning this infrastructure often lack visibility into who is using their software, what challenges those\r\nusers encounter, and which features would be most valuable to the public sector.\r\nI propose to institutionalize the exchange between open source projects and public institutions for mutual benefit \u2014 establishing\r\ndirect interaction channels to discuss challenges, communicate roadmaps, report bugs, and broadly strengthen the relationship\r\nbetween maintainers and their public-sector users.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "EZ8AQ3", "name": "Oliver Drotbohm", "avatar": null, "biography": null, "public_name": "Oliver Drotbohm", "guid": "2a9c612e-2f87-5fae-aae8-3afcb4a49bb1", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/EZ8AQ3/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/CESJWE/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/CESJWE/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "c227e14e-60f2-547e-addc-7f629f5fce0f", "code": "XRCR9V", "id": 94780, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T17:35:00+01:00", "start": "17:35", "duration": "00:05", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-94780-training-as-code-scaling-open-source-literacy", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/XRCR9V/", "title": "Training-as-Code: Scaling Open Source Literacy", "subtitle": "", "track": null, "type": "Lightning Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Shared educational efforts need more than static files; they require a scalable, community-driven approach. This talk introduces Eclipse OSILK, a \"Training-as-Code\" project using AsciiDoc for modular, maintainable training. It enables organizations to tailor content easily while keeping it as evergreen as the software itself.", "description": "Mutualising educational efforts between organisations requires more than just a few PDF/PPT/\u2026 slide decks or markdown files\r\nshared on a Git repo. It requires a scalable, maintainable, and community-driven approach to education.\r\nIn this talk, we introduce Eclipse OSILK (Open Source & InnerSource Learning Kit), a brand-new project designed to provide high-\r\nquality, modular training materials. We will explore the project's unique \"Training-as-Code\" philosophy, which leverage AsciiDoc\r\nand version control to ensure that training materials remain as evergreen and collaborative as the software they describe.\r\nOrganisation will be able to easily tailored it to their needs.\r\nWith this lightning talk, we want to bring on more companies on board!", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "TH7USQ", "name": "Florent Zara", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/TH7USQ_DIahu8v.webp", "biography": "Florent has been involved (both personally and professionally) in the FLOSS community since 1999. Professionally, Florent has worked for nearly 20 years in a consulting company as a Open Source advisor for large companies, helping them with software quality, Open Source governance, licensing, Innersource, as well as change management. Today, as Open Source Services Team Lead, he's helping (new) Eclipse members and projects better understand, manage and master Open Source. He's also an active participant in the OSPO Alliance and the Good Governance Initiative. On his personal side, he's an administrator and board member at LinuxFr.org (reference french-speaking, community driven website about Free and Open Source software).", "public_name": "Florent Zara", "guid": "546bf752-23a8-5c39-9154-20edd57d72e3", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/TH7USQ/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/XRCR9V/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/XRCR9V/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "90323ae1-54b2-5f7f-8775-9b264ae5d64f", "code": "XHEVEB", "id": 94782, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T17:40:00+01:00", "start": "17:40", "duration": "00:05", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-94782-the-next-xz-attack", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/XHEVEB/", "title": "The next xz attack", "subtitle": "", "track": null, "type": "Lightning Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Gemini hat gesagt\r\nThe 2021\u20132024 xz backdoor attack exploited social engineering to target critical SSH infrastructure. This talk warns that, fueled by LLMs, similar attacks will rise, and the traditional profile of \"undermaintained\" projects being the only targets no longer applies. Security models must adapt to these sophisticated new threats.", "description": "Between 2021 and 2024 a successful social engineering attack inserted a backdoor into the xz compression library which, due to\r\nxz\u2019s use in the SSH protocol for connecting to remote servers securely, could have allowed the attacker access to practically any\r\nserver running an open source OS in the world. This talk will suggest that, in the age of LLMs, this is not the last attack of this kind\r\nwe will see, and that the classical vulnerability profile of an undermaintained project, which was seen in the case of xz, may not\r\nnecessarily apply.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "DESSZZ", "name": "Daphne Preston-Kendal", "avatar": null, "biography": null, "public_name": "Daphne Preston-Kendal", "guid": "0827d94f-0790-58bc-bd47-7349dd52b4b7", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/DESSZZ/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/XHEVEB/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/XHEVEB/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/XHEVEB/resources/next-xz-attack_ztF1iz7.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "b7d18775-783b-5bc9-9306-37ba3efd7797", "code": "Q37SN7", "id": 94783, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T17:45:00+01:00", "start": "17:45", "duration": "00:05", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-94783-should-i-do-my-homework-with-ai-with-parallels-to-foss", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/Q37SN7/", "title": "Should I do my homework with AI - with parallels to FOSS", "subtitle": "", "track": null, "type": "Lightning Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "We'll host a five minute mini debate on stage on the exciting question of whether or not you should do your homework with the help\r\nof AI. The debate will be supported by FOSS maintainers, former and current students.\r\nWe'll stay strictly within the humorous topic, parallels to FOSS development are entirely incidental and not by intention at all ;)", "description": "", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "RXDB3E", "name": "Isabel Drost-Fromm", "avatar": null, "biography": null, "public_name": "Isabel Drost-Fromm", "guid": "547bb40d-96cf-5f3e-b168-cd4d8effcddc", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/RXDB3E/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/Q37SN7/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/Q37SN7/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "d3228d15-a6bd-565f-8638-a73f262405f5", "code": "TD9BPR", "id": 88191, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T18:10:00+01:00", "start": "18:10", "duration": "01:30", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-88191-get-together", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/TD9BPR/", "title": "Get-Together", "subtitle": "", "track": null, "type": "Off Stage", "language": "en", "abstract": "Join us for a drink and a chat at our Get Together directly after the conference!", "description": "What better way to end the first day of FOSS Backstage than with a Get Together?\r\n\r\nTake the opportunity to meet old and new friends or maybe the person to collaborate with on your next project in a relaxed atmosphere.\r\n\r\nIf your Organization want to support us in offering food and drinks at the get together please contact partner@foss-backstage.de or learn more [here](https://26.foss-backstage.de/become-a-partner/).", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/TD9BPR/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/TD9BPR/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "11508992-655d-5e13-bc07-deece56ad487", "code": "TLYQRN", "id": 83438, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T19:40:00+01:00", "start": "19:40", "duration": "01:00", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-83438-tour-c-base-a-space-station-under-berlin", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/TLYQRN/", "title": "Tour: c-base a space station under Berlin", "subtitle": "", "track": "Diversity & Inclusion", "type": "Workshop", "language": "en", "abstract": "Do you dare to visit a space-station under Berlin?\r\nDo you want to visit Germanys oldest Hackerspace?\r\nDo you want to enjoy decent food and a mate with fellow FOSS Backstage attendes?\r\n\r\nThe join us!\r\n\r\nWe will send an expedition team from FOSS Backstage to explore c-base and meet the local population.", "description": "10.000 years into the future humanity will venture into the wide realm of space. In order to terraform planets other planets c-base was constructed as an orbital multivoltine space-station. Due to a Flip-Flop of the Asimov-Constant the cybernetic quicksilver reactor failed. Instead of materializing in the orbit of Gliese 12b c-base was thrown back in the space time continuum by 4.5 billion years and crashed on the surface of earth and slowly sank into the Brandenburg sand.\r\n\r\nThat or something like that is what it\u00b4s crew members claim to be the origin story of c-base. Founded in 1995 it is Germanys and probably the world oldest hackerspace run by the NGO c-base e.V.\r\n\r\nFollowing it\u00b4s creed \"be future compatible!\" c-base understands itself as a space that allows nerds, geeks, hackers, dreamers and data travelers to gather, converse and discuss how to think and act to make a better future possible. Whatever that may be.\r\n\r\nIn this spirit it not only hosted Lounge of the Chaos Communication Congress when it was held in Berlin. Both the \"F\u00f6rderverein f\u00fcr freie Netzwerke e.V.\" (2003) german first Freifunk chapter as well as the german Pirate Party (2006) were founded at c-base and the very first BerlinBuzzwords (2009) took place there.\r\n\r\nTo end the first evening of the FOSS Backstage, we offer a tour of c-base. Followed the opportunity to enjoy ending the evening at one of it\u00b4s recreational modules with a cold beverage at Sprees waterside with a view of c-base center axis know as the Berliner Fernsehturm to the uninitiated.\r\n\r\nc-base can be found at Rungestra\u00dfe 20 close to Jannowitzbr\u00fccke.\r\n\r\nFor food orders: https://cryptpad.fr/sheet/#/2/sheet/edit/9+Q5p+q9-UV0r5J8I60HkZLc/", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "WPAGZL", "name": "Gregor \"Little Detritus\" Bransky", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/WPAGZL_yjCUCxn.webp", "biography": "Gregor - Little Detritus - Bransky is a c-base member and german digital rights activist. \r\n\r\nCore of his activist work is striving for public intrest tech that impowers people instead of surveiling them, for the last five years he has been trying to find buisness models for public digital infrastructures. \r\n\r\nHe will guide you through the 700 square meters c-base accessible to humans. He works on privacy preserving digital platforms and infrastructures which empower users to make data-based decisions.", "public_name": "Gregor \"Little Detritus\" Bransky", "guid": "e40f7b4b-e060-5ead-8f89-c9d2338fbb7e", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/WPAGZL/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/TLYQRN/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/TLYQRN/", "attachments": []}], "bUm Box": [{"guid": "945ee8c2-71be-564b-bc5b-bafeabcb6eaa", "code": "EUKCJZ", "id": 83227, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T11:00:00+01:00", "start": "11:00", "duration": "00:30", "room": "bUm Box", "slug": "fossback26-83227-success-stories-in-open-source-security-audits-with-ostif", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/EUKCJZ/", "title": "Success Stories in Open Source: Security Audits with OSTIF", "subtitle": "", "track": "Security", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Improved security in open source is more than a theoretical goal but a plausible reality as shown by nonprofit Open Source Technology Improvement Fund, Inc. Following a best practice of independent code review with a process specifically tailored to open source projects and communities, OSTIF is turning funds into positive security outcomes.", "description": "The speaker will talk about the importance of security audits and a process tailored to open source communities, and highlight numerous success stories in improving the security posture of open source projects. Examples include the audit of git, kubernetes, ruby on rails, and php-src. The topic is relevant to the audience because the evidence presented in the talk suggests that a real implementable solution to solve the security and technical debt of software projects is tenable. The main takeaways are as follows: (a)Security audits are an effective tool for helping improve the security posture of projects (b)Projects of all sizes, maturity levels, and complexities have benefited from additional security audit work and (c) OSTIF, as an independent nonprofit, is facilitating and executing security audits for critical open source projects at a high level of effectiveness. While many solutions to the security problems of open source are theoretical and require considerable effort, OSTIF has honed in on a process to help open source projects en masse with a well established best practice: independent expert security review.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "M8L8FZ", "name": "Amir Montazery", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/M8L8FZ_pY34iYi.webp", "biography": "Amir Montazery is the Managing Director and Cofounder of Open Source Technology Improvement Fund, Inc (OSTIF). OSTIF is a Chicago-based organization focused on directly helping open-source software projects improve their security posture. Amir comes from a background in Finance, IT and Internal Auditing, applying years of experience to help develop OSTIF\u2019s processes and partnerships. Furthermore, Amir is responsible for negotiating and organizing over 12,000 hours of security-focused work for organizations like Google and Amazon Web Services along with groups like Mozilla Foundation and Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF).", "public_name": "Amir Montazery", "guid": "55ab35df-dcee-523b-85bd-746e914a8aca", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/M8L8FZ/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/EUKCJZ/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/EUKCJZ/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/EUKCJZ/resources/Success_Stories_uq7V4Kq.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "3f3d1ccc-3f06-5b99-adad-0865a396505c", "code": "Z7XHQ7", "id": 83281, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T11:35:00+01:00", "start": "11:35", "duration": "00:30", "room": "bUm Box", "slug": "fossback26-83281-identifying-and-addressing-usability-vulnerabilities", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/Z7XHQ7/", "title": "Identifying and Addressing Usability Vulnerabilities", "subtitle": "", "track": "Security", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Security can fail even when code is correct. Drawing on work with SecureDrop, Qubes OS, and Mailvelope, this talk defines \u201cusability vulnerabilities,\u201d design flaws that cause unsafe behavior, and shows how open-source teams can detect and address them before release.", "description": "Even well-engineered security tools can expose users to risk if design choices make safe actions unclear or burdensome. This talk examines how usability directly shapes security, based on Ura Design\u2019s audits and field studies for SecureDrop, Qubes OS, and Mailvelope.\r\n\r\nWe define a usability vulnerability as a design flaw that predictably leads users to unsafe behavior, despite correct technical implementation. Examples include misleading encryption states, ambiguous trust cues, and compartmentalization patterns that break user mental models.\r\n\r\nThe session introduces a repeatable method for identifying and documenting such vulnerabilities within existing security review cycles. Attendees, including maintainers, designers, and security reviewers, will learn how to integrate usability findings into threat models, triage design issues with the same rigor as code CVEs, and prevent security regressions before they reach production.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "8F3FFS", "name": "Elio Qoshi", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/8F3FFS_z2ALIXT.webp", "biography": "Elio Qoshi founded Ura Design, a small studio that examines complex digital tools through usability forensics and whole-systems research. Before that, he worked as a User Experience Designer at Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu. With over twelve years of experience, Elio focuses on making complex digital tools more understandable and secure through user-centered research and design.", "public_name": "Elio Qoshi", "guid": "0853c2a0-5858-56cd-83c8-e6298d373390", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/8F3FFS/"}, {"code": "J9TXY9", "name": "Anxhela Maloku (Angie)", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/J9TXY9_2vXrVnA.webp", "biography": "UX Designer driven by the complexity behind what feels simple, how systems and stories shape the way people experience technology. My work explores how design can make technical depth feel intuitive and clear. Published research author on privacy-preserving UX patterns, with its primary artifact being a UI/UX Privacy Pattern Catalog to help designers embed such patterns into everyday interfaces.", "public_name": "Anxhela Maloku (Angie)", "guid": "02de8cae-fae5-55c9-9a4b-e9a629982324", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/J9TXY9/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/Z7XHQ7/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/Z7XHQ7/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "b931678c-7885-5a3b-9663-73df1886ddca", "code": "JYA8J9", "id": 81737, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T12:10:00+01:00", "start": "12:10", "duration": "00:30", "room": "bUm Box", "slug": "fossback26-81737-beyond-the-license-measuring-real-openness-in-open-source", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/JYA8J9/", "title": "Beyond the license: measuring real openness in open source", "subtitle": "", "track": "Legal & Compliance", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Open source licenses like GPL or MIT matter, but ecosystem is what truly defines how open and sustainable a project is. Open source isn't always as open as it seems! There are many tactics beyond licensing to lock you in - and copyleft isn't always better than permissive, or vice-versa.", "description": "Open source licenses like GPL or MIT matter, but aren't the whole story. An open project is often rather defined by its ecosystem: transparency, contribution access, buildability, and governance. In this talk, we\u2019ll explore how projects often lean on their license as a proxy for openness, even while locking in features, obscuring build processes, or limiting community agency. I'd like to introduce the \u201cIs It Really FOSS?\u201d initiative, and have a look at how legal license choices intersect with reality. Let's look at lock-in tactics beyond licensing and how to build and steward genuinely open projects that can still be sustainable.\r\n\r\nWhy it\u2019s relevant:\r\n\t\u2022\tLegal professionals and OSPOs will gain insight into how licensing interacts with project structure and governance.\r\n\t\u2022\tEntrepreneurs and contributors will learn how to evaluate and encourage true openness\u2014not just in words, but in processes.\r\n\t\u2022\tIt helps you look beyond pure licensing to ecosystem trust and sustainability.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "BHUGBJ", "name": "Jos Poortvliet", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/BHUGBJ_rijPOTI.webp", "biography": "Jos Poortvliet is co-founder and Communications Director at Nextcloud. He is a long time technology enthusiast and all-things-open evangelist. He has previously been community manager at SUSE and worked as business consultant at government, finance and telecom companies in the Netherlands. He is based in Berlin and loves cooking for friends, family and colleagues.\r\n\r\nFind him on https://jospoortvliet.com!", "public_name": "Jos Poortvliet", "guid": "808fd2f3-7bd3-5e3f-a61a-69349c5d3646", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/BHUGBJ/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/JYA8J9/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/JYA8J9/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "97a89547-f565-5c84-8b53-e6509c2f9c66", "code": "7D3LYX", "id": 83400, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T14:00:00+01:00", "start": "14:00", "duration": "00:30", "room": "bUm Box", "slug": "fossback26-83400-how-open-source-companies-win", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/7D3LYX/", "title": "How open source companies win", "subtitle": "", "track": "Economics", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "We talk about license changes and risk management for open source companies all the time, but what about how open source companies can use their open source project as a competitive advantage to win in their market? That's what this talk is about.", "description": "When an open source companies abandons their open source license, it's rarely because they are horrible people and more often because they've failed to use open source to their advantage. \r\n\r\nIn this talk, I'll draw on concrete examples from five years of The Business of Open Source, plus my experience as a consultant, to talk about ways that an open source project can give a company an advantage in terms of product development, marketing, sales enablement, internal alignment and more. The goal of this talk is to ultimately prevent more companies from abandoning open source by giving them a concrete roadmap for how to not just mitigate risk but really leverage their open source project to accelerate their business growth over the long term.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "CBHFRM", "name": "Emily Omier", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/CBHFRM_2RQLBCm.webp", "biography": "Emily Omier is a consultant who helps founders use their involvement in open source as a competitive advantage. She is the co-founder of Open Source Founders Summit and the host of The Business of Open Source podcast.", "public_name": "Emily Omier", "guid": "b8a60f00-174c-5550-b556-e50c89c0d378", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/CBHFRM/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/7D3LYX/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/7D3LYX/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/7D3LYX/resources/How_Open_Source_j4agBmY.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "f93e8a78-db70-5cdf-adc8-b827afcfa696", "code": "H9QXS9", "id": 82176, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T14:35:00+01:00", "start": "14:35", "duration": "00:30", "room": "bUm Box", "slug": "fossback26-82176-ai-generated-code-legal-risks-and-how-to-reduce-them", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/H9QXS9/", "title": "AI-Generated Code: Legal Risks and How to Reduce Them", "subtitle": "", "track": "Legal & Compliance", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Anyone who still puts AI-generated code into circulation today has conditional intent to infringe the law \u2013 how to limit or at least defer the risk.", "description": "AI tools such as GitHub Copilot are not creative geniuses \u2013 they copy! And they do so more frequently and more demonstrably than many people believe. Anyone who incorporates AI-generated code into their software today is often already acting with conditional intent \u2013 and making themselves vulnerable to claims for damages, injunctions, and even criminal consequences.\r\nWe present current developments, figures on the frequency of plagiarism, and other prominent cases, shed light on the legal situation, and explain why companies urgently need to protect themselves. We provide clear answers to burning questions:\r\n1. Why does AI code become a liability risk?\r\n2. How can software manufacturers and purchasers still protect themselves?\r\n3. What technical and legal measures can prevent a ticking time bomb in your own product?\r\n Anyone who uses AI code carelessly in the future will be left to deal with the damage. We show you how to save yourself\u2014before it's too late.\r\nSpeakers:\r\nChan-jo Jun and Dr. Andreas Kotulla", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "7KRWCK", "name": "Dr. Andreas Kotulla", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/7KRWCK_VYe7TUW.webp", "biography": "Dr. Andreas Kotulla is the founder and managing director of Bitsea GmbH, a company specializing in the technical analysis of software systems. Bitsea supports companies in the introduction and implementation of holistic open source strategies \u2013 from governance, processes, and tool chains to the provision of an Open Source Program Office (OSPO) and scanning as a managed service.\r\nAs a graduate computer scientist with over 30 years of experience in IT, Dr. Kotulla is a proven expert in software engineering, software quality, and open source management. He spent twelve years in management positions at international telecommunications providers and now shares his knowledge in workshops and lectures. Dr. Kotulla is an active member of the Linux Foundation's OpenChain project and the Open Source Working Group of Bitkom e.V. He is also the author of frequent blogs, several books and publications on IT and software topics.", "public_name": "Dr. Andreas Kotulla", "guid": "de4a7356-ae16-5d80-ae3f-a313b0c7689a", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/7KRWCK/"}, {"code": "SBPLUV", "name": "Chan-jo Jun", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/SBPLUV_d68wBMw.webp", "biography": "Chan-jo Jun (*1974) ist Gesch\u00e4ftsf\u00fchrer der Rechtsanwaltskanzlei JUN Legal GmbH f\u00fcr IT-Recht in W\u00fcrzburg. Bekannt wurde er durch sein juristisches Engagement gegen Hasskriminalit\u00e4t auf Facebook, mit dem er Ermittlungsverfahren gegen Mark Zuckerberg und andere Facebook-Manager ins Rollen und Facebook vor Gericht brachte. Mit seinem Team arbeitet Jun am Einsatz von k\u00fcnstlicher Intelligenz zur L\u00f6sung rechtlicher Aufgaben in Rechtsabteilungen. Eine besondere Spezialit\u00e4t liegt im Bereich des Software-Lizenzrechts, insbesondere bei Open Source Software. Zu seinen Mandanten geh\u00f6ren sowohl mittelst\u00e4ndische Softwareunternehmen, als auch Automobilhersteller; ein Teil der Arbeitszeit im Team ist jedoch f\u00fcr unbezahltes gesellschaftliches Engagement reserviert.", "public_name": "Chan-jo Jun", "guid": "8bebd14f-e067-53b3-843e-9707fa8997fd", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/SBPLUV/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/H9QXS9/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/H9QXS9/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/H9QXS9/resources/Andreas_Kotulla_Oc7ik2K.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "f420b1c7-1f0c-5865-a0bd-d2c49a9fdbc6", "code": "GEVCRG", "id": 83336, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T15:30:00+01:00", "start": "15:30", "duration": "00:30", "room": "bUm Box", "slug": "fossback26-83336-ort-server-an-open-source-platform-to-automate-cra-checks", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/GEVCRG/", "title": "ORT Server: An open source platform to automate CRA checks", "subtitle": "", "track": "Legal & Compliance", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "The ORT Server is a platform building on the renown OSS Review Toolkit to automate software compliance checks in a scalable and enterprise-ready way. This talk gives an overview of how to use the ORT Server to deal with obligations of the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) specifically.", "description": "It is challenging esp. for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to understand and deal with the obligations from the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). While commercial solutions exist, these usually come at a high cost and the risk of a vendor lock-in. This talk provides an overview of how the open source ORT Server platform can help here.\r\n\r\nThe talk will start with a bit of history of the OSS Review Toolkit and ORT Server projects, how they relate to each other, who the target audiences are, and highlight some technical differences between the two solutions.\r\n\r\nWhile the ORT Server also has a REST API, the talk will then focus on using its dedicated UI for making the complex compliance topic and legal workflows more accessible to less technical users. At a concrete example project, the talk will guide through how to deal with vulnerabilities and other policy rule violations found in a way that fulfills CRA requirements.\r\n\r\nFinally, an outlook will be given over the upcoming and planned features for ORT Server, extending it a general platform to automate software compliance checks including and beyond other regulations like NIS2 and DORA.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "PXJZPJ", "name": "Sebastian Schuberth", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/PXJZPJ_SVTJhos.webp", "biography": "Sebastian Schuberth is an Open Source evangelist and automation enthusiast. He has more than 20 years of experience with contributions to and maintenance of Open Source projects on the one hand, and crafting proprietary software on the other hand.\r\n\r\nConsequently, Sebastian aims to bridge the gap between the Open Source and commercial worlds by working with companies to properly make use of Open Source software, contributing back, and applying Inner Source principles. As a founder of the OSS Review Toolkit project, a central part of his work at Double Open is to provide a SaaS solution to automate software compliance checks to fulfill requirements like those from the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and other regulations.", "public_name": "Sebastian Schuberth", "guid": "402db3ee-0163-582c-b96e-d4721dc4ff2a", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/PXJZPJ/"}, {"code": "JSXHKC", "name": "Martin Nonnenmacher", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/JSXHKC_c4sm29W.webp", "biography": "Martin Nonnenmacher is a Lead Engineer at Double Open, where he focuses on automating all aspects of open source compliance.\r\n\r\nHe has been an active contributor to the OSS Review Toolkit (ORT) since its inception in 2017 and serves on the project\u2019s Technical Steering Committee. Martin is also a project lead of the Eclipse Apoapsis project, which develops the ORT Server - a project that adds the missing components to make ORT enterprise-ready.\r\n\r\nPassionate about user experience, Martin strives to create tools that make the complex field of open source compliance simple and accessible. Coming from a Java background, he has become an enthusiastic advocate of Kotlin.", "public_name": "Martin Nonnenmacher", "guid": "d485eb28-54e2-5f91-b0b9-c28f690b0486", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/JSXHKC/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/GEVCRG/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/GEVCRG/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/GEVCRG/resources/ORT_Server_-_An_9FFUB8X.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "ea145903-dc6c-5014-95fa-e592598cfa24", "code": "BBM8MF", "id": 83442, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T16:05:00+01:00", "start": "16:05", "duration": "00:30", "room": "bUm Box", "slug": "fossback26-83442-curating-power-foss-in-the-service-of-national-interests", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/BBM8MF/", "title": "Curating Power: FOSS in the Service of National Interests", "subtitle": "", "track": "Legal & Compliance", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Around the world, governments are building and exporting their own \u201copen\u201d technology stacks \u2014 from India Stack to the emerging Deutschland Stack \u2014 blending open-source ideals with national strategy. This talk dives into how states are curating open technologies to reflect political philosophies, advance digital sovereignty, and shape global norm.", "description": "Open source has long been celebrated as a global commons \u2014 a space where collaboration transcends borders. But what happens when states start curating their own open stacks? From India Stack to the emerging \u201cDeutschland Stack,\u201d governments are assembling and exporting open-source components as part of their digital public infrastructure strategies. These stacks aren\u2019t just technical blueprints \u2014 they\u2019re instruments of digital sovereignty, industrial policy, and geopolitical influence.\r\n\r\nThis talk explores how open source has become a site of stack diplomacy: where nations intentionally assemble, govern, and export open technologies to shape global standards and alliances. Drawing on examples from India, China, and the EU, we\u2019ll unpack how \u201cstack curation\u201d works \u2014 how the choice of APIs, identity frameworks, or governance models can reflect national philosophies, and how this transforms open infrastructure into soft (and sometimes hard) power.\r\n\r\nWe\u2019ll discuss what this means for open source communities:\r\n\r\nHow do we navigate the line between openness and national interest?\r\n\r\nCan open collaboration coexist with state-led curation?\r\n\r\nAnd what responsibilities do open source maintainers have in this new landscape?\r\n\r\nBy the end, participants will have a clearer understanding of how open stacks are reshaping global cooperation \u2014 and how the open source community can respond to ensure openness remains a principle, not just a branding tool.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "QEQU8F", "name": "Cassie Jiun Seo", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/QEQU8F_HKMG92q.webp", "biography": "Cassie Jiun Seo is a technology practitioner working on digital interventions in humanitarian, development, and migration contexts. She consults for the World Health Organization and is an affiliate researcher at Cambridge University\u2019s Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy.", "public_name": "Cassie Jiun Seo", "guid": "2c2a5361-2bb4-562c-b535-a132ab847d5e", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/QEQU8F/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/BBM8MF/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/BBM8MF/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "a110b2c4-c54c-5a09-95af-f3dff96d27fb", "code": "NHYLVP", "id": 83183, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T16:40:00+01:00", "start": "16:40", "duration": "00:30", "room": "bUm Box", "slug": "fossback26-83183-floss-sustainability-lessons-from-a-funding-crisis", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/NHYLVP/", "title": "FLOSS Sustainability: Lessons from a Funding Crisis", "subtitle": "", "track": "Economics", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Decidim, once reliant on Barcelona\u2019s funding, faced a 2022 crisis that spurred a Sustainability Plan to diversify income. Three years on, we share strategies, challenges, and lessons in securing funding from public, private, and philanthropic sources for FLOSS project sustainability.", "description": "Since its inception, Decidim has relied primarily on funding from the city of Barcelona, creating a dependency on this public organization. In 2022, following a funding crisis that nearly jeopardized the project, we developed a Sustainability Plan aimed at diversifying funding sources and reducing our dependence on a single funder.\r\n\r\nThree years after implementing the plan, we have made significant progress toward our goal.\r\n\r\nThis session will reflect on our approach and key learnings. We will explain how we designed this plan, the challenges for sustainability that a FLOSS project faces, the learnings we have made during the process and the main actions we have taken\r\n\r\nWe will delve into the different strategies we have designed to attract new funders, especially from the private and philanthropic sector, as well as the challenges we face when it comes to receiving funding from public agencies. Finally, we will evaluate the successes and failures of this plan.\r\n\r\nThis is an ideal talk if you are interested in knowing the challenges that FLOSS projects face when seeking funding, want to learn which are the best strategies to diversify your sources of income and ensure a sustainable growth of your project.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "KAAN7Q", "name": "Nil Homedes", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/KAAN7Q_WZglo3Q.webp", "biography": "Political scientist specializing in public policy, democratic participation, and technological sovereignty. He is currently the Director of the Technical Office at the Decidim Association and a member of Decidim's Product Team.", "public_name": "Nil Homedes", "guid": "7255c137-f0c1-5be3-b4de-9f3764abd928", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/KAAN7Q/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/NHYLVP/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/NHYLVP/", "attachments": []}], "Wintergarten": [{"guid": "079580b7-079b-51ed-abd4-15cad59133cc", "code": "BUEQLX", "id": 83148, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T11:35:00+01:00", "start": "11:35", "duration": "01:00", "room": "Wintergarten", "slug": "fossback26-83148-open-source-stewards-under-the-cra-npo-pitfalls", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/BUEQLX/", "title": "Open-Source Stewards Under the CRA: NPO Pitfalls", "subtitle": "", "track": "Legal & Compliance", "type": "Workshop", "language": "en", "abstract": "The CRA\u2019s Open-Source Software Steward (OSSS) status offers legal recognition and hidden traps for non-profits and volunteer communities. This talk unpacks benefits, duties, liability, and tax effects, helping NPOs use the status safely and avoid accidental burdens.", "description": "The EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) introduces the Open-Source Software Steward (OSSS) role \u2014 a novel legal construct acknowledging entities that systematically support open-source development. While it promises lighter duties than full \u201cmanufacturers,\u201d the OSSS label can create unexpected exposure for foundations, associations (e.V.s) and volunteer organizations.\r\nThis session focuses exclusively on non-commercial actors \u2014 not on businesses seeking OSSS qualification \u2014 and explores the pitfalls of leveraging the status:\r\n    \u2022 Benefits of OSSS recognition for NPOs: legitimacy, funding leverage, and security-governance credibility.\r\n    \u2022 Problems & Obligations: Article 24 CRA obligations (security policy, vulnerability handling, authority cooperation).\r\n    \u2022 Achieving / Avoiding OSSS classification.\r\n    \u2022 Liability effects: how far the penalty exception in Art. 64 para. 10 CRA could extend to civil liability.\r\n    \u2022 Tax status implications: narrative conflicts between \u201cintended for commercial activities\u201d and non-profit status (Gemeinn\u00fctzigkeit); mitigation through legal operations and desirable tax legislation.\r\n    \u2022 Other legal angles: antitrust boundaries and GDPR responsibilities.\r\n    \u2022 \u201cOSSS as a Service\u201d: outsourcing as an option for every NPO? And what to keep in mind when signing and executing such an agreement?\r\n    \u2022 Case Studies:\r\n        \u25e6 A German Fediverse gGmbH with no non-profit status and it\u2019s U.S. 501(c)(3) counterpart\r\n        \u25e6 A Belgian Private Foundation\r\n        \u25e6 A German Association with non-profit status\r\n\r\n<b>This session is an interactive session and therefore not recorded.</b>", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "UPZASY", "name": "Maximilian Kroker", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/UPZASY_4ZLnarc.webp", "biography": "Maximilian Kroker is an attorney focusing on IT and data protection law and a computer scientist. This interdisciplinary background combines legal expertise with deep technical understanding\u2014a combination of particular value to technology-oriented companies. His professional focus is on the legal support of digital business models, especially in dealing with software products, open-source components, cloud infrastructures, and regulatory requirements such as the GDPR, the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), or the AI Act.\r\n\r\nphoto: Thomas Hedrich", "public_name": "Maximilian Kroker", "guid": "197d8608-28f3-5498-ad3a-f7d33d0781f3", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/UPZASY/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/BUEQLX/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/BUEQLX/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/BUEQLX/resources/Open-Source_Ste_5IgUOdn.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "e654f4b8-4321-5a5f-959e-17e71e1f287b", "code": "SANATD", "id": 83751, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T14:00:00+01:00", "start": "14:00", "duration": "01:00", "room": "Wintergarten", "slug": "fossback26-83751-co-creating-riecs-with-open-source-builders", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/SANATD/", "title": "Co-Creating RIECS with Open Source Builders", "subtitle": "", "track": "Governance & Community", "type": "Workshop", "language": "en", "abstract": "Open source projects already power citizen science \u2014 from mapping air quality to tracking food data. This RIECS-Concept workshop invites developers and community leads to share stories and map what support, tools, and governance are needed to build sustainable, open, and trusted citizen science infrastructures.", "description": "Open source builders are at the heart of many citizen science initiatives \u2014 creating platforms, tools, and data systems that enable communities to participate in real research. Yet, these efforts often face similar challenges: maintaining software, ensuring data quality, and sustaining collaboration.\r\n\r\nThis 60-minute RIECS\u00b9-Concept workshop brings together developers, maintainers, and project organizers to share experiences and identify what kinds of technical services, governance models, and community support are most needed.\r\n\r\nThe insights gathered will inform the concept design of a European research infrastructure for citizen science \u2014 connecting open source innovation with participatory research and long-term sustainability.\r\n\r\nLearn more about the RIECS-Concept: <a href=\"https://concept.riecs.eu/\" target=\"_blank\">Project Website</a> | <a href=\"https://mastodon.social/@riecs_concept/\" target=\"_blank\">Mastodon</a>\r\n\r\n\u00b9 Research Infrastructure for Excellence in Citizen Science\r\n\r\n<b>This session is an interactive session and therefore not recorded.</b>", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "NSZ33N", "name": "Kai-Ti Wu", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/NSZ33N_nrNRiHl.webp", "biography": "Kai-Ti Wu is a researcher and innovation manager specialising in fundraising for impact-driven projects and policy-oriented innovation across research and societal domains. She works at the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA), where, in her role as a fundraising officer, she contributes to the development of European research and innovation ecosystems by bridging open-source technologies with participatory research models and sustainable funding strategies. Drawing on her background in geodata engineering and economic geography, she focuses on building inclusive, place-sensitive innovation ecosystems.", "public_name": "Kai-Ti Wu", "guid": "37f95667-edcf-57f8-8c4a-71df1a990cbc", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/NSZ33N/"}, {"code": "8N3T7J", "name": "Franziska Stressmann", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/NQDYNT_fCi7dqC.webp", "biography": "Franziska is a passionate advocate for citizen science at the European Citizen Science Association. She is microbiologist by training and works for and with citizen science projects related to biodiversity, planetary health and aquatic systems. She is also part of the team co-creating the first pan-European research infrastructure for citizen science in Europe. If you are interested to contribute, please get in touch!", "public_name": "Franziska Stressmann", "guid": "0762b92f-9b36-53ca-91b0-61e7746f1772", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/8N3T7J/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/SANATD/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/SANATD/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "5fda11e2-ac1b-5050-be7a-5abae348cc9c", "code": "TRCEGN", "id": 83162, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T15:30:00+01:00", "start": "15:30", "duration": "01:00", "room": "Wintergarten", "slug": "fossback26-83162-stable-software-needs-stable-funding-mapping-workshop", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/TRCEGN/", "title": "Stable software needs stable funding \u2014 Mapping workshop", "subtitle": "", "track": "Economics", "type": "Workshop", "language": "en", "abstract": "This workshop explores funding and resource models for sustaining FOSS projects. We look at grants, donations, sales, licenses, corporate and student contributions, and more \u2014 evaluating the models pros, cons, and fit for different project stages. The goal is to refine a shared, open resource and identify unmet needs.", "description": "Sustaining FOSS projects continues to pose a challenge. As a funder, we are investigating in our research how combining different funding and resource models might offer viable solutions, and where gaps remain. In this workshop, we want to refine a map we are working on that captures different income and resource streams for FOSS projects.\r\n\r\nWe want to engage with the question of which (combinations) of those funding models can sustain which projects or project stages. Next to grants, donations, sales, and capital investments, we map, amongst others, models such as tiered licenses, corporate open source contributions, and contributions by students as part of their coursework. The search for a stable funding model is complicated by better or worse fits of different kinds of communities and software. We are further well aware that none of these models is likely to be a standalone solution to sustain a project and that each of them has its own difficulties.\r\nInstead, we want to investigate how combinations of those can balance each other and support different projects and different project stages. In the workshop we want to walk through three tasks in three 10-15min rounds with you: \r\n 1. Add models that are missing from the map\r\n 2. Specify pros and cons of the models\r\n 3. Specify which projects are eligible for which models\r\n\r\nThe session will be closed by taking stock of what is missing: Which demands are not met by the array of listed approaches to sustain projects in the FOSS ecosystem. We welcome everybody interested and invite specifically people who are active in (F)OSS-projects and their support, to participate in reflecting on these questions with us and to contribute to the map. \r\n\r\nWe fund innovative FOSS from society and for society, with funds from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space. This workshop is part of the research done in our organisation. We intend to make the map openly accessible after the workshop.\r\n\r\n<b>This session is an interactive session and therefore not recorded.</b>", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "KGDQAD", "name": "Judith Fassbender", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/KGDQAD_cdBjAyC.webp", "biography": "Judith Fassbender is a researcher in the field of public interest technology and has been responsible for the research of the Prototype Fund since 2025. She is an associate researcher at the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society and is looking participatory data governance practices in her dissertation at the University of St Andrews.", "public_name": "Judith Fassbender", "guid": "83d0e4e0-7b9e-5200-89d1-680bb95ff6f3", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/KGDQAD/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/TRCEGN/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/TRCEGN/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "ec5f4d85-b8b7-52fb-82fb-682b1ed0075c", "code": "MML79C", "id": 93783, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-16T16:40:00+01:00", "start": "16:40", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Wintergarten", "slug": "fossback26-93783-secure-by-design-discussion-on-voluntary-security-attestations", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/MML79C/", "title": "Secure by Design? Discussion on Voluntary Security Attestations", "subtitle": "", "track": "Security", "type": "Workshop", "language": "en", "abstract": "With this discussion following the Chatham House Rule format, we wish to invite FOSS Backstage attendees to come together to explore how communities could issue risk-based attestations sufficient to reduce downstream compliance burdens in ways that support (rather than burden) open source communities.", "description": "The Cyber Resilience Act creates a transformative opportunity to strengthen both cybersecurity and the sustainability of open source through Article 25's voluntary security attestation framework.\r\n\r\nWe will examine practical implementation questions:\r\n - How do we balance proportional requirements with project maturity?\r\n - What governance models work for stewardship, as defined by the CRA?\r\n - How can attestations create sustainable funding flows to upstream communities without capture by commercial interests?\r\n\r\nYour perspective will help determine whether this framework becomes a tool for sustainability or part of a regulatory barrier to open collaboration.\r\n\r\n<b>This session is an interactive session taking place under <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatham_House_Rule\" target=\"_blank\">Chatham House Rules</a> and therefore not recorded.</b>", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "LBZBRV", "name": "\u00c6va Black", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/LBZBRV_sMyYMQT.webp", "biography": "\u00c6va Black is an international thought leader on open source software security, with over 25 years of experience building digital infrastructure, leading open source projects, and advising on cybersecurity policy.\r\n\r\n\u2014 \u201cTechnical Luminary\u201d \u2014 <a href=\"https://www.wired.com/story/inside-cisa-under-trump/\" target=\"_blank\">Wired</a>\r\n\r\nAfter leading OSS Security Programs first in the Azure Office of the CTO and then at the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Agency, \u00c6va founded Null Point Studio, a boutique cybersecurity consulting firm in the Netherlands, to continue supporting the sustainability and security of free and open source software.\r\n\r\n\u2014 \u201cchild prodigy turned creative genius\u201d \u2014  <a href=\"https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/cisa-welcomes-aeva-black-joining-our-team-strengthen-open-source-software-security\" target=\"_blank\">CISA</a>\r\n\r\nA veteran of the first dot-com bubble, \u00c6va\u2019s signature red-and-black aesthetic has darkened conference stages around the world since 2005. When not behind a computer screen, they can be found on a motorcycle or looking for new ways to support their local queer community.", "public_name": "\u00c6va Black", "guid": "ffa091c4-6925-5cc7-80cb-6029a21db2db", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/LBZBRV/"}, {"code": "WPAGZL", "name": "Gregor \"Little Detritus\" Bransky", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/WPAGZL_yjCUCxn.webp", "biography": "Gregor - Little Detritus - Bransky is a c-base member and german digital rights activist. \r\n\r\nCore of his activist work is striving for public intrest tech that impowers people instead of surveiling them, for the last five years he has been trying to find buisness models for public digital infrastructures. \r\n\r\nHe will guide you through the 700 square meters c-base accessible to humans. He works on privacy preserving digital platforms and infrastructures which empower users to make data-based decisions.", "public_name": "Gregor \"Little Detritus\" Bransky", "guid": "e40f7b4b-e060-5ead-8f89-c9d2338fbb7e", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/WPAGZL/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/MML79C/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/MML79C/", "attachments": []}]}}, {"index": 2, "date": "2026-03-17", "day_start": "2026-03-17T04:00:00+01:00", "day_end": "2026-03-18T03:59:00+01:00", "rooms": {"Auditorium": [{"guid": "b237f9bb-c701-5303-b0a5-e6db819ff8e4", "code": "DWU3AS", "id": 83218, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T10:00:00+01:00", "start": "10:00", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-83218-getting-real-with-the-supply-chain-from-sbom-data-to-action", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/DWU3AS/", "title": "Getting Real with the Supply Chain: From SBOM Data to Action", "subtitle": "", "track": "Governance & Community", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "500,000 SBOMs \u2013 that\u2019s the scale of Deutsche Bahn\u2019s software supply chain. How do we make sense of this as a small OSPO in a large non-IT organization? Our strategy: turn this data into actionable tasks. We\u2019ll share practical learnings on prioritizing risks, applying sensible automated compliance, and considering ecosystem sustainability.", "description": "The more insight we gain into our software supply chains, the more we face the challenge of acting on it. OSPOs must turn vast data into focused, meaningful decisions. This talk shares a risk-based framework we apply at Deutsche Bahn, designed to be broadly adoptable. It helps prioritize what truly matters: balancing compliance, governance, and sustainability.\r\n\r\nWe\u2019ll discuss how we:\r\n\r\n* manage regulatory obligations like CRA and NIS2 without overburdening teams\r\n* set internal rules and automation that keep compliance practical\r\n* identify real risks instead of chasing theoretical ones\r\n* facilitate open source culture across the organization to understand and participate in communities\r\n* include ecosystem health in our decisions\r\n\r\nAs a small virtual OSPO in a large non-IT company, we focus on pragmatic, incremental steps rather than perfect coverage. The session offers hands-on insights for anyone trying to make sense of large-scale SBOM data and turn transparency into responsible action.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "QN3HYE", "name": "Max Mehl", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/QN3HYE_34Gn3y4.webp", "biography": "Max Mehl has been dedicated to Open Source for many years, in various roles and contributing from different perspectives. He deals with all aspects of Open Source at Deutsche Bahn, Europe\u2019s largest railway operator and infrastructure owner. In this role, he supports in both using and contributing to Open Source in a professional manner. Previously, he worked for the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE), where he coordinated initiatives such as \u201cPublic Money? Public Code!\u201d and REUSE.", "public_name": "Max Mehl", "guid": "d767f56d-d0dc-508b-bbf9-83aa6d17f8a8", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/QN3HYE/"}, {"code": "KB7NJY", "name": "Cornelius Schumacher", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/KB7NJY_KWpjepp.webp", "biography": "Cornelius Schumacher is a long-time contributor and leader in the open source community. He has worked on a variety of projects, from volunteer-driven to enterprise. Originally a developer, he has moved into topics of governance, open source compliance, and how to run open source projects well. Cornelius works as Open Source Steward in the CTO team of DB Systel helping teams to successfully use and contribute to open source at Deutsche Bahn.", "public_name": "Cornelius Schumacher", "guid": "46513438-1927-5247-b75e-aeb972391194", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/KB7NJY/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/DWU3AS/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/DWU3AS/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/DWU3AS/resources/FOSS_Backstage__3ryi7Ld.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "0b277799-0242-53a6-8e65-5f0efe2be94f", "code": "M9F7T8", "id": 83418, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T10:35:00+01:00", "start": "10:35", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-83418-saxony-in-action-supporting-a-lasting-foss-foundation", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/M9F7T8/", "title": "Saxony in Action: Supporting a Lasting FOSS Foundation", "subtitle": "", "track": "Growing Open Source", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "What happens when a federal state truly supports open source? Granted by the state of Saxony, our funding project FOCIS helps ALASCA - Association for operational, open cloud-infrastructures e.V. grow into a more stable, independent home for FOSS projects. We\u2019ll show how public support strengthens open source and what others can learn from Saxony.", "description": "What happens when a federal state doesn\u2019t just talk about supporting open source - but actually does it?\r\n\r\nIn this talk, we\u2019ll share insights on how the state of Saxony is becoming a pioneer for open source in Germany: with a clear open source strategy and real financial support such as the publicly funded project FOCIS, which enables our non-profit association ALASCA to grow into a more stable, independent home for open source projects.\r\n\r\nWe\u2019ll take you through our journey from a young association supported mostly by volunteers, to a professionally staffed organization that now supports six projects. With public funding, we were able to hire own employees, stabilize and expand existing governance structures, and lay the groundwork for a resilient open source foundation.\r\n\r\nYou\u2019ll learn:\r\n\r\n    How public funding can help in bootstrapping an open source foundation\r\n\r\n    which benefits and support have been established using public funding\r\n\r\n    What other communities or regions can take from this example\r\n\r\nThis talk is for anyone building or supporting open source communities - from maintainers and foundation organizers to policy makers and public sector advocates - who care about long-term sustainability, governance, and funding models.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "9RKHX8", "name": "Dr. Daniel Gerber", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/9RKHX8_wartMY1.webp", "biography": "Dr. Daniel Gerber holds a doctorate in computer science. As CTO at Targomo GmbH, he was responsible for global IT services before joining the Saxon State Parliament in 2019, where he advocated for digital sovereignty. Since 2025, he has continued his commitment to free software at ALASCA e.V. and as deputy managing director of the Open Source Business Alliance.", "public_name": "Dr. Daniel Gerber", "guid": "3005c337-64ea-574c-9681-eda68405223e", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/9RKHX8/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/M9F7T8/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/M9F7T8/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/M9F7T8/resources/2026-03-16_FOSS_xWGKANM.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "2d8b9e13-65c7-540b-9732-d6d999c837fe", "code": "HBW3UD", "id": 83342, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T11:20:00+01:00", "start": "11:20", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-83342-real-accessibility-an-imperfect-honest-journey", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/HBW3UD/", "title": "Real accessibility: an imperfect, honest journey", "subtitle": "", "track": "Diversity & Inclusion", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Compliance with legislation is not sufficient to build a good user experience, especially when maintaining an operating system used by millions. In this talk, we will share how we are building an accessibility practice that addresses the obvious and the non-obvious, and our learnings from this journey.", "description": "Accessibility is as complex as human nature. Making a user experience that is genuinely accessible requires going beyond the letter of the law to address less obvious issues. For instance, it\u2019s trivial to check if two colours have enough contrast; ensuring the language used in an app is easy to understand for everyone, not so much.\r\n\r\nHow can we create incredible accessible products? External agencies may help with audits, but accessibility should be an ongoing effort, not just a one-off project to address existing issues. New features should be accessible from the get-go, ideally validated with real-world users: easier said than done.\r\n\r\nIn this talk, we will share how creating a community of interest and tapping into our team\u2019s diversity helped us come up with a more robust experience. We will also discuss the role of collaboration across disciplines including design, engineering, content and documentation, and how to facilitate community contributions to these efforts. Coming up with a better accessibility practice is not always a straight path, but is definitely a one worth taking.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "VFHYS7", "name": "Leia Ruffini", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/VFHYS7_GswDLLH.webp", "biography": "Leia is a UX designer at Canonical and a member of the Open Design working group. Driven by a mission to create positive societal impact through accessible technology, she advocates for incorporating non-code contributions and user feedback into open-source projects.", "public_name": "Leia Ruffini", "guid": "6534870c-2e86-5aa8-8d5c-e5dae9e68b09", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/VFHYS7/"}, {"code": "FBDJQR", "name": "Juan Ruiti\u00f1a", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/FBDJQR_p5F7zJc.webp", "biography": "User experience designer at Canonical, he is part of the team behind Ubuntu Desktop. Interested in accessibility and the impact of technology on society. Based in Madrid.", "public_name": "Juan Ruiti\u00f1a", "guid": "6752cdcb-f245-5b46-994d-32f4b709e0be", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/FBDJQR/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/HBW3UD/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/HBW3UD/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/HBW3UD/resources/Real_accessibil_mmq8oHu.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "8149951b-83fd-55cb-b925-781c923adfc0", "code": "AAMAFC", "id": 82748, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T11:55:00+01:00", "start": "11:55", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-82748-building-and-scaling-hare-s-community-governance", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/AAMAFC/", "title": "Building and scaling Hare's community governance", "subtitle": "", "track": "Governance & Community", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "How the Hare programming language community grew from one BDFL and a ragtag group of early hackers to a productive, sociable, and egalitarian community of happy hackers with a lightweight and effective model of participatory governance.", "description": "The Hare programming language started in December 2019 with a small, secret prototype and gradually built out a community of curious adventure-seekers who stumbled into its open, but well-hidden, borders. Once unveiled to the public, this community's governance, policy-making, and day-to-day conduct of its affairs grew and evolved with careful deliberation into its present-day form, with 11 co-maintainers of various disciplines and over 100 contributors.\r\n\r\nThis talk will take the audience through each stage of this journey and highlight each of the changes made to its governance over time, explaining how each decision was weighed against our values and practices and helped us grow into a thriving community.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "DQCGMM", "name": "Drew DeVault", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/DQCGMM_Tv6uSQc.webp", "biography": "Drew DeVault is a prolific author of free software, founding and building communities around projects including aerc, Hare, Sway, SourceHut, wlroots, and dozens more, as well as a prolific writer and advocate both for free software generally and for a just free software movement that we can be proud of participating in.", "public_name": "Drew DeVault", "guid": "63383021-ee12-5272-8b42-4734f87bd2b6", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/DQCGMM/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/AAMAFC/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/AAMAFC/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slide deck", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/AAMAFC/resources/main_MbUXiAQ.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "33c8bc91-6b7e-5f8f-ae36-cec0b53bf459", "code": "DS8DL8", "id": 83420, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T12:30:00+01:00", "start": "12:30", "duration": "00:40", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-83420-balancing-the-supply-chain-act", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/DS8DL8/", "title": "Balancing the Supply Chain Act", "subtitle": "", "track": "Governance & Community", "type": "Panel", "language": "en", "abstract": "Corporate users, volunteer maintainers, and everything in between, how can they work together? In this panel, we bring together different voices to explore: What does each side intend, expect, and need? And how can we bridge tensions in today\u2019s open source supply chain?", "description": "The typical software supply chain has many participants: open source communities, maintainers, companies, and others. There is a rising number of regulations, policies, and processes around that, for example, the Cyber Resilience Act or other security requirements. Expectations of companies sometimes do not match what the community can or wants to offer, and vice versa. The misalignment creates stress on both sides. How can this stress be resolved, so that all participants can benefit from one another and reap the advantages of open source, which has become ubiquitous wherever software is?\r\n\r\nIn the panel, we bring together representatives of different perspectives to discuss these questions. It will cover open source maintainers, companies using open source for internal services and for basing products on, and people working on processes.\r\n\r\nList of participants:\r\n\r\n* Moderator: Melanie Wollnik (OpenRail Association and DB Systel)\r\n* Sven Erik Jeroschewski (Bosch Digital)\r\n* Cornelius Schumacher (DB Systel)\r\n* Tim Schmetzer (Osborne Clarke)\r\n* Sarah Hoffmann (Open Street Map)\r\n\r\nTogether we\u2019ll ask:\r\n\r\n* What drives users vs maintainers in the open source supply chain?\r\n* Where do expectations clash?\r\n* How can process, governance and community shape better alignment?\r\n* How can organizations and projects adapt to serve each other, not just co-exist?", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "RD7F9S", "name": "Sarah Hoffmann", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/RD7F9S_fwCG6PL.webp", "biography": "Sarah Hoffmann is a open-source maintainer and long-term active member in the OpenStreetMap community. She started out as a developer for operating systems but switched to the field of geospatial software when she discovered the OpenStreetMap project. Among others she is maintainer for the open-source geocoders Nominatim and Photon. She's been a Sovereign Tech Maintainer Fellow last year and currently works as a freelance open-source software developer.", "public_name": "Sarah Hoffmann", "guid": "96924cdb-61e9-5383-bd87-88769d260e84", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/RD7F9S/"}, {"code": "KB7NJY", "name": "Cornelius Schumacher", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/KB7NJY_KWpjepp.webp", "biography": "Cornelius Schumacher is a long-time contributor and leader in the open source community. He has worked on a variety of projects, from volunteer-driven to enterprise. Originally a developer, he has moved into topics of governance, open source compliance, and how to run open source projects well. Cornelius works as Open Source Steward in the CTO team of DB Systel helping teams to successfully use and contribute to open source at Deutsche Bahn.", "public_name": "Cornelius Schumacher", "guid": "46513438-1927-5247-b75e-aeb972391194", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/KB7NJY/"}, {"code": "9RCQN7", "name": "Sven Jeroschewski", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/9RCQN7_0puD3Ir.webp", "biography": "Sven Jeroschewski is a software engineer with the OSPO of the Robert Bosch GmbH.  He studied Computer Engineering at the TU Berlin and the University of Oklahoma and is a committer with Eclipse Kuksa and Eclipse SDV Blueprints.", "public_name": "Sven Jeroschewski", "guid": "eb8ef5c9-10d2-534e-b76f-9745cffed01b", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/9RCQN7/"}, {"code": "T3AWBT", "name": "Melanie Wollnik", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/T3AWBT_ITbwvsw.webp", "biography": "Melanie Wollnik is currently serving as a Facilitator for the Open Rail Team at the Open Rail Association, where she contributes her expertise in cross-functional collaboration. At Deutsche Bahn, she holds a leadership role and drives the digitalization of rail operations with her unit.", "public_name": "Melanie Wollnik", "guid": "f1aa6272-04ca-52f2-bc9e-24d20e46ec80", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/T3AWBT/"}, {"code": "PWJAWU", "name": "Tim Schmetzer", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/J9WNDZ_AEaz3eY.webp", "biography": "Tim Schmetzer advises both national and international companies on matters of IT and copyright law. He specialises in software law (including SaaS, IaaS, PaaS), AI regulatory topics and Open Source Software compliance.\r\n\r\nTim mainly advises clients in the Tech, Media and Comms sector and the Mobility and Infrastructure sector on all matters of information technology law, also contributing a deep technical understanding gained from programming knowledge.\r\n\r\nTim studied law in Freiburg, focussing on intellectual property and IT law. During his legal traineeship, Tim worked for a Berlin based boutique law firm for IT law and in the privacy office of an international healthcare company.", "public_name": "Tim Schmetzer", "guid": "e8538d11-2747-5230-8b22-360c8bf52b27", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/PWJAWU/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/DS8DL8/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/DS8DL8/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "acf3dd1d-c91d-55f6-b22e-f145f549947f", "code": "YVDBR7", "id": 82750, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T14:10:00+01:00", "start": "14:10", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-82750-foss-behind-the-scenes-the-center-stage-is-not-enough", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/YVDBR7/", "title": "FOSS behind the scenes - the center stage is not enough", "subtitle": "", "track": "Governance & Community", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Your code is FOSS, but the project uses all the famous and fancy proprietary platforms. Does it matter? Yes. Relying on non-free tools contradicts open source values and hurts your project. This talk pulls the curtain from the damages it makes, busts myths and gives you a director's cut commentary on how to be the hero your story needs.", "description": "The goal of this talk is to spark reflection and conversation about the tools we use to build open source projects, not just the code we write. It is meant to encourage both new and experienced maintainers to think critically about how proprietary tools may, unintentionally, be limiting their communities and values. We'll explore how can we strengthen our open source ecosystem by reducing our dependency on tech giants and supporting community-owned infrastructure. The audience will leave with a better understanding of the trade-offs involved, where to take action, and the motivation to make small changes that lead to more open, inclusive, and resilient projects. \r\n\r\nWhether you're starting a new project or maintaining a mature one, this talk will challenge you to think critically about the tools you use and advocate for open, community-controlled alternatives that align with the spirit of FOSS.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "UXSXLE", "name": "Jan Ainali", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/UXSXLE_UaV8QOj.webp", "biography": "Jan is an advocate for openness and collaboration. He is running the company [Open By Default](https://openbydefault.se) where he helps other organizations on their journey to becoming more open. He has a history of working with open source at the Foundation for Public Code, open knowledge at and with Wikimedia and open data at Creative Commons.", "public_name": "Jan Ainali", "guid": "532600cc-4197-5498-966d-cff6194948c2", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/UXSXLE/"}], "links": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "https://aina.li/backstage2026/", "type": "related"}], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/YVDBR7/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/YVDBR7/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "43d09a00-91e8-5353-8205-f6156892d969", "code": "VE7UEJ", "id": 83125, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T14:45:00+01:00", "start": "14:45", "duration": "00:40", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-83125-navigating-engineering-focused-environments", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/VE7UEJ/", "title": "Navigating engineering-focused environments", "subtitle": "", "track": "Design", "type": "Panel", "language": "en", "abstract": "How can designers navigate in engineering-focused environments? This panel explores approaches for integrating UX into developer workflows and showcasing how design contributions are valuable assets for greater impact in engineering circles.", "description": "Open source often thrives on engineering-driven processes, where feedback loops, tools, and contributions are tailored to developers. But where does design fit in? This panel brings designers and engineers together to discuss how UX practices can be embedded in engineering workflows, from using GitHub as a design collaboration tool to framing design contributions in ways developers can get value from. \r\n\r\nOur panelists will share success stories and lessons from bridging design and engineering in open source. Their experiences as designers and engineers will bring different perspectives to uncover strategies and patterns for making design more visible and impactful in developer-focused environments. They will highlight what worked, what didn\u2019t, and how their approaches evolved across projects and communities. \r\n\r\nAttendees will take away ideas for embedding design into engineering-focused environments, and inspiration from projects where cross-disciplinary collaboration has led to better user experiences and stronger collaboration.\r\n\r\nInterested in embedding design thinking into the engineering world? Join us!", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "7RA8BD", "name": "Eriol Fox", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/7RA8BD_ynQGKol.webp", "biography": "Eriol has been working as a designer for 15+ years working in for-profits and then NGO\u2019s and open-source software organisations, working on complex problems like sustainable food systems, peace-building and crisis response technology.  They now work as a product designer at the Open Home Foundation working on Smart Home OSS technologies.\r\n\r\nEriol was studying a Comp Sci PhD looking at how designers participate in humanitarian and human rights focussed open-source software projects and is looking for a new home for this research.\r\n\r\nThey are also part of the core maintainer team at Open Source Design (http://opensourcedesign.net/)  and the Sustain UX & Design working group (https://sustainoss.org/working-groups/design-and-ux/) and is a host for the podcast about open source and design (https://sosdesign.sustainoss.org/)\r\n\r\nEriol is a non-binary, queer person who uses they/them pronouns.", "public_name": "Eriol Fox", "guid": "669a3029-d92d-5cf0-a42d-754fcde96f8e", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/7RA8BD/"}, {"code": "ZS7LBT", "name": "Miguel Divo", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/ZS7LBT_5wHLAIM.webp", "biography": "I'm a UX Designer at Canonical and an active contributor to our Open Design Initiative. Coming from a computing background and then to design at university, I'm always merging my creative/technical sides into an adaptable approach to solving the right user problems, curious to learn more, and placing people at the centre of any task.", "public_name": "Miguel Divo", "guid": "f4795d24-eb64-5368-8363-b41bea96561c", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/ZS7LBT/"}, {"code": "TCHBTL", "name": "Gl\u00f2ria Langreo", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/TCHBTL_SitT67V.webp", "biography": "-", "public_name": "Gl\u00f2ria Langreo", "guid": "b9d32ab2-4e48-566a-abba-1eb402376e1c", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/TCHBTL/"}, {"code": "PS3ATJ", "name": "David Edler", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/PS3ATJ_V10sH1f.webp", "biography": "David Edler is an Engineering Manager at Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, with a strong background in cloud infrastructure. He most recently leads work on LXD UI, the web interface for LXD, the system container and virtual machine manager. Passionate about open-source communities and collaborative innovation.", "public_name": "David Edler", "guid": "36e86f56-68d1-5849-aff4-0d01739223dd", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/PS3ATJ/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/VE7UEJ/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/VE7UEJ/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "f804f95d-4844-59a0-95dc-12c6c2b53a96", "code": "TLLJBF", "id": 83327, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T15:50:00+01:00", "start": "15:50", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-83327-the-openstreetmap-community", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/TLLJBF/", "title": "The OpenStreetMap Community", "subtitle": "", "track": "Governance & Community", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Over the last 20 years the OpenStreetMap (OSM) project has collected an enormous amount of data about our planet and written a lot of Open Source software. OSM-based maps and apps are everywhere. How do you organize two million contributors in a mostly volunteer project to work on a common goal? And what exactly is that common goal?", "description": "OpenStreetMap creates, collects and delivers Open Data about our world. But it is more: It is a worldwide community and a human cultural endeavour. The OSM community, that is millions of volunteers, but also companies large and small, and organisations from the UN down to the local hiking club. How do we organize all of this with an extremely slim (and maybe too slim?) governance structure that is still mostly based on volunteer work? Where does this work and where are the problems? What makes it similar to other digital commons projects and what makes it different? What can we learn from other communities like ours?", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "LULDTS", "name": "Jochen Topf", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/LULDTS_RLcpIEI.webp", "biography": "Jochen Topf is a freelance software developer and consultant who has written Open Source software for more than 25 years. He joined the OpenStreetMap project early on and has contributed data and software, talked and written about it, and helped organize the community. He works part-time for the German chapter of the OpenStreetMap Foundation, the FOSSGIS e.V.", "public_name": "Jochen Topf", "guid": "4cf1fa0c-459e-5c68-8726-03ecf9f36c71", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/LULDTS/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/TLLJBF/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/TLLJBF/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/TLLJBF/resources/2026-03-17-talk_i1X3Cjm.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "72ba4970-263e-5939-be01-12774f52dcf7", "code": "SSZGTE", "id": 83059, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T16:25:00+01:00", "start": "16:25", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-83059-plan-to-fork-so-you-don-t-have-to-fork", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/SSZGTE/", "title": "Plan to fork (So you don't have to fork)", "subtitle": "", "track": "Growing Open Source", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Writing a detailed plan to fork, as a disaster recovery plan for tomorrow, is a great way to identify places where you sould be investing more deeply in an open source project, today.", "description": "If your product or service relies on an open source project, ensuring the sustainability of that project is just good business sense. Forking that source project should be a last resort, to be considered only after all other options have been exhausted. But writing a detailed plan to fork has two benefits. First, it ensures that should the worst happen, you\u2019ve already considered how you\u2019ll deal with it. But perhaps more importantly, thinking proactively about forking will help you take actions that will ensure that it never gets to that.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "XLUGEF", "name": "Rich Bowen", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/XLUGEF_rdqRq4K.webp", "biography": "Rich Bowen has been involved in open source since before we started calling it that. He's a member of the Apache Software Foundation, where he currently serves as a board member and Vice Chair. Rich is an Open Source Strategist at AWS.", "public_name": "Rich Bowen", "guid": "87901b6b-1d5a-587c-a687-69d60e1f17b9", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/XLUGEF/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/SSZGTE/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/SSZGTE/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "78346602-0b2f-5902-81ff-30b4f81eeafb", "code": "RES9SW", "id": 82713, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T17:00:00+01:00", "start": "17:00", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Auditorium", "slug": "fossback26-82713-lessons-from-10-years-of-certifying-open-source-hardware", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/RES9SW/", "title": "Lessons from 10+ Years of Certifying Open Source Hardware", "subtitle": "", "track": "Governance & Community", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Over the past decade, the Open Source Hardware Association has certified thousands of pieces of hardware from almost 70 countries as open. We've learned some things and want to share!", "description": "In 2015, the Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA) kicked off the process of creating an open source hardware certification.[1] In the decade since, OSHWA has certified thousands of pieces of hardware from over 60 countries on 6 continents [2] as compliant with the community definition of open source hardware.[3]\r\n\r\nThis presentation will discuss why the certification program was created in the first place, how it is being used today, and what lessons other communities might be able to learn from its success. \r\n\r\n[1] https://certification.oshwa.org/ [2] https://certification.oshwa.org/list.html [3] https://www.oshwa.org/definition/", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "ZXLV7R", "name": "Michael Weinberg", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/ZXLV7R_ZLrcmWU.webp", "biography": "Michael Weinberg is the Executive Director of the Engelberg Center on Innovation Law and Policy at the NYU School of Law. His research centers on open source, open access, and innovation. He is also the Co-Director of the glam-e lab, a project that uses direct representation to develop model policies and terms for cultural institutions that are creating open access programs.\r\n\r\nBefore joining the Center he served as General Counsel at Shapeways, a 3D printing marketplace and service company, where he also oversaw strategic partnerships and developed new business initiatives such as the \u201cDesign with Shapeways\u201d design services division. Prior to Shapeways, Weinberg held a number of roles at Public Knowledge, a nonprofit public interest advocacy organization dedicated to representing consumers in technology policy debates in Washington, DC. He is also a long-time board member of the Open Source Hardware Association, where he oversees the open source hardware certification project.", "public_name": "Michael Weinberg", "guid": "663736ed-6027-587d-b018-005d7fae5371", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/ZXLV7R/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/RES9SW/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/RES9SW/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/RES9SW/resources/Weinberg_10_Yea_I44l8UV.pdf", "type": "related"}]}], "bUm Box": [{"guid": "f53e38fc-28dd-5595-b884-7dc36dd964cf", "code": "RJPA3K", "id": 82534, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T10:00:00+01:00", "start": "10:00", "duration": "00:30", "room": "bUm Box", "slug": "fossback26-82534-the-power-of-dedicated-security-engineers-vs-volunteers", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/RJPA3K/", "title": "The Power of Dedicated Security Engineers vs. Volunteers", "subtitle": "", "track": "Security", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Open source security is often overlooked until a crisis hits. This talk compares the impact of volunteers versus dedicated full-time security engineers in the Python and Ruby ecosystems. It highlights how consistent investment strengthens community resilience, reduces risk, and proves that security isn\u2019t a cost but an essential strategy.", "description": "Perfect security works like a transparent umbrella \u2014 it shields you from the storm, often without you realizing there\u2019s one. That invisibility, however, is why open source security is too often seen as a cost rather than a strategic investment.\r\nMost organizations only start paying attention to security after a crisis \u2014 think Log4j \u2014 when it\u2019s already too late. In the open source world, many projects depend on volunteers to respond to security incidents. Their contributions are invaluable, but what happens when projects have dedicated, full-time security engineers instead?\r\nIn this session, we\u2019ll explore that question through the stories of Mike, Seth, and Samuel, who once volunteered their time supporting security in the Python and Ruby ecosystems. With funding from AWS and Alpha-Omega, they later became full-time security engineers employed by the Python Software Foundation and Ruby Central.\r\nBy comparing their impact as volunteers versus full-time professionals, we\u2019ll quantify the value of dedicated security investment and measure its return on investment.\r\nOpen source is everywhere \u2014 securing it benefits everyone. Through this talk, we\u2019ll challenge you to rethink security not as an afterthought or a cost center, but as a core strategy worth proactive investment.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "VTFN7F", "name": "Miaolai Zhou", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/VTFN7F_o6DfZj5.webp", "biography": "Miaolai Zhou is an Open Source Program Manager at AWS, where she focuses on strengthening open source security and sustainability. She serves as an organizer of PGConf NYC, manager of the PostgreSQL NYC User Group, and Chair of the Marketing Advisory Council at the OpenSSF. Passionate about building and connecting open source communities, Miaolai works to measure the real-world impact of funding on open source security and long-term project health. Her experience bridges community engagement, strategic investment, and data-driven advocacy for a more secure and sustainable open source ecosystem.", "public_name": "Miaolai Zhou", "guid": "83ef27b6-2370-5b9f-a9fa-49f9c3126789", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/VTFN7F/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/RJPA3K/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/RJPA3K/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "17fae80a-b3e2-5d3f-b9e0-6013fd4ba8d1", "code": "GPKF7H", "id": 83346, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T10:35:00+01:00", "start": "10:35", "duration": "00:30", "room": "bUm Box", "slug": "fossback26-83346-how-open-collective-moved-from-a-for-profit-to-a-non-profit", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/GPKF7H/", "title": "How Open Collective moved from a for-profit to a non-profit", "subtitle": "", "track": "Governance & Community", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "The largest users of the Open Collective Platform set up a coup and ousted the initial investors. We are now a 501(c)(6) membership nonprofit. We would love to share how our governance has evolved, our current challenges in achieving financial sustainability, and how we have contributed to the open-source ecosystem. https://blog.opencollective.com", "description": "The Open Collective Platform has been a big advocate for open-source since it's inception in 2015. Not only have we helped the open source ecosystem but it has supported our growth in return. The largest Fiscal Host on our platform is Open Source Collective. The true open-source back office star. Ensuring the legal and accounting compliance of over 3000 open-source projects. \r\n\r\nOur platform enables these projects to transparently showcase their financials. Highlighting the critical gaps in funding and encouraging collaborative ownership. https://discover.opencollective.com/opensource\r\n\r\nOpen Source Collective has been a key instigator in freeing the platform from it's venture capital history and pursing true community ownership. We would love to celebrate this and dive into how this was negotiated. \r\n\r\nIt's one thing to take the step and become community owned, it's an entirely different reality to shape the shared governance and put our words into action. While we are still grappling to find our footing and achieve financial sustainability. We would love to share the governance processes we have implemented and the key challenges we have faced. What was sacrificed and lost in the process and what challenges do we still need to navigate.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "GAU9HA", "name": "Shannon Wray", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/GAU9HA_Benptgg.webp", "biography": "Head of Operations @ Open Finance Consortium the non-profit stewarding the Open Collective Platform.", "public_name": "Shannon Wray", "guid": "29bb52bd-f022-5a2a-a853-478bb4c7c25a", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/GAU9HA/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/GPKF7H/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/GPKF7H/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/GPKF7H/resources/Shannon_Wray_-__bN3dYpK.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "f8fc6375-1663-59b4-9f12-4d4bdc1d28c1", "code": "RZMDHZ", "id": 83360, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T11:20:00+01:00", "start": "11:20", "duration": "00:30", "room": "bUm Box", "slug": "fossback26-83360-why-has-hardware-infrastructure-diverged-from-open-software", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/RZMDHZ/", "title": "Why Has Hardware Infrastructure Diverged From Open Software?", "subtitle": "", "track": "Economics", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Open software thrives through open tools and collaboration. Hardware remains trapped behind prohibitively expensive tool licenses and limited foundry access. Why? This talk explores the structural barriers preventing hardware from following software's path, and why solving them requires entirely new institutional forms, not just better policies.", "description": "Open source software transformed computing through collaborative infrastructure. Why hasn't open hardware followed? Despite decades of advocacy and similar technical collaboration potential, we still face expensive tool licenses, foundry barriers, and fragmented volunteer projects. This isn't an accident, it's the result of the biggest industrial policy failure of the last century. \r\n\r\n**Three Critical Divergences**\r\nCapital intensity: Software tools scale to reasonable costs, once built, they can distributed generally at low-cost. Hardware requires unavoidable physical capital: \u20ac100K-\u20ac1M annual EDA licenses, \u20ac500K-\u20ac2M foundry access minimums, substantial prototyping costs. This creates fundamentally different economic dynamics that can't be overcome through better licensing or community organizing.\r\n\r\nInstitutional vacuum: Open software largely succeeded because new organizational forms emerged to employ maintainers, coordinate development, and provide infrastructure at scale. Open hardware has no equivalent institutional layer. Universities produce research, not production tools. Companies optimize for proprietary capture. Traditional foundations lack capacity to employ hundreds of engineers or deploy patient capital. Governments fund research grants, not operational infrastructure. The missing piece is the organizational capacity to build and maintain technology commons.\r\n\r\nRevenue generation: Software can monetize through services, support, and usage, value extracted without controlling physical production. Hardware value concentrates in intellectual property, manufacturing and supply chains, making service-based sustainability far harder. This determines which organizations can viably build hardware commons long-term.\r\n\r\n**Why the FOSS Community Should Care:**\r\nHardware is becoming the constraint on software freedom. European tech companies pay billions annually in proprietary tool licensing. Supply chain concentration creates strategic vulnerabilities, and geopolitical tensions could cut access to critical design tools or fabrication. Digital sovereignty requires open hardware foundations, not just open software. Without addressing this, FOSS gains remain dependent on proprietary infrastructure.\r\n\r\nWhat You'll Learn:\r\n\r\nWhy replication fails: Software's organizational models don't transfer to hardware due to structural economic barriers. You can't create \"Apache Foundation but for chip design\" because the capital requirements, employment scale, and revenue dynamics are categorically different.\r\n\r\nThe missing institution: What would an \"Open Hardware Infrastructure Works\", a public institution maintaining open hardware infrastrucutre, might look like? What would an institution like that be able to do to level the playing field and open up hardware development? How would an institution like that be financed? What can we learn from precedents: adapting models from highway authorities, utility companies, and transnational consortia for big infrastructure projects?\r\n\r\nThis isn't about better funding models or governance reforms. It's recognizing that hardware commons require institutional forms that don't yet exist. Just as societies created new organizational types for railroads, electrification, and telecommunications, we need purpose-built institutions for 21st-century technology infrastructure. The question isn't whether open hardware is desirable, that is clear, it's whether we can design and build organizations capable of developing it at competitive scale.\r\n\r\nThis talk is relevant for anyone working on digital sovereignty, FOSS sustainability, supply chain resilience, institutional design, or infrastructure commons, and anyone frustrated that hardware seems perpetually behind software in open development despite equivalent technical collaboration potential.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "A7MCFC", "name": "Tara Tarakiyee", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/A7MCFC_2x30EwN.webp", "biography": "I\u2019m Tara Tarakiyee, a public interest technologist and a supporter of human rights, free and open internet, and open source software. I strive in my work to not only help protect those that need it the most from technological harms of pervasive surveillence and censorship, but as well to unlock the transformational potential of information technology as an enabler of human rights and as a tool to liberate societies from systemic oppression\u200b.", "public_name": "Tara Tarakiyee", "guid": "ce9720f8-7d65-5a13-9834-ef2f68f343ae", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/A7MCFC/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/RZMDHZ/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/RZMDHZ/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/RZMDHZ/resources/TaraTarakiyeeH_lb9OeMU.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "2ad2309b-d6d9-5ba8-bb77-078b131681f8", "code": "SUZPJ7", "id": 83440, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T11:55:00+01:00", "start": "11:55", "duration": "00:30", "room": "bUm Box", "slug": "fossback26-83440-fair-share-cost-tokens", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/SUZPJ7/", "title": "Fair Share Cost Tokens", "subtitle": "", "track": "Economics", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "The Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) will require FOSS projects to step up their security and, following the logic of the FOSS ecosystem, produce attestation for their software.\r\n\r\nThis talk introduces fair-share cost tokens - a feature which supports financial flows along open source software supply chains. (No blockchain)", "description": "The goal of this talk is to provide an overview of the economic component of the CRA attestation project [1].\r\n\r\nFair-share cost tokens are cryptographically signed tokens which allow manufacturers to prove that they are making their \"fair\" contribution to the\r\nhealth of their FOSS Ecosystem. Whenever a commercial software producer - a manufacturer in terms of the CRA - includes FOSS code maintained by a legal entity - an Open Source Software Steward in terms of the CRA - the token is used for attestation. Thus, the two parties can create a communication channel in case of a security incident. The same mechanisms should allow to bring resources deeper into the supply chain, as it can also be used by software stewards to allocate resources towards stewards whoms codebase they are using.\r\n\r\nFrameworks like SCITT [2] and Omnibor [3] could allow for their technical implementation. However, some policy work is required to make the situation of potential FOSS projects in the EU compatible with 501 (c) 3\u00b4s in the US.\r\n\r\n[1] https://github.com/orcwg/cra-attestations\r\n[2] https://datatracker.ietf.org/wg/scitt/about/\r\n[3] https://omnibor.io/project/", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "WPAGZL", "name": "Gregor \"Little Detritus\" Bransky", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/WPAGZL_yjCUCxn.webp", "biography": "Gregor - Little Detritus - Bransky is a c-base member and german digital rights activist. \r\n\r\nCore of his activist work is striving for public intrest tech that impowers people instead of surveiling them, for the last five years he has been trying to find buisness models for public digital infrastructures. \r\n\r\nHe will guide you through the 700 square meters c-base accessible to humans. He works on privacy preserving digital platforms and infrastructures which empower users to make data-based decisions.", "public_name": "Gregor \"Little Detritus\" Bransky", "guid": "e40f7b4b-e060-5ead-8f89-c9d2338fbb7e", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/WPAGZL/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/SUZPJ7/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/SUZPJ7/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "900ccc0a-20ae-5148-bd3c-e0705e1db791", "code": "DRSUPK", "id": 83431, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T12:30:00+01:00", "start": "12:30", "duration": "00:30", "room": "bUm Box", "slug": "fossback26-83431-keeping-the-flame-alive-storytelling-for-open-source", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/DRSUPK/", "title": "Keeping the flame alive: storytelling for open source", "subtitle": "", "track": "Design", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "A brand isn\u2019t just a logo, it\u2019s the story people tell each other about what you stand for. In open source, that story builds trust, sparks curiosity, and inspires contribution. This talk explores how storytelling and brand design can create welcoming open source projects.", "description": "Open source runs on community, and communities run on stories. A good story gives people a reason to join, stay, and care. \r\n\r\nIn this session, we\u2019ll explore how storytelling can strengthen open-source communities and help\u00a0build trust\u00a0and excitement. We\u2019ll look at practical examples of how to tell a story with visual design and what role motion, iconography, tone and voice, or color play. \r\n\r\nI\u2019ll also share practical tools to help teams maintain their story over time that help align contributors around a common message. \r\n\r\nBy the end, you\u2019ll leave with an actionable framework that connects people and builds trust, and keeps the open-source flame burning bright.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "R8M7JH", "name": "Nicole Weber", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/R8M7JH_yxTVxlI.webp", "biography": "Nicole is a senior staff product designer at Mozilla, where she shapes the experience of Firefox mobile with a focus on clarity, trust, and joy. Before Mozilla, she worked at Ableton, designing tools that support creativity and collaboration.", "public_name": "Nicole Weber", "guid": "660399eb-f331-59da-bc68-59cdb35657c0", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/R8M7JH/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/DRSUPK/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/DRSUPK/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "ae7a7376-98d9-5dee-a847-92c36aa8cdc6", "code": "CYZPLB", "id": 83214, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T14:10:00+01:00", "start": "14:10", "duration": "00:30", "room": "bUm Box", "slug": "fossback26-83214-why-open-standards-power-compliance", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/CYZPLB/", "title": "Why Open Standards Power Compliance", "subtitle": "", "track": "Growing Open Source", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Free and open standards, and the open processes behind them, can lay the foundation for innovation, interoperability, and compliance across EU digital, environmental, and industrial policies. Drawing on the Linux Foundation\u2019s State of Open Standards report, this talk explores their potential to strengthen regulation, trust, and competitiveness.", "description": "In an increasingly digitalized Europe, legislation such as the Digital Markets Act, AI Act, and Cyber Resilience Act, depend on technology-neutral, interoperable frameworks to achieve their goals. Free and open standards, together with transparent and inclusive standardization processes, are emerging as essential tools for effective and accountable regulation.\r\nDrawing on the Linux Foundation\u2019s report, The State of Open Standards, Standardization and Patents in Organizations, this session explores how open standards are becoming a pillar of digital policy implementation. The research shows that nearly 80% of organizations view standardization as vital for compliance and strongly favor openly developed standards over proprietary or closed models.\r\nWe will examine three interconnected policy dimensions:\r\nWhy open standards matter for Europe and how they reduce dependency, enhance interoperability, improve quality, and advance strategic autonomy while supporting legislative aims such as transparency, data portability, and resilience.\r\nWhat attributes drive trust and adoption: how openly published, consensus-based, and extensible standards strengthen compliance, innovation, and public confidence.\r\nHow policy can embed openness and the practical approaches for European institutions, standardization bodies, and industry to align around \u201cfree and open\u201d standards as enabling infrastructure. This includes integrating open standards into procurement frameworks, certification schemes, and public-private partnerships.\r\nThe discussion will also consider the evolving role of standard-essential patents (SEPs) and the balance between openness, innovation, and fair intellectual property practice.\r\nAttendees will leave with actionable insights on how to integrate open-standards thinking into policy design, regulatory compliance, and procurement strategy, turning evolving EU mandates into an opportunity for digital resilience and sustainable competitiveness.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "7FBKJN", "name": "Madalin Neag", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/7FBKJN_yPR1FRv.webp", "biography": "Madalin is currently working as an EU Policy Advisor at OpenSSF with a focus on cybersecurity and open-source software. He serves as a bridge between OpenSSF (and its community), other technical communities and policymakers, helping position OpenSSF as a trusted resource within the global and European policy landscape.\r\n\r\nHis journey into this space began with a technical background in R&D and innovation, where he contributed to several commercial and R&D&I projects, EU-funded initiatives and international standardization efforts. Over the years, he has had the opportunity to work across technical, managerial, and research roles, always with a strong focus on openness, interoperability, and the societal value of technology.", "public_name": "Madalin Neag", "guid": "03b7d2e3-aa38-5368-b814-981834ce9ae7", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/7FBKJN/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/CYZPLB/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/CYZPLB/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/CYZPLB/resources/Why_Open_Standa_fNVORBV.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "1c22a311-8c74-56a3-aada-9a413820052d", "code": "UGV9LX", "id": 83416, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T14:45:00+01:00", "start": "14:45", "duration": "00:30", "room": "bUm Box", "slug": "fossback26-83416-a-fork-load-of-maintenance-forking-a-key-dependency", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/UGV9LX/", "title": "A fork load of maintenance - forking a key dependency", "subtitle": "", "track": "Governance & Community", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "This talk explores the BBC\u2019s experience maintaining a fork of dash.js for media playback. It covers the motivations, trade-offs, and strategies to reduce maintenance overhead - such as upstream contributions and community engagement.", "description": "The benefits of building software on top of open source solutions are well understood, such as avoiding reinventing the wheel, leveraging global expertise, and enabling interoperability. Another benefit is the ability to customise open source software for your use case, but in practice this will often be done by making a fork of the project, which can result in a significant maintenance overhead.\r\n\r\nThis talk is a case study of the BBC's fork of dash.js, a JavaScript library for media playback that is a key dependency for BBC web and connected TV apps. We will explore the reasons why a fork is being maintained, what the costs and benefits have been, and what is being done to reduce the maintenance overhead going forwards, including contributing to the mainline and engaging with the community. Attendees will come away with a better understanding of why and why not to fork, and how to reduce the burden of maintaining a fork.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "MVQ3NS", "name": "Tom Sadler", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/MVQ3NS_gCilzFT.webp", "biography": "Tom Sadler is a Senior Principal Software Engineer at the BBC, working with a number of teams on open source and industry engagement. He has led multiple teams working on the BBC\u2019s Connected TV applications, with a focus on cross team collaboration. Tom has been a regular speaker on open source and InnerSource. He is also a Member of the InnerSource Commons Foundation, and currently serves as Assistant Treasurer.", "public_name": "Tom Sadler", "guid": "8144f295-4612-526d-a3f2-b9a03166b375", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/MVQ3NS/"}, {"code": "73YY8B", "name": "Joel Keers", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/73YY8B_f09vcjs.webp", "biography": "Joel Keers is a Principal Software Engineer at the BBC with a focus on media playback for connected TV experiences. He's the lead maintainer on the BBC's open source TV playback library bigscreen-player and works with media playback experts within the BBC and the industry.", "public_name": "Joel Keers", "guid": "977675c9-b894-5962-9b4f-36886bd4505e", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/73YY8B/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/UGV9LX/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/UGV9LX/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "4251d8ca-f07b-57aa-9624-51ff12654643", "code": "CYZZHS", "id": 83202, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T15:50:00+01:00", "start": "15:50", "duration": "00:30", "room": "bUm Box", "slug": "fossback26-83202-we-need-a-european-sovereign-tech-fund", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/CYZZHS/", "title": "We need a European Sovereign Tech Fund!", "subtitle": "", "track": "Economics", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "We have conducted an in-depth study into the political, legal and economic feasibility of an EU Sovereign Tech Fund (EU-STF), a fund for the maintenance of open source infrastructure, building on the successful example of the German Sovereign Tech Agency. Learn about our findings and how you can help us make the EU-STF a reality.", "description": "This talk is a call-to-action to join our campaign to convince the European Union that, in order to secure its digital future, it should invest in open source maintenance via an EU Sovereign Tech Fund (EU-STF).\r\n\r\nRight now, the EU is negotiating its multi-year budget for the period of 2028-2034. Traditionally, the EU budget has been focused on regional development and agriculture, but more and more policymakers are realizing that investment in our digital infrastructure is just as important as maintaining physical roads and bridges. We have conducted an in-depth study into the political, legal and economic feasibility of an EU fund for open source maintenance, building on the successful example of the German Sovereign Tech Agency. We assembled a coalition of supporters from industry and civil society, and we have presented our proposal to the European Parliament and Member States.\r\n\r\nNow it\u2019s time to take the campaign to the next level and we need your support to make it happen. The goal of this session is to present the high-level design principles of the EU-STF and demonstrate why mission-driven investment, coordinated by the public sector, is important for the diversification of Europe\u2019s funding landscape. It will demonstrate how such a proposal can directly improve the sustainability and health of the open source community globally, and why this is so important for Europe in achieving its digital future.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "7Q8KF8", "name": "Felix Reda", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/7Q8KF8_QVYNUX5.webp", "biography": "Felix Reda (he/they) is Senior Director of Developer Policy at GitHub. He has been shaping digital policy for over ten years, including serving as a Member of the European Parliament from 2014 to 2019. His areas of interest encompass copyright, freedom of expression, and the sustainability of the open-source ecosystem. Felix serves on the board of the Open Knowledge Foundation Germany and Gesellschaft f\u00fcr Freiheitsrechte (GFF). He holds an M.A. in Political Science and Communications Science from the University of Mainz, Germany.", "public_name": "Felix Reda", "guid": "65813d9d-9445-52c2-acdb-6078bbdae851", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/7Q8KF8/"}, {"code": "UNEYWZ", "name": "Nicholas Gates", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/UNEYWZ_6QoPniA.webp", "biography": "Nicholas (Nick\u2018) Gates is a Senior Policy Advisor at OpenForum Europe (OFE), where he leads OFE\u2019s policy advocacy work on the EU-funded NGI Commons and OSAwards.eu projects, as well as coordinates OFE's research work and organise the annual OpenForum Academy Symposium. He works primarily on open source software, particularly adoption and use in the public sector, funding and sustainability challenges, and the use of open source for social good. Nick has significant experience in digital government and tech policy research and advocacy, particularly around open source, public goods, public financial management, and digital service delivery.", "public_name": "Nicholas Gates", "guid": "f0a9f90e-2bd3-5715-8803-453e8a3219da", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/UNEYWZ/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/CYZZHS/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/CYZZHS/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "1b4b0943-2bc8-5eeb-955d-09352fe5f247", "code": "JLKZQX", "id": 83350, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T16:25:00+01:00", "start": "16:25", "duration": "00:30", "room": "bUm Box", "slug": "fossback26-83350-let-s-tackle-openwashing", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/JLKZQX/", "title": "Let\u2019s tackle Openwashing!", "subtitle": "", "track": "Growing Open Source", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Companies that develop Free Software face a problem: competitors disguising proprietary software as \u201copen\u201d and undercutting Free Software products in public tenders. Such practices distort competition and undermine strategic procurement and digital sovereignty. Which openwashing methods are used, and what can be done about it?", "description": "Openwashing has become a growing challenge for users, developers, and public administrations, and for the entire Free Software ecosystem. Using various methods, some companies advertise their products as \u201cfree\u201d or \u201copen\u201d, while in reality distributing proprietary software. The supposed creativity of these openwashers is remarkable: whether by using free/open wording, by introducing new licences that falsely appear to be free, or by imposing additional barriers that make it more difficult to use the freedoms offered by Free Software.\r\n\r\nThis misleading behaviour undermines efforts to achieve digital sovereignty through Free Software. It weakens strategic procurement aimed at ensuring that public money funds Free Software, as promoted by the Free Software Foundation Europe\u2019s \"Public Money? Public Code!\" initiative. It also distorts competition, misleads customers, and erodes trust in the Free Software ecosystem.\r\n\r\nThe FSFE has been analysing openwashing and other questionable market practices over the past years. In this talk, we will look at concrete examples and examine how they harm Free Software manufacturers and maintainers. Finally, we will discuss what administrations, regulators, and the Free Software community can do to curb openwashing.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "HYCW7B", "name": "Johannes N\u00e4der", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/HYCW7B_L1q4v28.webp", "biography": "Johannes N\u00e4der is part of the Free Software Foundation Europe's (FSFE) policy team, where he coordinates the \"Public Money? Public Code!\" initiative. He holds an M.A. in Literature and History. Before joining the FSFE, Johannes worked as a net politics adviser to Members of Parliament, focusing on digital freedom, privacy, and Free Software. He has also published a book on Open Access and free licensing in the scientific community and is experienced in historical-political education.", "public_name": "Johannes N\u00e4der", "guid": "11aea300-def7-54a2-8373-8329ef2e089b", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/HYCW7B/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/JLKZQX/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/JLKZQX/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "8f45440f-30ca-550a-95aa-efb748aeee5c", "code": "DXMQXU", "id": 83201, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T17:00:00+01:00", "start": "17:00", "duration": "00:30", "room": "bUm Box", "slug": "fossback26-83201-best-practices-and-very-small-projects", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/DXMQXU/", "title": "Best practices and (very) small projects", "subtitle": "", "track": "Governance & Community", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Most open source software is not maintained by a large community but by a single person in limited time. For them, best practices developed in large projects might not be feasible to apply \u2013 but what can be done instead?", "description": "Most open source software is not maintained by a large community but by a single person in limited time. Hobbyist maintainer projects have previously been discussed from the perspective of security risks and reliance of complex ecosystems on single actors (cue XKCD 2347 \"Dependency\"), but this talk will focus the tools and work methods at the hand for these developers in regards to community building, usability and documentation.  \r\nA lot of practices that might be helpful to improve software imply the availiability of resources, most importantly team with diverse, complementary skills. But most maintainers do not have access to these resources. \r\nI suggest that we need an awareness and appreciation of small project and a critical review of tools and work methods for their fit for the situation of small projects. I will use examples from usability to show the problems of many commonly recommended methods as well as alternatives that are better suited.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "CUPXV3", "name": "Jan Dittrich", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/CUPXV3_DP39yxe.webp", "biography": "Jan Dittrich is a user researcher, anthropologist and occasional developer. Before they started working on their PhD on learning with instructions at the University of Siegen, they worked at USEEDS\u00b0 and Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. on Wikipedia and Wikidata. They are also long-time member of the Open Source Design community.", "public_name": "Jan Dittrich", "guid": "119194ba-f6a2-5f28-858b-82a53add18cd", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/CUPXV3/"}], "links": [{"title": "\"Open Source is one person\" by Josh Bressers", "url": "https://opensourcesecurity.io/2025/08-oss-one-person/", "type": "related"}], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/DXMQXU/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/DXMQXU/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/DXMQXU/resources/SmallProjectsAn_os7O0U0.pdf", "type": "related"}]}], "Wintergarten": [{"guid": "a4581074-1e7a-5d18-97bc-edbfc76c1a5a", "code": "N7WTHZ", "id": 81591, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T10:00:00+01:00", "start": "10:00", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Wintergarten", "slug": "fossback26-81591-docs-demos-and-mentors-growing-open-source", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/N7WTHZ/", "title": "Docs, Demos, and Mentors: Growing Open Source", "subtitle": "", "track": "Growing Open Source", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "\"Why aren\u2019t more people contributing?\"\r\n\r\nContributors are the lifeblood of open source, yet many projects struggle to grow beyond a small core team. \r\n\r\nIn this workshop, you will learn simple, hands-on techniques to get more people contributing to open source projects.", "description": "Why do promising open source projects struggle to attract and keep contributors? \r\n\r\nAfter training 2,000+ developers across Africa and Europe and leading community engagement for 10,000+ API users at Paga, I\u2019ve seen the answer firsthand: contributors vanish when documentation is dense, demos are missing, or mentorship is nonexistent.\r\n\r\nThis talk transforms those gaps into growth engines. \r\n\r\nI\u2019ll break down three pillars to turn your project into a self-sustaining contributor magnet:\r\n\r\nA. Docs as Onboarding Engines\r\ni - Transform static guides into interactive pathways that welcome newcomers and accelerate their first PR.\r\n\r\nB. Demos as Trust Builders\r\ni - Use lightweight, reproducible examples (e.g., GitHub Codespaces) to prove your project\u2019s value in seconds\u2014not hours.\r\n\r\nC. Mentors as Multipliers\r\ni - Design scalable mentorship models that pair newcomers with experienced contributors without burning out maintainers.\r\n\r\nYou\u2019ll walk away with:\r\n\r\n1 - A playbook to make docs actionable, demos irresistible, and mentorship sustainable.\r\n\r\n2 - Metrics that matter: time-to-first-PR, repeat contribution rates, and retention benchmarks.\r\n\r\n3 -Anti-burnout strategies to operationalize growth while protecting maintainer energy.\r\n\r\nDrawing from global projects (like Kubernetes) and local communities I\u2019ve supported), this session answers the questions every maintainer asks:\r\n\r\n\"Why aren\u2019t more people contributing?\"\r\n\"How do we scale without adding more maintainers?\"\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019re tired of answering the same beginner questions or watching contributors slip away\u2014this is your roadmap to resilient growth.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "NKAWYR", "name": "Mustapha Rufai", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/NKAWYR_jKBB6VF.webp", "biography": "Mustapha Rufai is a software engineer who loves teaching. As co-host of Write the Docs EMEA, he builds programs that lower barriers for contributors. He has trained over 2,000 learners across Africa and Europe, turning classroom experience into practical pathways for growing open source communities.\r\n\r\nhttps://sessionize.com/mustapha-rufai", "public_name": "Mustapha Rufai", "guid": "7e39ba2d-fb33-5b26-81b5-ae477de40cda", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/NKAWYR/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/N7WTHZ/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/N7WTHZ/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides (PDF)", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/N7WTHZ/resources/RufaiMustapha_b_VsiInBb.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "df9c4903-4b5e-54eb-959c-19dbba4813e6", "code": "XUFL3H", "id": 83116, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T10:35:00+01:00", "start": "10:35", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Wintergarten", "slug": "fossback26-83116-lessons-from-prometheus-s-first-design-mentorship", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/XUFL3H/", "title": "Lessons from Prometheus's First Design Mentorship", "subtitle": "", "track": "Design", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "What happens when a developer-first open source project tries UX research for the first time? This talk tells the story of Prometheus's first UX mentorship and explores the reality of introducing research to a dev-first community. Was it worth it? Will they do it again? And what can other OSS projects learn from their experience?", "description": "When I joined the Prometheus project through the [Linux Foundation Mentorship](https://mentorship.lfx.linuxfoundation.org/project/36e3f336-ce78-4074-b833-012015eb59be) program, UX research wasn\u2019t something the community had ever done before. Prometheus is a mature, developer-focused open source project, so introducing UX research meant stepping into new territory\u2014for both me and the community.\r\n\r\nThis talk shares what that experience looked like: the messy but rewarding process of doing UX in the open, learning to align design with a developer culture, and building trust in a space where design wasn\u2019t yet a familiar practice. It also looks at what happened after the research: the impact on the project, the momentum it created for future design work, and how Prometheus continues to nurture design contributions today.\r\n\r\nKey takeaways:\r\n- Candid lessons from integrating design into technical open source communities\r\n- What helps design efforts become part of the community, not just a one-time experiment\r\n- Practical insights for projects considering design contributions and for designers exploring open source.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "RY7GET", "name": "Victoria Nduka", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/RY7GET_QNlMHob.webp", "biography": "Victoria Nduka is a UX designer who built her design career through open source. She\u2019s passionate about making community-driven projects more usable and inclusive, and has contributed to accessibility and design efforts across several OSS communities.", "public_name": "Victoria Nduka", "guid": "799cc770-8739-529d-9207-3e0097fd53b5", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/RY7GET/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/XUFL3H/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/XUFL3H/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/XUFL3H/resources/Lessons-from-Pr_166pTPR.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "38137707-90eb-572b-ad5f-a5ad1359e634", "code": "8GXJZB", "id": 83387, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T11:20:00+01:00", "start": "11:20", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Wintergarten", "slug": "fossback26-83387-narrative-infrastructure-storytelling-to-grow-open-source", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/8GXJZB/", "title": "Narrative Infrastructure: Storytelling to Grow Open Source", "subtitle": "", "track": "Growing Open Source", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Open-source ecosystems run on more than code, they run on story. Beyond commits, shared narratives sustain trust and belonging. At WriteTech Hub, we turned storytelling into infrastructure, every doc review, milestone, and mentor invite reinforced one truth, you belong here, and what you build matters.", "description": "Every open community runs on more than code, it runs on story. In this talk, I\u2019ll explore how storytelling can be used as narrative infrastructure to build stronger, more inclusive open-source communities. Drawing from my experience leading WriteTech Hub and contributing to open documentation initiatives, I\u2019ll show how narrative can align diverse contributors, spark engagement, and sustain collaboration over time.\r\nWe\u2019ll unpack practical ways storytelling can humanize onboarding, strengthen contributor identity, and create trust in open ecosystems. Attendees will leave with simple frameworks to use story as a tool for communication, governance, and culture-building.\r\nAt a time when contributor burnout and disengagement are rising, this talk offers a fresh, human-centered approach, helping communities reconnect with why they build, not just what they build", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "3U3ANM", "name": "Zainab Daodu", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/3U3ANM_XRZojEO.webp", "biography": "Zainab Daodu is a Senior Technical Writer with a background in software engineering and DevOps, known for transforming complex tech into clear, impactful documentation. She has contributed to global platforms like Google, Cisco, Tealium, Jenkins, and the Wikimedia Foundation, enhancing developer experiences and driving product adoption.\r\n\r\nThrough her work with She Code Africa, she has empowered over 500 African women in tech and continues to champion diversity in open source. As the founder of WriteTech Hub, she mentors the next generation of technical writers and leads a team that delivers high-quality technical documentation services to organizations.", "public_name": "Zainab Daodu", "guid": "6628062b-d9e1-56d6-9433-13210b398aa1", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/3U3ANM/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/8GXJZB/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/8GXJZB/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/8GXJZB/resources/Zainab_Daodu_Na_J7wiCGH.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "949e5313-48dc-5c35-b03e-d6fd3dca2928", "code": "HMCHND", "id": 83225, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T11:55:00+01:00", "start": "11:55", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Wintergarten", "slug": "fossback26-83225-bridging-the-gap-encouraging-african-talent-to-open-source", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/HMCHND/", "title": "Bridging the Gap: Encouraging African Talent to Open Source", "subtitle": "", "track": "Growing Open Source", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "Africa is rich in tech talent, many of whom are eager to contribute to open-source projects. However, due to the technical requirements needed to get started with open source and a lack of proper mentoring and guidance from these communities, many talents are discouraged. This talk explores ways to mitigate this problem.", "description": "Africa has a talented pool of tech enthusiasts. In recent years, there has been a meteoric rise in the number of young people in Africa actively learning tech skills and aspiring to be part of the future. Despite Africa\u2019s growing developer population, African contributors remain underrepresented in open source. In this talk, I\u2019ll share my journey into open source as an Outreachy intern working on the Git project and highlight the problems that many African developers face, from limited access to resources to a lack of awareness and socio-economic hurdles. I\u2019ll explore practical ways we as a community can bridge these gaps through mentorship, outreach, and inclusive programs.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "YJNYNL", "name": "Seyi Kuforiji", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/YJNYNL_LJDl5Eu.webp", "biography": "I am a Stanford-certified health data scientist with a global recognition for driving innovation in the open-source ecosystem, particularly Git.", "public_name": "Seyi Kuforiji", "guid": "1bf9b5ee-d97d-5e4d-8e7c-62594f6594ee", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/YJNYNL/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/HMCHND/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/HMCHND/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/HMCHND/resources/Seyi_Kuforiji_B_OencTZX.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "dbf029f3-4a8a-5747-a876-49d477ac48d7", "code": "K9HLLE", "id": 83037, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T12:30:00+01:00", "start": "12:30", "duration": "00:40", "room": "Wintergarten", "slug": "fossback26-83037-educating-the-next-generation-of-open-source-contributors", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/K9HLLE/", "title": "Educating the next generation of open source contributors", "subtitle": "", "track": "Growing Open Source", "type": "Panel", "language": "en", "abstract": "There are so many open source projects and not enough contributors to sustain them all over the long term. With many open source projects desperate for contributors, how do we educate the next generation of open source contributors to grow the contributor base for all of us?", "description": "Open source is the foundation of modern software, yet many projects struggle with sustainability, not just in attracting contributors, but in ensuring they stay, grow, and thrive. The landscape of open source contribution has evolved dramatically, demanding a fresh approach to educating potential contributors as part of broader community building and contributor engagement strategies.\r\n\r\nEvery educational program depends on participant support for projects and mentors towards the programs\u2019 outcomes, and we need industry participation to make these programs successful. The only way for these programs to scale to the growing and various needs of program organizers is for more people to understand how these programs work and how to engage with these programs to support their own diverse needs to grow the broad open source contributor pool. By getting a wide variety of industry support from companies and the maintainers who are employed by these companies, we can create educational programs where students learn the skills that they need to participate in open source projects and become our next generation of contributors.\r\n\r\nIn this panel, we\u2019ll talk about education programs for our youth and university students. We\u2019ll discuss the landscape of open source contributors in the different regions along with the motivations for participation in open source and how those differ across regions. Because we want contributors who will continue contributing, we\u2019ll also talk about some challenges that prevent sustainable contributions over the long term.\r\n\r\nOur panelists have experience teaching open source to university students, creating and sustaining open source education and contribution programs, and building new open source communities in Africa. In this panel, we\u2019ll talk about what we\u2019ve learned, what\u2019s worked, and provide tips for you to grow the next generation of contributors from within your local communities. This talk presents attendees with a breadth of perspectives on educational programs, how they work, and how we can all work together to make them successful.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "UB39EV", "name": "Ruth Ikegah", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/UB39EV_QQ5jJ9U.webp", "biography": null, "public_name": "Ruth Ikegah", "guid": "17e3cea6-84ab-513b-9b70-53511c5fea1e", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/UB39EV/"}, {"code": "FJL7VJ", "name": "Dawn Foster", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/FJL7VJ_5tjvARN.webp", "biography": "Dr. Dawn Foster provides consulting services around open source strategy, contributor strategy, improving project governance, and similar topics. She also works as the Director of Data Science for the CHAOSS project where she is a board member, working group lead, and maintainer. Dawn is an OpenUK board member, and was previously a co-chair of the CNCF Contributor Strategy Technical Advisory Group. She has 20+ years of experience at companies like VMware and Intel with expertise in community, strategy, governance, metrics, and more. She has spoken at over 100 industry events and has a BS in computer science, an MBA, and a PhD. In her spare time she enjoys reading science fiction, running, 3D printing, and traveling.", "public_name": "Dawn Foster", "guid": "8ff9e47a-1c60-5a0c-a052-da48f2407720", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/FJL7VJ/"}, {"code": "LYF97E", "name": "Peculiar C. Umeh", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/LYF97E_2iyF0b2.webp", "biography": "Peculiar C. Umeh is a seasoned Open Source Project Manager and a Community/Project Manager consultant at Superbloom. She serves as a co-chair and project manager for the CHAOSS Education Project, with a strong background in software development, Scrum, and community management. Peculiar has successfully led cross-functional teams, driven innovative solutions, and significantly contributed to different open-source projects. She is passionate about mentoring early-career professionals and training the next generation of the open-source contributors.", "public_name": "Peculiar C. Umeh", "guid": "3efc11ef-1ece-5a0e-a56a-f23a24ec41d4", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/LYF97E/"}, {"code": "PJMJYN", "name": "Stephen Walli", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/PJMJYN_frs8YiA.webp", "biography": "-", "public_name": "Stephen Walli", "guid": "4b889fcf-9187-5294-8217-3f3c7d9b68e6", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/PJMJYN/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/K9HLLE/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/K9HLLE/", "attachments": []}, {"guid": "97bb85ce-f7fc-5bc1-8af9-97632023a0fc", "code": "A9UTRX", "id": 81164, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T14:10:00+01:00", "start": "14:10", "duration": "01:00", "room": "Wintergarten", "slug": "fossback26-81164-everyone-belongs-to-open-source", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/A9UTRX/", "title": "Everyone Belongs to Open Source", "subtitle": "", "track": "Diversity & Inclusion", "type": "Workshop", "language": "en", "abstract": "In this hands-on workshop, we\u2019ll create a No-Code Contribution Map to show how skills like writing, design, outreach, and accessibility promote adoption and inclusion. Leave with strategies to grow diverse, welcoming, and sustainable communities.", "description": "For open source to reach new audiences and grow sustainably, it must welcome and recognize more than code. Skills like event organizing, technical writing, design, and accessibility advocacy are vital to promoting adoption and building inclusive communities. Yet many projects still lack structures that value these contributions.\r\n\r\nThis 60-minute workshop reframes diversity and inclusion in open source by demonstrating how non-code contributions are powerful tools for outreach and growth. Participants will reflect on their own skills, map them to real project needs, and collaboratively create a No-Code Contribution Map, a framework that connects diverse abilities to concrete ways of promoting and sustaining open source.\r\n\r\nWe will also explore practices that support inclusivity: onboarding pathways for non-technical contributors and recognition systems that ensure everyone feels they belong.\r\n\r\nLearning Outcomes:\r\n\r\nUnderstand how non-code contributions promote adoption and inclusion.\r\nBuild a practical No-Code Contribution Map for open source projects.\r\nGain strategies for designing contributor journeys that welcome everyone.\r\nLearn inclusive practices that strengthen open source outreach and growth.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "RLQCPL", "name": "Cynthia Udoh", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/RLQCPL_ahCPmJn.webp", "biography": "Cynthia Udoh is a no-code open source contributor and community manager passionate about making open source more inclusive. She manages communities and newsletters reaching thousands, driving engagement through storytelling, growth strategies, and accessible practices.", "public_name": "Cynthia Udoh", "guid": "ee4da8a1-d2e3-5414-a728-6e760f593b18", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/RLQCPL/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/A9UTRX/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/A9UTRX/", "attachments": [{"title": "Slides", "url": "/media/fossback26/submissions/A9UTRX/resources/Everyone_Belong_09osNB4.pdf", "type": "related"}]}, {"guid": "60fa5ee2-8516-5a92-a4d4-ceac4c6f6605", "code": "BQPCUJ", "id": 82845, "logo": null, "date": "2026-03-17T15:50:00+01:00", "start": "15:50", "duration": "00:30", "room": "Wintergarten", "slug": "fossback26-82845-free-as-in-friendship", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/BQPCUJ/", "title": "Free as in Friendship", "subtitle": "", "track": "Governance & Community", "type": "Talk", "language": "en", "abstract": "\"It's free as in speech, not free as in beer.\" But is 'free speech' the kind of freedom FOSS projects should aim for? Should we instead focus on positive freedoms\u2014not just the right, but the ability to achieve our aims? This talk argues for the latter, and charts a course for how to do so, drawing from the psychology framework of intersubjectivity.", "description": "\"It's free as in speech, not free as in beer.\" How many times have you heard people define free software this way? But free speech, as important as it is, is only one kind of liberty. When we think of freedom only in terms of freedom from restraint\u2014the restraint of government censors, or the restraints of proprietary licenses\u2014we miss out on whole other categories of freedom.\r\n\r\n\"Positive liberties\" are those we enjoy through the support of others. They are \"freedom to\", not \"freedom from\". Positive liberties tend to be harder to define and harder to realize than negative freedoms. For example, if a piece of FOSS is difficult to modify, the user may have \"freedom from\" prosecution for modifying the software, but no real \"freedom to\" modify it. And not because the maintainers don't want to give them that freedom! But \"freedom to\" is often complicated, messy and contextual.\r\n\r\nThis talk charts a way forward through the complications and the mess: friendship. The words \"freedom\" and \"friend\" come from the same root, the Proto-Indo-European \"pr\u012b-\", meaning \"to love\". It is love and friendship that allows us to navigate the complex ways that we depend on each other, without turning dependency into coercion\u2014in other words, without turning our efforts to achieve positive liberties into violations of negative liberty.\r\n\r\nThis talk focuses on a particular conceptualization of friendship from relational psychology, called \"intersubjectivity\". We will discuss what intersubjectivity is, how it helps protect us from coercion and enables us to flourish, and how we can practice intersubjectivity within FOSS projects and within all our communities.", "recording_license": "", "do_not_record": false, "persons": [{"code": "UZCCVL", "name": "Shauna Gordon-McKeon", "avatar": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/media/avatars/UZCCVL_tCyDYZT.webp", "biography": "Shauna Gordon-McKeon is a writer, programmer and consultant who works at the intersection of technology and governance. She specializes in working with open communities (think open source software, open science, and open government) to collaboratively build and nourish a rich commons. You can find her work at relational-tech.com.", "public_name": "Shauna Gordon-McKeon", "guid": "6d0f57ca-70c0-5f29-8096-37c6c1ba46b6", "url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/speaker/UZCCVL/"}], "links": [], "feedback_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/BQPCUJ/feedback/", "origin_url": "https://program.foss-backstage.de/fossback26/talk/BQPCUJ/", "attachments": []}]}}]}}}