2026-03-17 –, Room bUm Box
A practical guide to the constraints and tradeoffs of building open-source products for government customers. Covers restricted access to end users, slow feedback cycles, legal and compliance restrictions, political turnover, and infrastructure gaps. Presents governance patterns, advocacy guidelines, and design rules that make open projects usable,
From the perspective of a global humanitarian organization, this session examines the constraints and trade offs of building open source products for government customers. It covers restricted user access, slow procurement and feedback cycles, legal and compliance limits, political turnover, language barriers and uneven infrastructure. The talk presents governance patterns, procurement-ready artifacts, and design rules that keep projects usable, useful, and maintainable in government contexts.
Mick is a Program Coordinator with Giga, where he supports the strategy, operations, and technology of the Giga Mapping and Tech team. He brings over a decade of experience leading cross-functional teams and developing digital infrastructure for education and training in low-connectivity environments. Mick was previously the co-founder Tunapanda Institute (2012-2024), a Nairobi-based educational nonprofit delivering technology, design, and business training in East Africa. He also co-founded and led Asha (2018-2024), a SaaS company that built tools for strategic goal setting and project delivery. He has designed and led programs focused on digital skills training, education, connectivity, open-source software, and digital literacy, in partnership with governments, NGOs, international development agencies, and private enterprises. Mick has lived and worked across Europe, East Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. He holds a B.S. in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology from Emory University.