Name: Expanding the Contributor Pipeline Through Inclusion - Khallai Taylor, E.ON Digital Technology; Sandeep Kanabar, Gen; Stéphane Este-Gracias, ITQ; Nancy Chauhan, Independent; Josh Berkus, Red Hat
Start: 2025-04-03T11:00:00+0100
End: 2025-04-03T11:30:00+0100

In-person
1-4 April 2025
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Thursday April 3, 2025 11:00 - 11:30 BST

Level 3 | ICC Capital Suite 7-9

The growing demand for maintainers and contributors to sustain and evolve projects is an ongoing challenge. Yet, an untapped talent source—individuals from underrepresented groups—is often overlooked. Systemic barriers and a lack of inclusive practices most project members may not even realize.

This panel brings together members of TAG Contributor Strategy initiatives, including BIPOC, Women in Cloud Native, Blind and Visually Impaired, and Deaf and Hard of Hearing, to discuss how fostering inclusivity can unlock this potential. Panelists will share firsthand experiences of the barriers they’ve faced and discuss what a welcoming environment looks like from their perspectives.

Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to create more inclusive project spaces that attract and retain underrepresented contributors, ultimately ensuring the sustainability and vibrancy of open source for years to come.

Speakers

Josh Berkus

Kubernetes CM, Red Hat

Josh Berkus is the Kubernetes Community Manager, working in Red Hat's Open Source Program Office. He's currently involved with Kubernetes, Etcd, Elekto, Podman, and uBlue, but has spent more than 20 years contributing to many projects, including Linux, OpenOffice, PostgreSQL, and... Read More →

Nancy Chauhan

Engineer, Student

I am Nancy Chauhan. I like hacking through software engineering problems. Over the past 2 years I had been developing solutions for software reliability I like hacking through software engineering problems. I am currently working as Developer Advocate at LocalStack. Over the past... Read More →

Stéphane Este-Gracias

CNCF Ambassador, ITQ

As an advocate for free and open-source software, I am dedicated to promoting innovation and collaboration. My passion has led me to participate in various initiatives, educating others about the benefits of using open-source software. Leveraging my expertise in cloud-native technologies... Read More →

Sandeep Kanabar

Lead Software Engineer | CHAOSS Asia WG, Gen (formerly NortonLifeLock)

Hailing from India, Sandeep is a passionate software engineer working at Gen (formerly NortonLifeLock), a global leader in CyberSecurity A frequent meetup speaker, Sandeep enjoys sharing his lessons with the community. He's a staunch advocate for open-source, diversity and inclusion... Read More →

Khallai Taylor

Tech & Security Consultant, E.ON Digital Technology

On a day to day, I advise on OpenTelemetry, eBPF, and Observability architecture and integration at E.ON. I'm always open for a chat about all things OllY and belogining with in the CNCF community, starting with BIPOC! Let's Talk!

Thursday April 3, 2025 11:00 - 11:30 BST
Level 3 | ICC Capital Suite 7-9

Maintainer Track, Contributor Strategy

DEI-focused Yes

KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2025

Josh Berkus

Nancy Chauhan

Stéphane Este-Gracias

Sandeep Kanabar

Khallai Taylor

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