Open Source Summit North America 2025

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 community building and contributor engagement.

Traditional pathways into open source don’t work for everyone. This panel brings together experts who have successfully expanded contributor pipelines beyond the usual audience—through initiatives like the CNCF Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing WG, CHAOSS Africa, and mentorship programs. We’ll explore best practices for guiding contributors from their first PR (or non-code contribution) to meaningful, long-term engagement.

Beyond code, open source thrives on diverse contributions: marketing, content creation, event planning, automation, governance, and more. By broadening the definition of “contributor,” we lower barriers to entry, strengthen projects, and build a more inclusive, resilient ecosystem.

Join us for a discussion on how we can transform contributor journeys to be more inclusive, fulfilling, and impactful for individuals and the broader open source ecosystem.

This session introduces **Interns for Open Source (IFOS)**, a program that offers undergraduate and graduate Computer and Information Sciences students hands-on experience with open source projects for academic credit. Over 10 weeks, students bridge classroom learning and real-world application by contributing through issue tracking and pull requests. Their fresh perspectives provide open source communities with valuable feedback, usability insights, and rigorous testing. Students sharpen technical skills, learn professional workflows, and build portfolios. Open source projects benefit from innovative ideas and unbiased input. Attendees will learn about the program structure, its benefits for students and open source communities, and how to get involved.

Open source is woven into nearly all modern technology, making it more important than ever to support new contributors – but entering the world of open source contribution can be a daunting experience. There are unspoken norms to understand, new tools and best practices to learn, and a whole lot of code to navigate.

In 2023, the UC Santa Cruz OSPO launched a summer mentorship program to support students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) contributing to open source. Over the course of eight weeks, each tight-knit cohort learns how to productively contribute to a project of their choosing, while working together both in-person and remotely. Program alumni have returned as peer mentors, spoken at conferences, been interviewed for podcasts, and accepted paid work in open source.

This session will showcase the perspective of both current participants and program alumni, offering insight into how we can all work together to make open source more welcoming and inclusive. Whether you're looking to engage diverse new contributors, or you're just curious about the novice experience, you'll be sure to learn something new!

Most of the advice around new contributor experience is oriented towards developers at the beginning of their career - students or those breaking into the tech industry. This time, though, we want to talk about the basics of contribution for senior developers who already have plenty of industry experience. These potential contributors have more than enough technical expertise, but still struggle to participate in open source. For them the barriers tend to be more social and “communicational” than technical, as their previous incentives, goals, and development cultures are fairly different from those present in most open source communities.

As open source contributors working in a big company, we watch our colleagues face these issues. We want to share our experience and what we learned while trying to help these colleagues participate in open source development for the first time.

Note: PDF copy of notes does not contain speaker notes; follow the link in the slides for speaker notes and additional links!

Dojos help provide a safe space which encourages active listening to the experiences of marginalized groups, educate about their perspectives, build empathy towards those different from you. This interactive session provides an arena for participants to practice allyship skills and consider more diverse perspectives. Through facilitated discussions and a scenario-based exercise (replacing the "Dojo" context), participants to learn how to actively listen to the experiences of marginalized groups, understand diverse perspectives, and build empathy. This session aims to equip you with practical strategies for navigating complicated situations and fostering a more inclusive open-source community