Name: Who Will Maintain the Future? Tackling the Graying of Open Source Software - Abigail Cabunoc Mayes, GitHub
Start: 2025-06-23T11:20:00-0600
End: 2025-06-23T12:00:00-0600

June 23 - 25, 2025
Denver, Colorado
View More Details & Registration
Note: The schedule is subject to change.

The Sched app allows you to build your schedule but is not a substitute for your event registration. You must be registered for Open Source Summit North America 2025 to participate in the sessions. If you have not registered but would like to join us, please go to the event registration page to purchase a registration.

This schedule is automatically displayed in Mountain Daylight Time (UTC/GMT -6). To see the schedule in your preferred timezone, please select from the drop-down menu to the right, above "Filter by Date."

IMPORTANT NOTE: Timing of sessions and room locations are subject to change.

Monday June 23, 2025 11:20am - 12:00pm MDT

Bluebird Ballroom 3C

Open source software powers our world, but many of the maintainers keeping it alive are overburdened and aging out. Balancing technical, community, and financial responsibilities has become overwhelming, leading to burnout and project stagnation. This “graying” of open source raises urgent questions: Who will maintain the future?

Drawing from my experience supporting hundreds of maintainers through programs like GitHub Maintainer Programs, Mozilla Open Leaders, and SustainOSS, I’ll share real-world examples of the challenges maintainers face and the systemic barriers preventing new leadership. While emerging tools help reduce workload, sustainable projects need human stewardship. We'll explore practical solutions: lowering barriers to maintainership, strengthening leadership pipelines, and ensuring projects remain healthy for generations.

Maintaining open source isn’t just about code—it’s about people. Whether you’re a contributor, project lead, or company investing in open source, you’ll leave with concrete actions to help sustain the ecosystem. Let’s build a future where maintainers are supported, projects thrive, and open source continues to grow.

Speakers

Abigail Cabunoc Mayes

Open Source Programs, GitHub

Abigail Cabunoc Mayes (@abbycabs) leads GitHub’s open source maintainer programs where she works to help maintainers – and the open source ecosystem – thrive. Before joining GitHub, Abby founded and led Mozilla Open Leaders, an open source mentorship program that worked with... Read More →

Monday June 23, 2025 11:20am - 12:00pm MDT
Bluebird Ballroom 3C

Open Source Leadership

Audience Experience Level Any

Open Source Summit North America 2025

Abigail Cabunoc Mayes

Sign up or log in to save this to your schedule, view media, leave feedback and see who's attending!