Domo Arigato, Open Roboto 🤖
In January of 2024, the leaders of Open Robotics contacted me with questions related to the governance of their projects and nonprofit foundation. They were at an inflection point and thinking of trying something new and innovative to ensure the sustainability of their open source projects. We had several conversations, at the end of which they not only launched the OSRA but also brought me on as a governance advisor.
The team and I have worked closely together since then. This included joining them at ROSCons in Denmark and Singapore, where I got to meet even more of the community. Over these years, I’ve gleefully told anyone who asked (and several who didn’t) about how welcoming and kind the entire Open Robotics community is. They really are great people, all trying their best to move their projects forward openly and sustainably.
Now, two years on, the OSRA experiment has proven itself. It has some rough edges, which is understandable for any new initiative. In 2026, the Open Robotics staff has been working to file off those edges and iterate on the initial policies & processes established with the launch of OSRA. Part of that iteration is admitting that there’s more work than two staff people can handle, and that focusing efforts will make for a stronger Open Robotics.
To that end, a couple weeks ago Vanessa asked me to join the team as Chief Program Officer (CPO) and, already being familiar with the staff and community of Open Robotics, I gladly accepted.
As CPO, I am responsible for supporting and furthering our primary programs: OSRA (project governance), Community, Education, and Advocacy. It’s a lot, but no more than Vanessa or Geoff wrangle in their roles as CEO and CTO. We’re busy little beavers, we Open Roboticists.
After the past couple of years, we already know we work and collaborate well together, which is such a lovely feeling when starting a new job. It’s making my transition so much easier, as is knowing the project leads and many community members. If you ever get the chance to have a two year interview of your future coworkers, I definitely recommend you take it. 😉
So that’s my latest news! I’ll still be working on my big (non-tech) project, but I’ll also be supporting a nonprofit and community that I’ve come to care about a great deal. I’m incredibly lucky and grateful for it.
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