This session will review the history of women’s contributions to Linux distributions and open source, how Linux communities are a catalyst for improving tech diversity, and what we can continue to improve to bring in the next generation of women FOSS contributors.

Linux distributions are a hub for technical excellence and open source innovation. Most people think of our efforts around packaging, integrating new technologies in our distros, and building communities around what we do. But how our communities innovate goes beyond technology alone. There is also innovation around diversity and inclusion in our communities. For women, Linux distro communities can provide a place to learn about open source, start building a career, and growing their professional networks. The goal of this session is to call out women’s contributions in this space, highlight ongoing progress to make Linux communities more inclusive, and a wish list of things our communities could improve so the diversity of our community increases.

The future's looking bright for women who aspire to leave their mark in the world of Open Source. Let’s look at their contributions in distributions and FOSS spaces as we move at light speed from on-prem to cloud to edge computing.