The Linux Foundation Member Summit 2025

Visit the Registration Desk for Location Details & Access
All attendees may feel free to use the Zen Zone as needed for sensory relaxation, meditation and worship. It is a physical space where conversation and interaction are not allowed, where attendees can go if for any reason they can’t interact with other attendees at that time.

The SBOM (Software Bill of Materials) for a single automotive vehicle is in high demand. Modern vehicles are advanced information systems that constantly evolve, with frequently changing software configurations. This trend is even more pronounced in Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs). Open source supports this evolution. Understanding the software components that make up a vehicle is crucial for asset and risk management, making it a valuable endeavor in the software supply chain. The introduction of process management standards like ISO 5230 and ISO 18974, and the adoption of standard data formats through SPDX Lite (ISO 5962 (SPDX 2.2.1) and the annex of SPDX 2.3), are expected to yield significant results. Meanwhile, there is growing interest in more effective SBOM content and how to share and handle this information. In this session, we will share insights and challenges gained through the development of IVI.

When we launched the Zephyr project 9 years ago, we had the goal of adopting security and safety best practices. In the years since then it has grown to be one of the most active projects at the Linux Foundation. There were some good starting points and practices available to adopt for Security, but Safety was an open area. How could an open source project with a high velocity of change achieve safety certification? This session will go through some of the learning experiences that let us get our concept approval in December of 2024, and have a solid plan to achieve safety certification.

Universities are important sources of talent and innovation for open source projects. Successful open source projects originating from academic researchers – including Ceph and Jupyter – highlight the benefits to be gained from university-based open source projects. However, much of the open source work occurring in academic settings are siloed, and potential innovations that could benefit industry and society at large are lost as funding cycles end and research stalls. This session aims to answer the question of how to create mutually beneficial relationships between academia and open source. It will include introductory discussion by experts to provide insights for improving collaborations between open source, industry and universities, and how organizations like the Linux Foundation can play a part. The discussion will ask participants to consider questions such as: how can universities improve training for the next generation of open source leaders; how can communities better on-board students and researchers looking to contribute to their projects; and how can industry partners and foundations/fiscal sponsors help the development of academic open source ecosystems?

Microsoft's Open Source Programs Office (OSPO) has been building tools and resources to increase visibility of risk according to a set of metrics (Rubrics) in our open source dependencies.

Like many things open source, the path to resolving risk through investment, is a 'learn by doing' exercise. Simply saying 'this project needs funds' isn't helpful to decision makers. What *is*helpful is being able to describe risk, who shares that risk, and what type of investment is most likely to have impact (and ways of tracking that investment over time).

In this talk, I'll share with you our new learn by doing 'investing in open source dependencies framework' to help those advocating for funding, build business cases to advocate strategically for those outcomes. I'll also share a couple of case studies to show how it might work in your company.

We’re learning here too, and look forward to expanding some of the ways we can experiment together and empower every employee to advocate for the need that they see in their dependencies to ultimately contribute to a more secure healthy ecosystem.

Growing new talent and attracting new developers is challenging for open source communities. Yet, it is vital to reach out to train the next generation of developers to keep the open source communities healthy and sustainable.

Equitable access to learning resources is a barrier for a significant number of new developers. It isn't easy for new developers to get a start in open source, connect with open source communities and contribute to them. It is equally challenging for employers to find new developers to add to their technical projects.

Shuah Khan will talk about Linux Foundation's six year journey to provide learning resources for new open source developers, opportunities to experts in open source communities to train and mentor the next generation, and make newly trained talent available to prospective employers.

The Cyber Resiliency Act was passed into EU law in 2024, and the clock is ticking. Manufacturers of products with digital elements must begin reporting in 2 years, with compliance enforceable in 3 years. This talk will share Dell’s initial compliance approach, which includes analyzation of requirements and intent into actionable items to drive product teams to compliance and roadmap development efforts. The presenters will share how Dell’s participation in OpenSSF accelerates our internal CRA compliance journey, as well as creates opportunities for Dell to collaborate with others in the industry to improve OSS security of the upstream OSS we all share.

This Ask Me Anything session connects attendees to the TODO Group Steering Committee. The TODO Group is an open community of practitioners who aim to create, share knowledge and collaborate on best practices on open source management in organizations to run successful Open Source Program Offices.

Members of the steering committee will assist the audience through the best practices, guides, and tools made by and for open source managers to help them in their day-to-day responsibilities, as well as share their first-hand experiences and lessons learned in building and operating OSPOs. Additionally, attendees will learn ways to connect with the TODO Group – the largest OSPO community dedicated to building best practices in open source management. The session will also provide insights into what OSPOs are facing within the compliance and policy space as well as how people can partner with the ToDo Group.

Join us to explore OpenMDW, a first-of-its-kind open license designed for AI models, datasets, parameters and associated artifacts. OpenMDW eliminates ambiguity, offering clear, permissive rights for use, modification, and distribution—empowering developers, researchers, and enterprises alike.

With an MIT-like style, OpenMDW includes an explicit patent grant, unrestricted use of outputs, and alignment with the Model Openness Framework, ensuring shared components have proper legal rights while respecting contributors' boundaries. It strikes the perfect balance between openness and protection, enabling innovation without mandating the release of all model elements.

Discover how OpenMDW fosters trust, transparency, and supports innovation and research, while reducing legal risks and driving industry collaboration.

This session is your opportunity to shape the future of open AI. Don’t miss it!

Undertaking effective data governance in AI training has become a central issue among Open Source AI advocates due to the complex nature and diversification of shared data resources. To have effective governance requires navigating a matrix of rules and ethical principles to protect copyright, privacy and other data-related rights. Effective data governance must also consider the impact on fundamental rights, ensuring that equitable and inclusive standards are maintained within AI ecosystems and the oversight of such systems.

In this talk I will discuss the role of data governance and data sharing as they relate to Open Source AI development. Specific approaches and strategies will be shared that can be undertaken both by Open Source AI developers and by other stakeholders to increase the amount of data that is properly governed and available for use in Open Source AI development.

Ant Group established its Open Source Program Office (OSPO) over three years ago, initially focused on compliance and project support. Over the years, the team has evolved into a full-fledged business unit with dedicated emphasis on strategy, growth, developer experience, and internationalization. As the team has matured, one key insight we've gained is the critical importance of development tooling and "OSPO infra" to systematically support our growing portfolio of more than 20 internal projects—a number that continues to expand.

Operating without dedicated developer or product resources, we have pioneered a unique approach to building and scaling our infrastructure. In this session, we will share our perspective for "OSPO infra" and the toolkit we've developed so far. We will also explore a specialized area of focus for Ant Group—graph technology—and how it plays a critical role in this initiative.

The second half of the presentation will delve into a case study demonstrating how our OSPO collaborates with the Graph team (https://github.com/tugraph-family) to build open-source tools that have proven valuable in supporting and serving OSS teams.

The U.S. is facing a critical talent shortage, with companies struggling to hire the best international professionals due to restrictive visa policies and the uncertainty of the H-1B lottery. Open Avenues Foundation has developed a groundbreaking solution that not only provides companies with an alternative pathway to hire top foreign talent but also invests in the future of the U.S. workforce.

Through its national Fellowship program model, Open Avenues partners with tech and scientific companies by obtaining a cap-exempt H-1B visa for the company’s key foreign national personnel who has no other option to work in the United States, without the requirement to win the H-1B lottery. Open Avenues then employes the highly skilled foreign professional for five-hours per week to train U.S. college students in the foreign national’s STEM profession. Once the foreign national has an approved part-time cap-exempt H-1B with Open Avenues, the law permits the tech or science company to immediately file its own concurrent cap-exempt H-1B for the same person, also without needing to win the H-1B lottery. This program provides international talent in the Fellowship to work for high-growth companies and contribute to the U.S. economy while concurrently preparing the next generation of American workers with the skills they need to compete globally.

Join Danielle Goldman and Jeff Goldman, Co-Founders of Open Avenues Foundation, as they share how this innovative approach is transforming both immigration and workforce development. Learn how business leaders can use this model to attract and retain global talent, strengthen their hiring pipeline, and stay competitive in today’s evolving economy.

If 2023 is the year of LLMs, then 2024 will be the year for LLM Applications. As LLMs continue to integrate into various applications ranging from chatbots and search engines to creative writing aids, the need to monitor and comprehend their behaviors intensifies.

Observability plays a crucial role in this context. It involves the systematic collection and analysis of data to enhance LLM performance, identify and correct biases, troubleshoot issues, and ensure AI systems are both reliable and trustworthy.

In this discussion, we will explore the concept of LLM observability in depth, focusing on how OpenTelemetry can fit into the world of LLM observability . Additionally, we will talk about challenges around modeling of prompts, completions, events, semantic conventions, and basically our path with the llm-sem-conv working group.

Research has shown that diversity is not just a buzzword but a critical factor that significantly impacts the effectiveness and success of open-source communities. Building an inclusive environment requires more than recognizing the importance of diversity; it demands concrete actions, tangible outcomes, and a genuine commitment to creating a welcoming space for all contributors. This talk draws from an in-depth study of the GNOME Project's diversity and inclusion strategies, examining the opportunities and challenges in fostering inclusiveness. By exploring these experiences, the aim of this talk is to provide actionable recommendations for improving diversity efforts.

While some open-source projects have implemented strategies to create a diverse and inclusive environment, they often struggle to achieve impactful outcomes. How can we move beyond setting diversity and inclusion strategies to achieve measurable results? Are policies and initiatives enough to foster true inclusiveness? In this talk, I will share recommended strategies to foster contributions from diverse groups.

Open source software has become ubiquitous and can be found in almost every codebase, but sustaining those open source projects and communities over the long-term can be a challenge. Much of the critical infrastructure that we all rely on is made up of open source projects that lack the resources to be properly maintained over the long term. Companies, public institutions, and philanthropic organizations are beginning to fill this gap, but measuring the impact of this funding is an ongoing challenge, and we need to be able to understand the impacts to justify future rounds of funding as well as to optimize funding approaches whilst mitigating ineffective or even harmful approaches.

In this panel, we’ll talk about what we’ve learned from public funding programs in Europe and corporate FOSS funds along with measuring the impact of those funding initiatives. We’ll discuss the challenges of understanding how funding can have positive or negative impacts for open source projects with different characteristics. The audience will gain an appreciation for funding initiatives for open source projects and how to understand and maximize the impact of those initiatives.

Open source is everywhere. Anyone can use it and anyone can contribute codes to the community regardless of the countries and regions. It is inherently borderless.In the meantime, it is also true that most of the critical open source projects are English speaking communities. This actually creates a gap between English speaking regions and non-English speaking regions in terms of the knowledge about the technologies as well as opportunity to get involved in the community development. There has to be a “Bridge” to fill the gap.

The Linux Foundation Japan office launched a program to solve this issue by launching the Japan Evangelist Program, which has been a big success so far. The evangelists can also become a community by itself, they become a force to connect multiple communities to co-work to create larger values as well as sharing best practice to run meetup etc, which has been a nice side effect of the program.

In this session, through the discussion with the panelists (they are all Japan Evangelists) we would like to elaborate how the program is actually working.

The rapid evolution of large-scale AI models has been fueled by open-source contributions across four critical dimensions: models, data, evaluation, and system software. To access the real impact of these contributions, we conducted the first large-scale, cross-platform study over six months, investigating nearly 100,000 data points from platforms like Hugging Face, GitHub, and ModelScope. This study, carried out by key contributors from BAAI, CSDN, Linux AI & Data, and other leading organizations—provided deep insights through monthly evaluations, revealing trends, challenges, and opportunities in the open-source large model ecosystem.

In this presentation, we will decode the current state of open-source large model technology, highlight key findings from this groundbreaking collaborative analysis, and discuss its implications for future innovation. From tracking global adoption patterns to identifying critical gaps in open-source collaboration, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how open-source efforts drive AI development today and the strategies needed to shape the next wave of breakthroughs.

Wind down after a day of sessions with fellow attendees at our lively happy hours. Enjoy refreshing drinks and light bites while building meaningful connections in a relaxed atmosphere.

Continue your evening at the vibrant Oxbow Public Market, your drop-off destination in Downtown Napa! Explore an array of local food vendors and wine bars at the Market, or take a short stroll to discover Downtown Napa’s restaurants and tasting rooms. Buses depart from the Silverado Resort following the evening happy hours, with final pickup from Oxbow Market at 9:30 PM.