2021 Keynote Speaker Spotlight
As we’ve said many times in the past, keynote talks are so important every year as they “set the tone” of the overall event while highlighting topics we feel are important and the community should know more about.
And plainly put, we’re thrilled with this year’s lineup. It represents a vast range of backgrounds and perspectives, and the topics should be of interest to a wide/plenary audience. Our goal is for attendees to leave having heard a new viewpoint and/or a different take, having been inspired, and of course having learned something new.
*Note, the majority of keynotes will be delivered in-person on the main stage in Raleigh – a couple will be remote talks with remote speakers and streamed to screens in the onsite ballrooms. All in-person talks will be live streamed to the virtual platform.
Monday, October 18
Open Source: To Infinity and Beyond
Chris Wright, Senior VP and Chief Technology Officer, Red Hat
Why we love this talk:
Chris is a phenomenal technologist and speaker and brings a unique enterprise open source perspective to the event.
Remote
Let’s Open Source Diversity and Inclusion
Demetris Cheatham, Senior Director, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Strategy, GitHub
Why we love this talk:
Diversity and Inclusion remain vital topics and always worthy of a keynote slot – it’s a must. Demetris brings unique insight to the conference based on the recent Open Source DEI survey and the Maintainers’ Listening Tour.
In-person
The Blueprint – How Web3 is Reshaping the Internet
Nader Dabit, Developer Relations Engineer, Edge & Node
Why we love this talk:
Web 3.0 is already reshaping the internet and will continue to do so moving forward in ways most can’t comprehend. Nader is in the middle of it and can help our community stay ahead of the trend and as a result, be better informed.
In-person
Into the Unknown: How Leadership, Ingenuity, and Perseverance Put a Rover on Mars
Adam Steltzner, Lead & Chief Engineer, MARS 2020 Mission, Rover Perseverance
Why we love this talk:
Not only are we enamored with space and its infinite possibilities, but the fact open source made a lot of the MARS 2020 Mission possible makes it that much more applicable and interesting to us. In addition, and quite ironically, “Into the Unknown” was the title of last year’s ATO poster and overall conference theme. Coincidence? We think not.
In-person
Tuesday, October 19
Those Who Can Do Should Also Teach
Ali Spittel, Senior Developer Advocate, AWS Amplify
Why we love this talk:
We love this talk for so many reasons, but first and foremost is the challenge and call-to-action it delivers. We firmly believe those that can do and have accomplished have an obligation to teach and help others if at all possible. In addition, Ali is a tremendous speaker and technologist.
In-person
The State of Open Source Databases in 2021
Peter Zaitsev, CEO & Co-founder, Percona
Why we love this talk:
Databases remain one of the most overlooked and taken-for-granted elements of technology and open source, yet they are vital in so many ways. And who better to discuss the current state of things than Peter, one of the foremost experts on planet earth. In addition, Percona, Peter’s company, is celebrating its 15th year anniversary this year – pretty cool.
In-person
Protecting your OSS project from supply chain attacks
Anne Bertucio, Program Manager, Security, Open Source Programs Office, Google
Why we love this talk:
Security and open source are two words that to this day still confuse people when used together, even in the open source space. A discussion on the topic from a world-class technologist like Anne makes perfect sense to provide clarify and education. We’ve wanted to feature a security-focused keynote on the security talk for a while, so this will be a treat.
Remote
Overcoming the Fear of Contributing to Open Source
Rizel Scarlett, Junior Developer Advocate, GitHub
Why we love this talk:
Helping others contribute is something we value mightily, and this talk does so much to provide that help. Rizel and her blog have encouraged many to get involved and contribute, and we can’t wait to hear more about it.
Remote