Gina Likins

Summary

The very short version: * 27+ years of communications, web strategy, marketing, and team & project management; * 10+ years of open source software evangelism (especially around the importance of open source in education); and * a lifetime of passion about diversity, getting people involved in STEM, and the importance of inclusiveness. The slightly more verbose version: From the dawn of the web (Netscape 1.0!) until 2015, I was an internet strategist, with responsibilities that included corporate intranets and external websites, social media, and email marketing. I have managed multiple communities, both online and offline, and understand that successful communities make for successful organizations. I've been an open source proponent for more than 12 years and a Red Hatter for more than 10! I believe in the power of open source communities and the open source software development process, and it delights me to share my love of open source with others. I'm also passionate about diversity and inclusion, and a frequent topic for my conference talks is the importance of finding ways to help open source communities thrive and be more welcoming for everyone. How can we constructively resolve conflict? What small changes can we make in our communication styles that might result in far more civil and inclusive communities? In addition to my interest in communication, conflict resolution, and open source community dynamics, I have a long history with and interest in education, having obtained my NC Teacher's Certification and taught at both the elementary and high school levels. This experience was invaluable in developing engaging learning activities for my prior role at Red Hat, which focused on building a K-12 STEM volunteer outreach program.