Below are the candidate statements for the 2025 NumFOCUS Board of Directors election. Each candidate shares their background, community involvement, and vision for the NumFOCUS mission.
Affiliations: PyData NYC Meetup since 2022, PyData NYC Conference Chair 2023–2024, PyData Boston Conference Chair 2025, Women in Data Science NYC Conference Guest Speaker 2023–2025, INROADS mentor 2020–present
Open science has shaped my career and community. I’ve seen how access, transparency, and collaboration can change the trajectory of someone’s work—and that’s what drives me to contribute to NumFOCUS. Since 2023, I’ve led the PyData NYC Meetup, helping the community grow from 5,000 to over 8,000 members by creating spaces where people can learn, share, and connect. I also serve as the Northeast U.S. representative on the PyData Strategic Committee, helping coordinate regional strategy and support local chapters.
Every year, I organize the PyData NYC/Boston Conference, welcoming over 600 people from around the world to celebrate open-source innovation. I use the event to highlight what I love most about open science—people sharing their work openly, learning from one another, and inspiring new connections across disciplines.
At IBM, I’m a Software Engineer focused on developing generative AI solutions that improve collaboration and productivity across the organization. I also work to bridge gaps between industry and open-source communities, fostering partnerships like the AI Alliance and encouraging collaboration between IBM teams and PyData contributors.
I’m running for the NumFOCUS Board to help connect people and ideas—linking open-source communities, industry partners, and researchers to create lasting impact together.
Affiliations: ComplyAdvantage, PyData Southampton, PyData London conference, DataKind UK, University of Southampton
My dedication to the open-source scientific community is foundational to my career. It began with 10 years as a research astrophysicist and was solidified during my three years as a Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence. In that institutional role, I worked to bridge the gap between academia and industry, and my contribution to the Dynamics of Data Science Skills report reinforced my belief that open tools are critical for an empowered society.
This belief is what drew me to the PyData community 10 years ago. The welcome and free exchange of ideas I found there were essential to my transition from academia. It drove me to give back, progressing from an attendee to a speaker, then founding the PyData Southampton chapter, and now serving as a co-organiser for the PyData London conference.
My motivation for joining the board is simple: I want to serve the community that has been essential to my own success and ensure it continues to thrive for the next generation.
I bring concrete operational and oversight experience to this role. As an Interim Director of Data Science, I managed departmental recruitment and rebuilt a corporate team. As a DataKind UK Communities Committee member, I oversaw project staffing, process improvement, and volunteer strategy. This unique blend of institutional, commercial, and nonprofit leadership has prepared me to contribute effectively to the NumFOCUS board.
Affiliations: Director, Zalando SE; Chief Scientist, The Institute for Ethical AI; Board Member, ACM; AI Expert, United Nations
Hello, my name is Alejandro, I live in Berlin, and work at the European tech company Zalando SE, where I lead an Engineering & Science organisation that builds the Pricing, Forecasting & Marketing Intelligence for 50m customers. I have been an active member of the NumFOCUS community throughout (almost) the past decade; this has included collaborations such as published case studies as well as many PyData talks and keynotes.
I am excited for this opportunity to contribute to NumFOCUS further. I bring extensive experience in Responsible AI, having founded the Institute for Ethical AI in 2017 and having led major industry and research initiatives, including contributions to European policy (EU AI Act, DSA, Data Act). I have also served in board and advisory roles at the ACM, European Commission, United Nations, and Linux Foundation.
On a more personal side, I live with my partner and our 18-month-old. Besides attending PyData events, I enjoy contributing to OSS, and I currently maintain the C++ GPU compute library “Vulkan Kompute”.
Affiliations: Python Software Foundation, DjangoCon US, DjangoCon Africa, Organization for Ethical Source, Djangonaut Space, WagtailCMS Core Team
I'm new to the NumFOCUS/scientific computing ecosystem, but not to open source or Python. Where NumFOCUS is headed, new people who are kind, direct, thoughtful, and willing to roll up their sleeves will be key to its next chapter.
I plan to spend my first few years sharing what I’ve learned from the Django and Python ecosystems and learning more about NumFOCUS. If things go well, I’ll run again with more context and a track record of success. Being new won’t make me shy about presenting good ideas, but I don’t anticipate pushing big changes that haven’t been vetted. The most important tasks seem obvious: sponsor engagement, fiscal sponsor support, professionalization of foundation staff activities, and audience communication. I look forward to helping with these.
Affiliations: Windward Fund, National Network of Fiscal Sponsors
While my work in conservation and the environment is adjacent to NumFOCUS’ mission, the foundation of the organization—supporting open-source software to drive impact and innovation—is crucial to progress across fields. Solving the climate crisis requires transparency, collaboration across sectors, and replicability and scalability, all of which are core tenets of open source.
I would welcome the opportunity to support an Austin-based fiscal sponsor whose work aligns so closely with my mission and values. I bring a strong financial background and am currently Director of Finance and Operations for Windward Fund, an environmental fiscal sponsor. My experience spans financial operations, risk management, philanthropic investing, tax requirements, ethical issues in research, and strategic planning.
Affiliations: American University of Armenia
As the inaugural Program Chair of the B.S. in Data Science at the American University of Armenia and co-founder of Datamotus, I’ve seen firsthand how open source creates communities, especially in developing economies.
I founded and lead PyData Yerevan—the first PyData community in the region—organizing conferences and meetups that connect academia, industry, and open-source contributors.
I believe open source is not just a technological model but a development philosophy. Serving on the Board would allow me to represent perspectives from smaller countries where open source is often the only viable path to innovation.
I bring experience leading a 400-student university program, managing research projects, and overseeing strategy, budgeting, marketing, and community events. My goal is to strengthen NumFOCUS’s global reach and help transform small countries from open source users into open source contributors.
Affiliations: GSOC, Data Retriever
I am deeply committed to NumFOCUS and the open-source scientific community. For ten years, I have served as Google Summer of Code administrator for NumFOCUS and contributed to projects such as Data Retriever and DeepForest. I’ve reviewed for JOSS, contributed to rOpenSci, and served as a Carpentries trainer, promoting open workflows and reproducible research.
I am motivated to join the Administrative Board to help secure funding for key projects and identify emerging initiatives. I bring experience in research coordination, community leadership, grant collaboration, and organizational planning, supported by MBA training in strategic planning and governance. I am committed to collaborative, long-term success for the community.
Affiliations: Anaconda, Inc.; HoloViz.org
I am honored to be nominated. During my academic career, I championed open source and taught students about its impact. Eventually I shifted my career to work full-time on open source at Anaconda, assembling millions of dollars in funding for the NumFOCUS-sponsored HoloViz project (Panel, HoloViews, Datashader, hvPlot, Param, Colorcet).
I hope to apply my experience at Anaconda and in academic leadership to further NumFOCUS’s mission. What NumFOCUS does matters, and it deserves careful stewardship and impassioned leadership.
Professional Affiliations: Lead Data & AI Scientist
Volunteer Affiliations: HydPy, PyCon India, PyConf Hyderabad, NumFOCUS SDG Review Committee, NumFOCUS CoC, PyData Impact Scholarship, Kaggle BIPOC Advisor, and more
I am a self-taught Data Science and AI leader with 15+ years of experience and a strong commitment to open-source growth. My journey—from delivering newspapers to leading AI teams—has been shaped by resilience and community support.
Within NumFOCUS, I serve on the Small Development Grants Review Committee and Code of Conduct Committee. Beyond that, I lead HydPy and PyCon India/PyConf Hyderabad, directing major events, budgets, sponsorships, workshops, and volunteer teams.
I bring experience in financial planning, governance, and community collaboration. I am driven to help expand NumFOCUS’s global impact, strengthen sustainability, and advance open science through inclusive leadership.
Affiliations: Coillte; PyData London, NYC, Berlin; PyData Ireland; Python Ireland; PyCon Ireland; PyData Global
I’ve spent a decade building bridges across the open-source ecosystem. I’ve organized PyData events worldwide, supported PyData Global, and led multiple Python community conferences. These roles have given me deep experience in community leadership, event production, and stakeholder engagement.
I aim to help NumFOCUS grow as a globally adaptive and creatively engaged organization, bringing strengths in strategic planning, marketing, and nonprofit operations. I would be honoured to contribute to the next chapter of NumFOCUS.
Affiliations: San Miguel Corporation; PyData Philippines; FTW Foundation; Python Philippines; R User Group Philippines; De La Salle Lipa
For me, open source is about people coming together to solve problems. When I founded Data Engineering Pilipinas, I wanted to show how a volunteer community can grow into a national open-learning movement.
My commitment to open-source stems from years of teaching, mentoring, and building accessible programs. I’ve trained women transitioning into tech, supported AI research, and led data transformation efforts in industry.
On the Board, I want to bring grassroots perspective and practical leadership experience—program management, partnerships, mentoring—to help sustain and expand open-source initiatives globally.
Affiliations: Chair, NumFOCUS CoC WG; VP, SWE PNW; IBM Women in AI; TechWomen mentor; NASA Navigator
I was the only woman in a class of 36 software engineers. That experience drives my commitment to building inclusive spaces. Women hold only 22% of data/AI jobs and 5% of open-source commits. This is why I volunteer.
As Chair of the NumFOCUS CoC Working Group, I’ve helped build trust and transparent governance. My SciPy paper on Responsible AI and my PyData Global involvement reflect my dedication to ethical, open science.
I also bring extensive experience in finance, strategy, and nonprofit leadership, having led multimillion-dollar initiatives and co-founded a foundation that raised $145K for disaster relief and education.
Affiliations: American Red Cross, United Nations USA, CodePath.org, IEEE, ISACA, ISC2, CyAN, Kennesaw State University, LTIMindtree
My commitment to open source is rooted in the belief that shared knowledge drives scientific progress. While my professional focus is on industrial security and enterprise architecture, I have long championed community growth through volunteer leadership and mentoring.
I’m motivated to join the NumFOCUS Board to help strengthen its administrative infrastructure so that projects like NumPy, Pandas, and Jupyter can thrive. With 17+ years in strategic planning, financial governance, and risk management, I bring the oversight experience necessary for the role.
Affiliations: Makerere University; Python Software Society of Uganda; PyData Kampala
I am a Machine Learning and Software Engineer based in Kampala, Uganda, focused on developing ML tools to enhance developer productivity. I lead open-source initiatives in Kampala, mentor students, and organize PyData Kampala and PyCon Uganda.
I have contributed to NumPy and Scikit-learn and serve on the NumFOCUS Security Committee. I aim to expand open-source scientific computing in underrepresented African communities and have developed strategic plans and leadership structures to sustain local community organizations.
I bring deep community engagement, technical experience, and governance background to the NumFOCUS Board.
Affiliations: Pure Storage; PyLadies; Women Techmakers; NumFOCUS CoC; PyCon India
My journey in open source reflects NumFOCUS values: accessibility, inclusion, and community-driven growth. I began as a self-taught newcomer who found belonging in PyLadies, which drives my commitment to making open-source spaces welcoming for everyone.
I currently serve as Chair of the NumFOCUS Code of Conduct Working Group and helped shape diversity initiatives like the 2025 DISC Conference. I am an active leader in PyLadies, Women Techmakers, and PyCon India.
I bring experience in strategic planning, collaboration, and inclusive policy advocacy. I’m driven to help build a future where open science is both technically strong and socially inclusive.