Merge Forward Builds Inclusive Future for Open Source

Open source faces a critical shortage of maintainers - even as AI drives adoption. The Cloud Native Computing Foundation’s Merge Forward is tackling this by onboarding underrepresented talent into the ecosystem.

Software engineer Donia Chaiehloudj of Isovalent (Cisco) and JPMorgan Chase lead engineer Anastasiia Gubska emphasize: this isn’t just equity - it’s ecosystem survival. Merge Forward already supports seven diversity groups with 300+ members.

For Gubska, joining CNCF’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Working Group transformed her from solo coder to KubeCon keynote speaker. “I never thought I could do this,” she said.

Programs include buddy mentorships, proposal workshops for conference slots, sign language courses, and neurodiversity sessions. Gubska aims to become a role model: “I hope to grow this network so future generations see more deaf women in tech.”