Hi, My name is Alexandru Voica and I am contacting you about thecurrent Fedora Diversity Advisor volunteering opportunity. http://fedoramagazine.org/call-for-applications-for-fedora-diversity-advisor... I am very excited about the role and I'd be honored to be considered for the job.
- Why do you believe diversity and inclusion areimportant for Fedora? Since the Fedora Project exists based on a partnership of community members from around the globe, it is really important that everyone feels welcome and inspired to contribute. By fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where minority groups feel safe to contribute and communicate, Fedora can continue to thrive and grow based on constructive collaboration. In addition, the Fedora Project has always striven to be a leader in the open source community; by promoting diversity and inclusion, Fedora developers set the right example for others to follow. It is therefore important that the Fedora Project continues to invest in an open framework built on the right values and policies to ensure success through shared action from everyone and anyone in the community, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity or other considerations.
- Why do you want to serve as Fedora’s Diversity& Inclusion Advisor? I am a firm believer in equal opportunity for everyone. I want to encourage and inspire Fedora contributors to work together, quickly resolve conflict, and prevent frustration or prejudice to turn into personal attacks. I also want to help foster a productive community based on inclusion and collaboration.
- What specific minority group(s) or issues canyou offer insight about? What perspectives, experiences, or knowledgeabout diversity and inclusion could you share with the Fedora community? I have been living in the UK for the past five years but come from an Eastern European background so I believe I have a very good understanding of the dynamics of migrant minority groups and the difficulties they face in terms of integration and outsider perceptions/prejudices. In addition, I have been closely following the recent debates on the need to ensure pay equality for women or to stop the rising wave of hate speech towards the LGBTQ community. I believe that sensible measures can and must be implemented so that the open source community leads by example in tackling these serious problems that are gravely affecting real people on a daily basis. One tragic but resonant example of the serious consequences of online abuse is the unfortunate suicide of DOLPHIN emulator contributor Rachel Bryk. - Do you have experience working across variouscultures? (Cross cultural refers to various geographies, cultural groups, etc.) I have worked for several multinational companies (Siemens, ARM, Imagination Technologies) that have a global presence. I also travel yearly to North America and Asia, spending a large portion of my time there interacting with colleagues, developers, journalists, or company executives from different geographies, cultural backgrounds and sexual orientations. In addition, I work with universities and schools to inspire young adults and teenagers to try out coding or consider careers in STEM subjects.
- To give us further insight, feel free to providenames and contact information for up to three people who can speak to yourpassion, interest or experience withdiversity and inclusion. Art Swift art@prplfoundation.org - president of the prpl Foundation Ricardo Quesada ricardo@us.chukong-inc.com - chief architect at Chukong Technologies, developers of Cocos2d-x (a widely adopted open source game engine)Michal Toman Michal.Toman@imgtec.com - Fedora contributorAndreas Jonsson andreas@angelcode.com - lead maintainer of AngelScript (a powerful and free scripting library)
Here is how my skills and abilities map to the requirementsof the role. - Knowledge of and experience in working withhistorically underrepresented groups I have a good understanding andvery strong personal beliefs on the importance of equal representation in any forumor industry, including technology and software development. For example, I’vehad the pleasure of holding a STEMambassador position in Cambridgeshire, England where I helped a group ofsixth form students from St Mary’sSchool (an independent school for girls in Cambridge) to create and presenta science project focused on improving energy efficiency in schools. - Excellent written communications skills,demonstrated through blog posts or other written work In mycurrent job, I have authored over 150 blog articles and whitepapers (blog author profile),managed all corporate social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn,Google+), worked with established PR agencies across multiple projects andproduct lines, and contributed to key product launches that have enjoyedwidespread media coverage. I havealso authored and been quoted in numerous articles that have been very popularamong consumers, technology enthusiasts and analysts; the list below includes asmall selection of my work so far:- The$65 MIPS Development Board for IoT on Linux (The Linux Foundation)- Connectingthe World One Machine at a Time (CEA i3)- TheFast Lane of Innovation (CEA i3)- GettingWearables Right (CEA i3)- Buildingscalable graphics for mobile (Gamasutra) - Understanding of and experience in open sourcecommunities I have interacted with many open source developers and publications, especially around the launch of the Creator CI20 microcomputer. In addition, I have been involved in various activities within the open source-focused prpl Foundation (http://www.prplfoundation.org/) for which I partly handle social media and marketing communications. - Ability to communicate at a moderate technicallevel about open source projects Mycurrent role as senior technology marketing specialist for ImaginationTechnologies, my previous involvement inthe design of mobile and embedded processors which run Fedora (ARM, MIPS), and the in-depth knowledge of the larger technology,consumer and business media landscape are unique qualities which help meunderstand and promote complex technical terms to any given audience. - Experience in similar roles in your past is asignificant advantage Mycurrent role as senior technology marketing specialist for Imagination Technologies,my previous involvement in the design of mobile and embedded processors whichrun Fedora and the in-depth knowledge of the larger technology, consumer andbusiness media landscape are unique qualities which help me understand andpromote open source-related topics to any given audience.I have alsobuilt an extensive network of contacts and connections (LinkedIn profile), frompress and analysts to chip vendors, OEMs and market influences. You can find mequoted in Forbes,TheTelegraph, EETimes, TheRegister, PCWorld, TechRadarand many other C-level publications. Since this is a volunteer position, I was also wondering if you could please confirm whether I am able to:
- keep my current position (senior marketingtechnology specialist for Imagination Technologies) - work based on a flexible, reduced schedule depending on availability (6-8 hoursper week on average, with the possibility of dedicating more time when and if required)
I have attached a CVfor your reference and I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks and bestregards,Alex.