Community
GOSH is an international community of artists, makers, hackers, scientists, designers, organizers, educators, and entrepreneurs working to make open source science hardware (OScH) widespread across the globe. There are also several regional and self-organized OScH communities, such as AfricaOSH, Great Lakes GOSH, and reGOSH (which is based in Latin America). Read more about these communities here!
Community Council
The GOSH Community Council oversees or delegates all tasks, questions and issues related to governance of the GOSH community, and coordinates the allocation of community funds to activities like regional events and collaborative hardware development programs.
GOSH Community Council elections are held annually. Those elected to the Community Council are referred to as Community Council Members. Generally, GOSH Community Council membership persists for 2-year terms, with the exception of several 1-year terms seated in the first election, enabling a staggering of terms year over year.
2024-2025 GOSH Community Council Members
Lara Jatar
I am an environmental engineer doing a PhD in environmental sciences. I am also part of CoSensores, a group that works on developing and applying open hardware and software with communities organized in a particular territory (understanding the territory as the space defined by local communities and the relationships that exist there).
I have been part of the GOSH community since 2022, when I attended for the first time a GOSH regional meeting in Mendoza, Argentina, and the Global meeting in Panama.
My research is related to developing open potabilization methodologies with a view to a home or community application connected with open hardware tools to measure water quality. The research is framed in the dialogue of knowledge with organized communities in the search for the co-production of knowledge. I think the open hardware is a way to promote the co-production of knowledge, supporting the struggles of the local communities.
I am part of the reGOSH node in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I live, and I am waiting to create new networks and work spaces to create and promote practices such as open, participatory monitoring, among others.
Karl Kaddu
I am a seasoned science and technology communication professional. I work with the Environment for Development (EfD) program based at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.
I have been part of the AfricaOSH and GOSH community since 2019 and I am particularly excited about open science hardware due to its innumerable contributions to the democratization of science and technology.
I am keen on working with the community in seeking and strengthening partnerships.
Sakti Subramanian
Sakti Subramanian is an undergraduate student at Stanford University studying Biological Engineering and Public Policy. He is dedicated to the growth of the field of synthetic biology, whether that be by solving research problems, educating the next generation of scientists, or authoring policy recommendations for the US bioeconomy.
Sakti is one of the youngest world leaders championing biotechnology workforce development as a Co-Founder at the Great Lakes SynBio Association, Project Head and Ambassador at the International Genetically Engineered Machine Community, and Council Member at the Gathering for Open Science Hardware Community. Sakti has been a speaker at the world’s largest biotechnology conferences: SynBioBeta (San Jose, California) and iGEM (Paris, France). He has also participated in national policy briefings with the Federation of American Scientists and the United States Senate’s National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (Washington, DC).
Saad Chinoy
Saad is a professional geek with a passion for technology for good, critical making, and OpenSource methodology. Co founder of Singapore based Frugal Innovation startup, SpudnikLab, a PotatoProductions company that works to address the #digitalDivide through digital skills education and effective use of low-cost technologies. His Storytellers’ Kitchen and EdibleMakerspace community initiatives bring together writers, illustrators, researchers, publishers, citizen scientists, and readers to demystify the complexity of smart-phone interactivity AR / VR / stop-motion animation through learning by doing.
In the non-commercial context, Saad initiated SalvageGarden the assistive technology makerspace that engages a community of makers, engineers, care givers, persons with disabilities, and care professionals towards the research and development of Assistive Tech devices and low-cost solutions.
Saad Also serves on the advisory boards of the Global Innovation Gathering, and r0g_agency for open culture and critical transformation.
Saad is a self-confessed maker and coffee epicure.
Contact the GOSH council here. Read more about the 2023 GOSH Community Council Election here.
You can find out more about the Community Governance Working Group that set up the Community Council structure here.
Council Domains
In 2020, the GOSH Community Governance Working Group established a list of domains overseen by the GOSH Council. In 2022, GOSH council members met to refine these domains further and decide on council members to lead them. You can see each of these domains, and the council members responsible for leading them, below.
- Management (programming): Design community input processes for funding; and managing grants/program management once funding has been secured for the community.
- Management (listening): Creating consultation process(es) for managing big decisions.
- Management (admin): Take care of official documents like the GOSH Manifesto, upcoming Constitution, etc.
- Community Support led by a Council Member and the Community Coordinator: Community management, handling infrastructure issues and requests from the community; maintaining brand/logo/assets.
- Communications led by a Council Member with support from the Community Coordinator: Website, email addresses, external communications, social media, newsletter, Element chat group(s), etc.
- Gatherings/Events: Organise future global and local Gatherings.
- Roadmap
- Funding
Community Coordinator
The GOSH Community Coordinator works with the GOSH Community Council and the wider community to support them in organising activities such as Global GOSH Gatherings, writing sprints, collaborative development projects, and regional events. They play a crucial role in supporting the GOSH community to reach new audiences and providing an enriching and dynamic environment for existing projects and community members. The Community Coordinator also serves as the Election Secretary during the annual GOSH Community Council elections. The Community Coordinator is contracted by the Open Science Hardware Foundation (OSHF), a US-based 501c3 nonprofit and is supported by a grant from the Alfred P Sloan Foundation.
The current Community Coordinator is Jamaica Jones. Click here to contact her.
Organisations supporting GOSH
GOSH community activities and events have been fiscally sponsored and hosted by a number of organisations over the years. There is currently one organisation (OSHF) with a specific focus on supporting the GOSH community built into its mission and more may emerge in the future.
Open Science Hardware Foundation (OSHF): US-based 501c3 Nonprofit
In 2020, OSHF (formerly known as GOSH Inc.) was established to open up new possibilities for the community, like administering funding, fiscally sponsoring open hardware and related community projects, hosting community initiatives that need a legal entity, and more. OSHF continues to act as a fiscal sponsor for the GOSH Community alongside other initiatives. See opensciencehardware.org for more information.
The current Open Science Hardware Foundation board members are:
Shannon Dosemagen
Jenny Molloy
Julieta Arancio
Pen-Yuan Hsin
Alison Parker
Karl Kaddu [Community Council Board Seat]