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.
2023-2024 GOSH Community Council Members
Frank Landon Bentum
I’m Frank, the Executive Manager and Community Coordinator for the Africa Open Science Hardware Community. My passion lies in using technology to address local challenges and drive innovation, particularly in Africa. Open-source hardware excites me, and I see tremendous potential for its applications in Africa. I am keen on harnessing community-based systems to foster innovation and tackle local issues. Feel free to explore the exciting EU project (African European Maker Innovation Ecosystem (mAkE))we’re currently involved in, where we focus on makerspaces as digital innovation hubs for local manufacturing in Africa and Europe at makeafricaeu.org.
Harold Tay
I’m a mechanical engineer by training, but I’ve branched into software and electronics and have worked in systems programming, scientific programming, and underwater acoustics and underwater robotics. Now I mostly do passive acoustic monitoring equipment for ecologists. I’m based in Singapore.
I view open science hardware as a tool to advance understanding using the scientific method. Just as reasoning that cannot be challenged leads to incorrect conclusions, science hardware that cannot be examined can have only bad outcomes.
I like that GOSH is a good mix of academics, engineers, and blue sky experimentalists. Probably I would be considered a libertarian-leaning, hacker-sympathetic engineer.
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.
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.
Eng. Valerian Linus Sanga
Eng. Valerian Linus Sanga is the Co-Founder and CEO of Bongo Tech & Research Labs (formerly STICLab; The first Tanzanian Makerspace), which is a beacon of technological innovation in Tanzania. He is also a Co-Founder & CEO of Tanzania Open Science Hardware (TanzaniaOSH – the NGO which aims at promoting the use and adoption of open Sciences, Hardware, and Technologies in realizing sustainable solutions to the local problems), the Executive Board Member of AfricaOSH and the Community Council Member of GOSH.
Valerian is a Tech & innovation enthusiast with critical thinking and thought independence, holding over 9 years’ experience, and the designer of an Open-Source motor board controller (sangaboard: https://gitlab.com/sangavalerian/sangaboard) for OFM Microscopes. His interests fall within Distributed Recycling and Additive Manufacturing (DRAM), Open Source Appropriate Technology (OSAT) and Electronics Designing & Development as well as programming.
With a background in Computer Engineering and Renewable Energy Development, Valerian seeks to see engineering and Open Source Technologies are well used to impact the lives of the community sustainably and positively, through creating practical and tangible solutions, which are both innovative and well-being centric as well as locally adaptable, culturally relevant, technologically feasible, economically viable and environmentally sustainable.
Ana Julia de Lucia
Hi there, I’m Ana. I’m passionate about nature and protecting it for future generations. I had the opportunity to collaborate in GOSH 2022 as a local fixer, I am keen on helping to plan events that bring people together to make the world a better place. I believe that every person has something valuable to contribute, and by working together we can create positive change. I love planning and coordinating events that have a real impact on the environment and our communities.
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.
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) led by Harold: Design community input processes for funding; and managing grants/program management once funding has been secured for the community.
- Management (listening) led by Saad and Lara: Creating consultation process(es) for managing big decisions.
- Management (admin) led by Ana: Take care of official documents like the GOSH Manifesto, upcoming Constitution, etc.
- Community Support led by Ana and community coordinator: Community management, handling infrastructure issues and requests from the community; maintaining brand/logo/assets.
- Communications led by Valerian with support from the community coordinator: Website, email addresses, external communications, social media, newsletter, Element chat group(s), etc.
- Gatherings/Events led by Valerian and Harold: Organise future global and local Gatherings.
- Roadmap led by Frank
- Funding: led by Karl
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 Bri Johns. Click here to contact them.
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. See this post for more information on the 501c3 nonprofit.
The current 501c3 non-profit board members are:
Shannon Dosemagen
Jenny Molloy
Julieta Arancio
Alison Parker
Karl Kaddu [Community Council Board Seat]