Apereo Foundation Fast Interview with Kendall Nelson at SCaLE 22x
The Southern California Linux Expo (SCaLE) is the largest community-run open source and free software conference in North America. It brings together enthusiasts, professionals, and organizations passionate about open-source technologies. In its 22nd year, SCaLE 22x will occur on March 6-9, 2025, at the Pasadena Convention Center.
Kendall Nelson, Senior Downstream Developer Advocate at the Open Infrastructure Foundation (OpenInfra), will present at SCaLE 22x on two critical topics: the OpenInfra University Partnership Program and mentorship as an onramp to open source contributions. As a longtime advocate for open collaboration, she helps bridge the gap between academia and industry while fostering a more diverse, inclusive, and sustainable open source ecosystem.
Apereo Foundation Fast was excited to discuss Kendall's insights from these presentations and explore the broader impact of open source education and mentorship.
Introductions
Apereo Foundation Fast (AFF): Hey Kendall! Thanks for joining AFF to talk about your presentations at SCaLE 22x! Before we dive in, please share a little bit about what you do at OpenInfra for those who might not be familiar.
Kendall Nelson (KN): The OpenInfra Foundation’s mission is to support the development and adoption of production infrastructure with open source components. That is a big effort and we are a relatively small group of staff so we each have many roles. Personally, I support our Platinum and Gold members' interests and ensure they are actively engaged in our community in ways that support their business. I work with universities to get open source contributions in front of more students with the hope that it helps them find careers in open source and stay involved. Overall, I try to increase the diversity, quality of engagement, and ease of collaboration in our open source projects.
AFF: Kendall, you are giving two presentations with a few other speakers at SCaLE x22.
Presentation 1: Students in Open Source: The OpenInfra University Partnership Program Growth and Lessons Learned, and
Presentation 2: Mentorship as an Onramp to Open Source Contributions.
Folks can read the short abstracts on the SCaLE website, so let’s dive in and ask questions!
The OpenInfra University Partnership Program
AFF: We at Apereo Foundation love seeing other open source organizations invest in students! Can you give us an overview of the OpenInfra University Partnership Program and how it has evolved since its inception?
KN: It really started with just one university that an alumni put us in touch with. The Computer Science professor was looking for semester-long projects in real-world situations, on in-production code, that students could get involved with. The alumni that put us in touch was an OpenStack community member at the time and with all open source projects, there is plenty of work to go around, and we are almost always looking for more contributors! Since that first university partnership, we have created similar relationships with over a dozen universities mostly US-based at this point, but are slowly starting to grow in collaboration with international universities as well.
AFF: What were some unexpected challenges in building and scaling the program? Any fun or surprising lessons learned along the way?
KN: I think the most unexpected challenge I’ve been met with in trying to build out the UPP is how hard it has been to find non-US universities to collaborate with. I went to university in the United States, so I really only have that experience to draw on. The structure of courses outside the U.S. is different. Some of the ‘big topics’ are different. Funding for universities and what courses are prioritized is different. It all makes sense with hindsight. It’s just been interesting to learn the differences and puzzle through various solutions in the name of getting open source development and collaboration in front of students, no matter where they are geographically.
AFF: If a university or an organization wanted to partner with OpenInfra to get students involved, what’s the best way to get started?
KN: While I hope to have a more formal and possibly formulaic way to get the ball rolling in the future, at this point, the best way to get started is to reach out to me via email at knelson@openinfra.dev to set up a call!
AFF: We all know it can be tough for students to break into open source. What are some common hurdles you’ve seen, and how does the University Partnership Program help them overcome them?
KN: I would say, by far, the most common hurdle is for students to be willing to speak up and ask questions. It could be because of shyness, language barriers, or imposter syndrome…whatever the reason, most projects are happy to have new contributors and WANT to answer your questions and make you feel comfortable so that you will stick around. For the UPP, we try to set students up for success by starting with dedicated mentors or a project that has been known to be ESPECIALLY welcoming to new contributors.
Most of us still remember what it was like to be new and trying to figure out the layout of the community so we are open to communicating in a variety of ways - instant messaging via IRC or Slack (depending on the project), direct emails, or emails to mailing lists, or on code reviews themselves. Even video calls to share screens and work on problems together can be a path to overcoming communication issues. It’s also recommended to reach out to your peers. Working in open source is so different from most university assignments because you aren’t required to work in a silo without asking the internet for help - in fact, you are ENCOURAGED not to work alone. Open source is all about collaboration, so if you are more comfortable talking to a peer about an issue before reaching out to your mentor, that’s okay! Near-peer mentoring is an incredibly valuable mechanism that anyone can take advantage of.
Mentorship as an Onramp to Open Source
AFF: Kendall, your second talk at SCaLE focuses on mentorship in open source. Mentorship is such a game-changer, and it’s great to see you championing this topic at SCaLE. How do mentorship programs like the ones discussed in your session help create a more inclusive and diverse tech community?
KN: It largely depends on the mentorship program, but often, people needing a mentor's support are not people who are set up for success because of their background, privilege, or inherent skills. The people asking for help from mentors need/want it because they are, for example, changing industries and are looking for networking, or maybe are from a minority group, or perhaps just have a different set of experiences and knowledge looking to supplement that. I, personally, have been fortunate to be mentored and have done mentoring, and a lot of that stemmed from my being a woman in a male-dominated field. I had a computer science education, but being the odd one out meant that I wanted a little extra support and mentorship to help me find my place in the community and be comfortable in my own skin there. The more we can do in open source to recognize the benefits of the differences in perspective, background, education, geographic location - all of it - the healthier and more robust the project will be in the long run. If every project does that, it’s a natural progression to the entire tech community from there.
AFF: Let’s say an open source project wants to start a mentorship initiative but doesn’t know where to begin. What’s your advice for taking that first step?
KN: I think one approach that a project could take is by doing “a call out” to see who would want to mentor and what they might be interested in being mentored in. Ask the contributors what they would find helpful or for areas where they want to grow. Alternatively, the project could ask the community who would be willing to spend some time mentoring and the topics they feel they have expertise in that they could share with others. Overall, it kind of depends on the goal. Is the project trying to strengthen its contributor base? Bring in new contributors? Reduce their "bus factor"? All are perfectly fine goals, but figuring out the end goal can help tailor your approach to getting started.
AFF: What strategies have you found work best for building strong, lasting mentor-mentee relationships?
KN: I touched on this earlier in the interview, but communication really is key. Making the mentee feel comfortable, first and foremost. After that, anything the mentor can do to celebrate achievements and positively reinforce the progress that the mentee is making - whatever that looks like - can build their confidence towards achieving more and strengthening the relationship. Helping the mentee understand that the mentor is there as a resource but may not always have all the answers, and that is okay, but that they can figure it out together is also really helpful. I think a lot of students have the false expectation that mentors (especially in the industry) have all the answers, and that’s just not true. I, for one, KNOW that I do not know everything, but I do know that I can find someone with the answer if I don’t have it- I just have to ask the question.
Looking Ahead
AFF: For anyone reading this who wants to get involved—whether as a student, mentor, or university partner—how can they connect with OpenInfra’s programs?
KN: Please don’t hesitate to reach out! Come to my talk and panel and ask for a business card from me after. If you can’t make it to my talk or panel, please reach out to me via email <knelson@openinfra.dev>. If I can’t answer your question, I will find someone that can!
AFF: Finally, why should Apereo Foundation members think about attending SCaLE x22 or x23 (next year)?
KN: That’s a tricky question, given that this will actually be my very first SCaLE event! Looking at the industry members that are talking and the schedule, I think it’s going to be a really diverse meeting of minds! Generally, though, there is so much overlap between open source and academia and the benefits to one another that I think Apereo Foundation members should get to know more folks in open source projects - network at events like SCaLE and see where it takes you!
Thank you so much to Kendall Nelson for joining us on Apereo Foundation Fast! More fascinating interviews about open source and education coming soon! Contact me with questions or suggestions michelle.hall@apereo.org