Anton Mirhorodchenko
Anton uses AI to write code and tackle more projects.
Amplifying the voices of the open source community
These unsung heroes contribute long hours to build software, fix issues, field questions, and manage communities, often without funding or recognition. We want the world to understand what drives them and learn about their journeys firsthand.
Kyler Middleton
Kyler discusses her path from rural tech repair jobs to revolutionizing tech education.
Aaron Gustafson
Aaron’s journey towards progressive enhancement and inclusive design.
Annalu Waller
Dr. Annalu Waller on the intricate, interdependent network of support that shapes our lives.
Ruth Ikegah
Ruth’s dream is to show people that Africans aren’t just consumers of open source: They’re creators as well.
Rohan Gupta
Rohan, aka Blue Edge, on gaining different perspectives, maintaining a growth mindset, and staying true to yourself.
Santosh Yadav
Using software development as a path out of poverty, Santosh knows a little support goes a long way.
Leonardo Javier Russo // MobilityLauncher
Leonardo is working toward a future where everyone can seamlessly participate in open source.
Jana Iris
Jana’s successful career is driven by her empathy and love for the developer community.
Avi Press
Avi on the beauty of open source, versatility of computer science, and a viable solution to support burnt-out maintainers.
Dr. Johanna Pirker
Johanna on the colorful, cross-disciplinary world of computer science, and making education accessible to all.
Aaron Francis
Aaron on playing it uncool, advocating for yourself, and asking for your dream job.
Kara Carrell
Kara on supporting, sharing, and contributing to the contributors of open source.
Jonathan Leitschuh
Jonathan finds broken things and fixes them to make the world a more secure place.
Mahmoud Hashemi
Mahmoud on projects for the public good, sticky challenges, and the purity of open source.
Frances Coronel
Frances on building community, gaining social capital, and embracing your identity.
Karthik Iyer
Karthik goes with the flow, follows his passions, and gives back to the community.
Peggy Rayzis
Peggy creates more value than she captures, amplifies underrepresented contributors, and champions as many people as possible.
Rose Judge
Rose on the art of observation, projecting confidence, and seizing opportunities to learn.
Feross Aboukhadijeh
Feross on building OSS building blocks, rewriting the rules, and releasing obligations.
Adewale Abati
To make a global impact, Adewale shines the spotlight on Nigerian developers and prioritizes accessibility.
Tatiana Mac
Tatiana on chasing good energy, considering intent, and judging yourself on your last action.
Pedro Nauck // Docz
Pedro went from unhealthy, anxiety-filled days to a more sustainable, creative lifestyle.
Felipe de Morais // AfroPython
Felipe does all he can to make it easier for others to get involved and thrive in the IT world.
Keeley Hammond // Electron
Keeley on prioritizing your passion, assigning equal roles in OSS, and paying contributors fairly.
Liyas Thomas // Hoppscotch
When Liyas sees an opportunity to make a developer’s life easier, he doesn’t hesitate.
Cassidy Williams
Cassidy on creating content, building relationships, and how much you get by giving back.
Neha Batra
Neha knows that to drive value, we have to start by focusing on everyone’s experience.
Anthony Sottile
Drawn to the community aspect of open source, Anthony uses Twitch as a modern classroom.
Aaron Turner // WebAssembly
Aaron Turner learned code to upgrade his phone, change his life, and give those with limited means access to better tools.
Tracy Hinds // Open Source Initiative
Tracy Hinds works behind the scenes to resolve conflicts so open source developers can do their best work.
Limor Fried // Adafruit Industries
Limor Fried on making firm decisions, weeding out negativity, and building something better, together.
Nader Dabit // react-native-elements
Nader is energized by getting vulnerable on open source, learning, teaching, and connecting.
Shirley Wu
Shirley on creating art, representing Asian women in tech, and finding the work that resonates.
Monica Powell // react-ladies
Monica nurtures inclusive spaces to educate, learn, be creative, and collaborate.
Segun Adebayo // Chakra UI
Part designer, part UX engineer, Segun is all about accessibility, inclusion, and empathy.
Salah Al-Dhaferi // ReCoded-Org
After a challenging 15-year education journey in Yemen, Salah pays it forward by teaching aspiring young coders.
Tanner Linsley // chartjs
Hooked on open source, Tanner has a knack for building solutions people need.
Lorena Mesa // pyladies
Lorena finds the sweet spot between Python, politics, community governance and open source.
Jory Burson // jquery
Jory takes matters into her own hands and asks the tough questions to optimize collaboration.
Marcy Sutton // whatwg
Marcy on the power of advocacy to normalize accessibility and bring more voices to open source.
Kathy Korevec
Armed with research, conviction and user empathy, Kathy is determined to find answers.
Brian Douglas // open-sauced
Bdougie on the pivotal (often heartbreaking) moments that led him to find his true calling.
Angie Jones // applitools
Angie makes a point to stay empathetic, share her knowledge, and give back to the community.
Safia Abdalla // nteract
Safia leverages her position as a maintainer to empower underrepresented contributors
Caleb Porzio // Laravel Livewire
Caleb on monetizing his craft and the value of transparency and sustainability in open source.
Gina Häußge // OctoPrint
How Gina’s pet project grew into an entire ecosystem that took over her life (in a good way).
Nick DeJesus // use-shopping-cart
Nick on more knowledge sharing, education, and support—and less code switching.
Shikha Mishra // Magento
Driven by a strong work ethic, Shikha prioritizes happiness, work satisfaction, and community.
Andrea Griffiths
Andrea made a career change and discovered a new world of possibilities.
Jerome Hardaway
Jerome is changing the game for veterans, writing code, and seeking racial equality for Black Americans.
Michał Gołębiowski-Owczarek // jQuery
Michał’s work on jQuery is fueled by his attention to detail and desire to make an impact.
Mariatta Wijaya // Python
A parent, engineer, woman of color, and open source maintainer, Mariatta leads by example.
Marc Cornellà // Oh My Zsh
How Marc is driven by the community, its challenges—and due dates.
Robby Russell // Oh My Zsh
How Robby relies on his team, mends software, and stays true to his project.
Wes McKinney // Apache Arrow
Wes prioritizes the community to improve data science tools and empower scalable solutions.
David Nolen // clojurescript
David believes in making space for ideas, staying true to your vision, and the power of “no.”
Chrissy LeMaire // dbatools
From the Bayou to Europe, Chrissy builds a life that would make her younger self proud.
Benjie Gillam // Graphile
For Benjie, open source isn’t just about sponsorships and code, but empathy and connection.
Gift Egwuenu // RubyGems
Gift starts small to ignite local and global open source engagement.
Alex Ellis // OpenFaaS
Even as he struggles with funding, Alex recognizes the value of creativity and camaraderie.
Evan You // Vue
How Evan empowers developers to first define and then reach their goals.
Issy Long // Homebrew
Issy stresses the importance of staying patient with themself and taking breaks.
Jordan Harband // TC39
How Jordan approaches each line of code with compassion, gratitude, and purpose.
Ovilia Zhang // Apache ECharts
Ovilia makes an impact by dedicating time to both code and creativity.
Henry Zhu // Babel
How Henry bridged his faith and finances with open source.
Dirk Lemstra // ImageMagick
How Dirk found the middle ground between his day job and open source.
Sonia John // ProtoSchool
Sonia’s journey from self-taught coder to decentralized web advocate.
Samson Goddy // Sugar Labs
Samson proves that it takes just one inspired developer to ignite change.
About The
ReadME Project
Coding is usually seen as a solitary activity, but it’s actually the world’s largest community effort led by open source maintainers, contributors, and teams. These unsung heroes put in long hours to build software, fix issues, field questions, and manage communities.
The ReadME Project is part of GitHub’s ongoing effort to amplify the voices of the developer community. It’s an evolving space to engage with the community and explore the stories, challenges, technology, and culture that surround the world of open source.
Nominate a developer
Nominate inspiring developers and projects you think we should feature in The ReadME Project.
Support the community
Recognize developers working behind the scenes and help open source projects get the resources they need.