President and Ecosystem Strategy Lead

 

Josh Simmons is a web developer, armchair philosopher, and open source strategist starting his fifth year on the OSI board. He's been a freelancer and startup CEO (RIP) and has worked as a volunteer and professional community organizer. Josh currently does ecosystem strategy for Tidelift and serves as President of the Open Source Initiative.

Josh is recognized globally as an advocate for free and open source software, inclusive community building, and ethical technology. He works on multiple boards and is frequently sought out to advise and consult. Through this work, he builds bridges into software freedom and corporate open source, across cultural divides, and convenes all manner of stakeholders around shared interests.

In the four years Josh has been on the OSI board, he has served as CFO, VP, and Chair of the Staffing Committee. He's deepened relationships with FLOSS organizations around the world, represented OSI's views at summits and meetings, and has worked to build consensus in even the most fractious of times.

Josh has always endeavored to make the OSI a more bold, resilient, responsive, and representative organization. With renowned experts in licensing, standards, communications, and organizational development on the board, Josh's role is to facilitate in dogged pursuit of our mission.

 

Sessions