The scientific Python ecosystem powers research, education, and innovation across disciplines from physics and biology to finance and AI. However, the long-term sustainability of this ecosystem depends on the people behind it. While the Scientific Python ecosystem continues to attract new contributors, retaining them remains a challenge with factors such as unclear career pathways, emotional labor, burnout, funding limitations, and project governance can discourage continued involvement.

This discussion is about the human side of open source: mentorship, collaboration, recognition, and belonging. The discussion will aim to surface practical ideas we can take back to our respective projects, as well as identify shared challenges we may be able to address together across the ecosystem.