2025-10-05 –, Apo
During the OpenStreetMap Foundation Board Ask Us Anything (i.e. AMA) session, we will take questions from the audience oand/or more questions that the larger community can submit before the event. We can discuss the board's past actions and our future plans.
Let’s have a conversation about the Foundation and the Board and how all the parts work together. If you know nothing about what the board is doing, this is a chance to find out. Find out what the Foundation does and doesn’t do, what it can and can’t do. Find out how you can help and get involved. The Board is committed to openness and wants to engage with the community.
Feel free to ask us questions also outside this specific session.
OpenStreetMap Foundation
Laura is a Geospatial engineer working at the intersection of open data, free and open-source software, and sustainable development. Committed to building for impact, she harnesses the power of technology to drive positive change. She is an Implementation officer at Ushahidi, leading capacity building and technical support for the African Union Civic Tech Fund and data science for partner projects.
In her free time, Laura volunteers with tech communities. She currently sits on the OpenStreetMap Foundation board to support the OpenStreetMap community, a worldwide mapping effort to create and provide free geographic data to anyone, anywhere, with no restrictions.
Current Chair of the Board of the OSM Foundation. Previously Secretary and before that an ordinary Board member. I came to OSM through my work as an Urban and Regional Planner and have been working with GIS and mapping systems since the 1980s. I also have a computer techie background and a love of Free and Open Source Software. I live in Africa and mostly I map in Africa. I have a special interest in mapping previously un-mapped places in Somalia, the DRC and Chad. Nothing makes me happier than putting a village on the map.
Brazil Singh is an OpenStreetMap enthusiast and advocate for open data from Bangladesh, with a strong commitment to making open mapping more accessible and inclusive. As an Open Mapping Guru and Leadership Fellow of YouthMappers, Brazil has led numerous community-driven mapping initiatives.
Brazil is an advocate for open data, and his projects often emphasize the importance of localizing training materials and creating structured mentorship programs for new contributors.
With a background in Computer Science and Engineering, Brazil combines his technical skills with his passion for community building to empower others in the OSM ecosystem.
Héctor began mapping in 2011 and joined Mapeado Colaborativo in 2016. With a Computer Engineering background, he pursued a master’s in Cartography and is now a PhD student at the University of Camerino, Italy, researching Open Data in the “ODECO” project. His research focuses on commercial companies in Open Data and interactions in tools like the HOT Tasking Manager. Passionate about transportation and urban mobility, Héctor enjoys travelling and exploring new cultures. In 2024, he joined the OpenStreetMap Foundation board.