Kris Freedain

Kris Freedain (he/him) is the Community Manager for the OpenSearch Project, OpenSearch Software Foundation, and technical steering committee. He is also an OpenSearch Ambassador. Based in the Pacific Northwest, he is a dedicated family man, husband, and father, who practices Buddhism and meditation daily. Kris enjoys gardening, powerlifting, and exploring nature with his family.

He has experience in community engagement, digital marketing, support, and release management throughout his career, contributing to various initiatives and events within the tech community. He has decades of experience in tech, but finds connecting people to be the most fulfilling part of being a community professional.

Kris is also a Fediverse admin for the Fosstodon instance and serves as a Fosstodon Foundation Board Member.

Session Description:

In this session, we share insights from designing & implementing scalable global user group programs for different open source project. 

Learning methods and best practices in this discussion should be aimed to foster sustainable, community-led growth while maintaining alignment with open-source principles of shared ownership & collaboration.

Key Topics for discussion:
- Framework Development
- Leadership Empowerment 
- Sustaining Momentum
- Measurable Success

Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to replicate, adapt to their ecosystems, and drive grassroots growth.