Open Source Inclusion - Merge Forward Initiative

Interview at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon NA 2025 with Troy Connor about the Merge Forward initiative.

Topics Discussed

  • Merge Forward: umbrella behind seven community groups
  • Building awareness and relationships in the cloud-native community
  • The need for more maintainers and the burnout problem
  • Challenges contributors face entering open source
  • Importance of mentorship and community support
  • How CNCF creates safe spaces and improves accessibility
  • Elevating underrepresented voices in open source

About Merge Forward

Merge Forward is a community-driven initiative under the CNCF that aims to bring more diversity to the cloud-native ecosystem and help build the next generation of maintainers.