Board Elections 2023: Meet the candidates

Ted Matsumura has worked in the tech industry since the mid 1980s, and with linux and FOSS since the mid 1990s. As a product manager for Adaptec Japan, he has promoted Linux and FOSS at start-ups as well as larger companies as a product manager including Intel, Packet Engines, Penguin Computing, and smaller companies.

Ted has contributed on the “Crouton” project which was an early method to enable linux to run on Chromebooks, and authored an ebook on this. Ted also worked with linux kernel developers to develop the first Gigabit Ethernet linux drivers while working at Packet Engines. Ted has taught Linux and computer sciences as an adjunct professor, and currently works at a mutinational firm on secure cloud environments, and devsecops. He resides in the the Pacific Northwest

1. First, I would like to use the business and technical skills I’ve honed during the past 30 years to bring others up to speed quickly on the importance of linux and Open Source Software projects. I feel being involved with the teaching and certification process also helps me keep aware of the latest technologies, which I use in my job as a senior devops engineer for secure cloud platforms in a multinational corporation.
2. Second, I would like to help modernize the training curriculum and certification process to match what enterprise clients are looking for. To differentiate the material and processes to more closely match an actual work environment utilizing newer testing technologies including high quality lab simulation environments. To be able to provide the best in class education materials, and testing technologies that exceed the capabilities of strictly multiple choice certifications, and provide interactive environments that match real world scenarios to show knowledge, and problem solving capabilities.
3. Third, I would like the educational programs and testing to be more widely available to all users, especially those who normally could not afford either the time, resources, incentive, or costs to achieve certification. I do appreciate the great work that LPI has done so far, since my involvement in being certified, and teaching for the LPI exams as a college adjunct professor 20 years ago, and I would like to help the process continue to evolve in availability and proliferation.

My 33+ years of experience with a global IT company and now open source software-based venture provide an additional unique viewpoint and skill-set that would add to the reputation and efficacy of the Board of Directors. My professional history with Free and Open Source Software goes back to 1999, when I worked as manager of Linux business development. In that role, I accomplished the following;

– Provided support and encouragement to the existing Japanese Linux community, such as the Japan Linux Association,
– Started new activities such as LPI for engineer development and enterprise Linux activities with Hitachi, Fujitsu and NEC in conjunction with the Open Source Development Lab (OSDL).

Following that period, I held several positions which required me to work closely with Open Source Software and hence, become intimately familiar with its value to my company and the industry in general.

Some of the other positions I have held in which I worked closely with Open Source Software were: Chairperson, Human Resource Development of Northeast Asia OSS Promotion Forum (April 2006 – March 2009), Chairperson, Human Resource Development of Japan OSS Promotion Forum (December 2005 – March 2009) and Steering Committee member, Japan OSS Promotion Forum (January 2005 – March 2009)

I have written, jointly, the following publications: “OS/2 Warp Internet Connection”, ASCII, (1996) and “IBM Linux Strategy” IDG Japan, (2003)

I have spent almost three decades working directly with Linux and Open Source Software based systems-serving on committees and in organizations dedicated to Linux and shaping Linux education and policies in Japan, and also internationally through my work with IBM and its global partners.

Serving on the board, with fellow seasoned Linux professionals would allow me the opportunity to further expand my knowledge, and contribute a unique Asia-Japan based perspective to the enhancement of the global Linux and Open Source Software community.

My name is Thiago Sobral, married, 2 kids, I love barbecues, harmonica, and my entire career is based on Free and Open Source. I work with Linux, Free, and Open Source software since 1998. I began working as a hardware intern, then I moved to be a C ANSI programmer in Linux. I switched to be a consultant sometime later and then started working as an instructor as well (I created my own material, being comprehensive between operating system and applications), at that time I realized that I was a FOSS Evangelist, understood what it was, its meaning, and power for changing the status quo aiming to spread the benefits of freedom.

I’m still a member of the Free Software Association in Brazil, I was part of the Free and Open Source movements that we had in Brazil in the early of the century, author of articles (I love writing!), I was a presenter in several events (in Brazil and abroad), since install fests until international ones in some countries between Latin America, Europe, and the US. I was part of the organization of the International Free Software Congress in Brazil and other events, I created courses for universities (being the course coordinator), all courses were based on Free and Open Source software.

My technical background goes beyond operating systems and programming, I worked with several different technologies and their integration, from infrastructure to applications, covering networking, security, and all topics that shown up in the customer environments or in the ones that I work as a SysAdmin. I worked for small companies and big ones, I’m a former Conectiva, Red Hat, and SUSE employee, where I could experience and understand the Enterprise Open Source needs, value, and how it could boost the FOSS scenario, especially in the integration with the communities.

I’m part of the Digital Law Commission in Sao Paulo, instructor/educator for several years, created FOSS events, attended hundreds as well, I have a strong technical background and then I leaned more towards business, strategy, and marketing. Today I’m a Global Offering Manager for the Open Source in IBM. I’m responsible for the entire offering, since the technical commitment until all business generated using Open Source. My offering is compounded by the blend of Enterprise Open Source with community packages. I’m the global responsible for supporting community packages along with the commercial ones. That’s why I’m such involved with several communities around the world, having a holistic perspective about the needs of the communities, companies, professionals, and the ones that are starting their careers.

This is an opportunity to contribute and share my experiences for educational purposes along with professional, social, and economic views, FOSS is my passion in all aspects. Currently, I have the opportunity to work with support for community packages around the world and it can strengthen hundreds of projects/foundations, and consequently professionals, its families, and foster local economies. That’s why I’m so motivated regarding FOSS because, with just one idea, will, and energy, we can do whatever we want, but we have to have the knowledge and it is part of the mission, helping to provide it.

I’d like to learn a lot with the board, LPI members, and the whole LPI ecosystem, so I can review my career, my point of view, and grow as a professional and person, as we care about people and their careers, something which directly reflect on its lives.

For me is a chance to allow me to go deep, to the next level into the FOSS scene, and will be an honor to being part of a structured movement that has a self-feed, as I think that I’ll work for at least, 25 years more with FOSS related projects and roles.

I believe that being part of the board will be a chance to scale and replicate all best practices that we know using collected evidence as a starting point, doing our best to support all of the professionals that would like to pass the exams. The exams are the last part, everyone must study and work to accomplish the minimum score, and all efforts are compensated by better wages which consequently brings a better life quality.

The balance between companies’ interests, communities, and the professionals must be interlocked by a structure that can be the liaison for movements and steps that everyone can walkthrough jointly, having freedom as a basis, a kind of cornerstone.

I would like to share that I’m excited about the opportunity to join the board, where I’ll have the possibility to translate all of my experience (with a lot of energy), of more than 20 years with FOSS into actions that can contribute to the improvement in both, the LPI institute and its members, but I cannot forget about the professionals and who else is starting his careers. In general, I’ll work to help and promote all professionals who work with Linux and FOSS ecosystem, within a transformation having the education and knowledge as a basis. As I have data from different markets, companies, and their needs, my objective is to promote professionals to their next step in their careers with solid movements that will follow them in the years to come.

This will be done using the experience I have creating materials, exams, and community integration. My technical and business backgrounds let me understand both sides of being a professional and what companies wish from professionals.