Ada Initiative

Valerie Aurora, already an activist for women in open source, joined Mary Gardiner and members of Geek Feminism to develop anti-harassment policies for conferences{{cite web | author=Alex Bayley | year=2011 | title=Please donate to the Ada Initiative's "Seed 100" campaign| work=Culture/Tech | publisher=Infotropism | url=http://infotrope.net/2011/06/08/please-donate-to-the-ada-initiatives-seed-100-campaign/ | access-date=8 November 2011}} after Noirin Shirley was sexually assaulted at ApacheCon 2010. Together with Gardiner, she founded the Ada Initiative in February 2011.{{cite web | author=Valerie Aurora | author-link=Valerie Aurora | year=2011 | title=The Ada Initiative launch announcement | publisher=The Ada Initiative | url=http://adainitiative.org/2011/02/launch/ | access-date=13 February 2012 | archive-date=9 December 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111209135253/http://adainitiative.org/2011/02/launch/ | url-status=dead }}

In 2014, Valerie Aurora announced her intent to step down as executive director of the Ada Initiative, and an executive search committee was formed to find her replacement. Mary Gardiner, deputy executive director, chose not to be a candidate. The committee, headed by Sumana Harihareswara and Mary Gardiner, announced in March 2015 that the Ada Initiative had hired Crystal Huff as the new executive director.[https://adainitiative.org/2015/03/welcoming-crystal-huff-as-the-new-executive-director-of-the-ada-initiative/ Welcoming Crystal Huff as the new Executive Director of the Ada Initiative] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908175541/https://adainitiative.org/2015/03/welcoming-crystal-huff-as-the-new-executive-director-of-the-ada-initiative/ |date=2015-09-08 }} March 2015, Ada Initiative, Adainitiative.org Huff, formerly of Luminoso in Boston, continued to work from Massachusetts in her new role.

In August 2015, the Ada Initiative announced that the organization would close in mid-October, 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/08/05/ada_initiative_closing/|title=Lights out for Ada Initiative – women's group closing shop|website=Theregister.co.uk|access-date=10 November 2017}} The announcement described the leadership challenge facing the Initiative: neither co-founder intended to continue as executive director. According to the post on the Ada Initiative website:

We felt the likelihood of finding a new ED who could effectively fit into Valerie’s shoes was low. We also considered several other options for continuing the organization, including changing its programs, or becoming volunteer-only. After much deliberation, the board decided to do an orderly shutdown of the Ada Initiative, in which the organization would open source all of our remaining knowledge and expertise in freely reusable and modifiable form. We don’t feel like non-profits need to exist forever. The Ada Initiative did a lot of great work, and we are happy about it.

All services provided by the Ada Initiative were pro bono, and the organization was supported by member donations. In the summer of 2011, the Ada Initiative launched a campaign to raise start-up funds with a goal of contributions from 100 funders. The campaign wrapped up six days before its planned deadline. The organization's first major sponsor was Linux Australia,{{cite news

|title=Project launched to promote women in FOSS

|date=February 9, 2011

|first=Sam

|last=Varghese

|work=ITWire

|url=http://www.itwire.com/opinion-and-analysis/open-sauce/44970-project-launched-to-promote-women-in-foss

|access-date=December 4, 2013

|archive-date=October 2, 2018

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002064721/https://www.itwire.com/opinion-and-analysis/open-sauce/44970-project-launched-to-promote-women-in-foss

|url-status=dead

}} who provided support alongside Puppet Labs, DreamHost, The Mail Archive and Google.{{cite web | year=2011 | title=Sponsors and supporters | publisher=Ada Initiative | url=http://adainitiative.org/sponsors-and-supporters/ | access-date=9 November 2011 | archive-date=8 November 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111108055916/http://adainitiative.org/sponsors-and-supporters/ | url-status=dead }} Aurora and Gardiner were the only staff members, serving full-time roles in the organization.

The Ada Initiative was governed by a seven-person board of directors, who oversaw its management. The board included co-founder Mary Gardiner, Sue Gardner, Amelia Greenhall, Rachel Chalmers, Alicia Gibb, Andrea Horbinski and Marina Zhurakhinskaya.[https://adainitiative.org/about-us/directors/ List of directors] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150804132908/https://adainitiative.org/about-us/directors/ |date=2015-08-04 }} adainitiative.org, August 2015 An advisory board of about 30 members provided input about ideas and projects.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}

File:Ada Camp logo.png, the unconference for women in open stuff]]

In collaboration with members of LinuxChix, Geek Feminism and other groups, the Ada Initiative developed anti-harassment policies for conferences.{{Cite web|title = Conference anti-harassment/Policy|url = http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Conference_anti-harassment/Policy|website = Geek Feminism Wiki|access-date = 2015-12-13}} The Ada Initiative also worked with open source conference organizers to adopt, create and communicate policies to make conferences safer and more inviting for all attendees, particularly women. Conferences such as Ubuntu Developer Summits and all Linux Foundation events, including LinuxCon, have adopted policies based on the Ada Initiative's work.

The Ada Initiative developed policy framework for creating a Women in Open Source Scholarship and programming guides for outreach projects and events. The organization also hosted workshops and training.{{cite web|title=2015 State of DevOps Report|url=https://devops-research.com/assets/state-of-devops-2015.pdf|date=2015|publisher=Puppet Labs, Pwc, IT Revolution Press|access-date=2019-05-06|archive-date=2019-05-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506165632/https://devops-research.com/assets/state-of-devops-2015.pdf|url-status=dead}} These workshops and programs consisted of Allies Workshops for male and institutional supporters and "First Patch Week" programs, which encourages women's participation in Free and open source software (FOSS) through mentoring. The workshop framework is freely available,{{cite web | year=2012 | title=Allies training | publisher=Geek Feminism Wiki | url=http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Allies_training | access-date=13 February 2012}} although the Ada Initiative also offered facilitators to conduct the workshops in person.{{cite web | year=2012 | title=Allies workshop - snappy comebacks for men who want to stop sexism | publisher=The Ada Initiative | author=Valerie Aurora | author-link=Valerie Aurora | url=http://adainitiative.org/2012/02/allies-workshop-snappy-comebacks-for-men-who-want-to-stop-sexism/ | access-date=13 February 2012 | archive-date=11 February 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211033903/http://adainitiative.org/2012/02/allies-workshop-snappy-comebacks-for-men-who-want-to-stop-sexism/ | url-status=dead }}

By encouraging women's participation in open-source culture, the Ada Initiative encouraged women to engage in open source professionally and full-time- not just as volunteers. The organization also researched women's roles and experiences in open source, focusing on bringing research up to date; the last survey done of the gender balance in open source had been completed in 2006.{{cite web|year=2006 |title=FLOSSPOLS Gender: Integrated Report of Findings |publisher=University of Cambridge |url=http://www.flosspols.org/deliverables/FLOSSPOLS-D16-Gender_Integrated_Report_of_Findings.pdf |access-date=13 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213085746/http://flosspols.org/deliverables/FLOSSPOLS-D16-Gender_Integrated_Report_of_Findings.pdf |archive-date=13 February 2012 }} Research methodology and a new survey were produced in 2011.{{cite web|year = 2011|title = Ada Initiative kicks off census to research women's status in open technology and culture|work = Press release|publisher = Ada Initiative|url = http://adainitiative.org/2011/03/09/ada-initiative-kicks-off-census-to-research-womens-status-in-open-technology-and-culture/|access-date = 2015-12-14|archive-date = 2015-12-22|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151222115426/http://adainitiative.org/2011/03/09/ada-initiative-kicks-off-census-to-research-womens-status-in-open-technology-and-culture/|url-status = dead}} A repeat of the survey took place in 2013, with hopes to provide a standard resource for the industry.{{cite web | author=Bruce Byfield | year=2011 | title=Ada Initiative Supports Women in Open Source, Counters Sexism | work=Open Source | publisher=Datamation | url=http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/osrc/article.php/3923936/Ada-Initiative-Supports-Women-in-Open-Source-Counters-Sexism.htm | access-date=8 November 2011 | archive-date=23 August 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823130450/http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/osrc/article.php/3923936/Ada-Initiative-Supports-Women-in-Open-Source-Counters-Sexism.htm | url-status=dead }} The 2011 survey invited participants of any gender and inquired about subjects regarding open source and free software, hardware, open mapping, and other related open source areas, as well as free culture such as Creative Commons, online activism, mashup, maker, hacker spaces and related communities.

The Ada Initiative was the organizer of AdaCamp, an unconference "dedicated to increasing women’s participation in open technology and culture."{{cite web | year=2015 | title=AdaCamp | publisher=Ada Initiative | url=http://adacamp.org/ | access-date=13 December 2015}} Seven AdaCamps were held between 2012 and 2015.{{cite news | url=http://www.techworld.com.au/article/406353/melbourne_adacamp_address_open_technology_gender_issues/ | title=Melbourne AdaCamp to address open technology's gender issues | first=Rohan | last=Pearce | work=Techworld Australia | date=2011-11-04 | access-date=2013-05-08}}{{cite news | url=http://www.techworld.com.au/article/412308/adacamp_aims_boost_women_participation_open_tech/ | title=AdaCamp aims to boost women's participation in open tech | first=Rohan | last=Pearce | work=Techworld Australia | date=2012-01-13 | access-date=2013-05-08 | archive-date=2018-10-02 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002065320/https://www.techworld.com.au/article/412308/adacamp_aims_boost_women_participation_open_tech/ | url-status=dead }}{{cite web | url=http://adacamp.org/about-adacamp/ | title=About AdaCamp|website=Adacamp.org | date=18 June 2015| access-date=2015-12-13}}

In February 2013, the organizers of the Security B-Sides San Francisco conference canceled speaker Violet Blue's talk, sex +/- drugs: known vulns and exploits,{{cite web|url=http://www.securitybsides.com/w/page/35868077/BSidesSanFrancisco|title=Security BSides / BSidesSanFrancisco2013|website=Securitybsides.com|access-date=10 November 2017}} due to concerns raised by the Ada Initiative that it contained rape triggers, as well as the Ada Initiative's consideration of the subject as off-topic for a security conference.{{cite web|url=http://adainitiative.org/2013/02/keeping-it-on-topic-the-problem-with-discussing-sex-at-technical-conferences/|title=Keeping it on-topic: the problem with discussing sex at technical conferences|date=26 February 2013|website=Adainitiative.org|access-date=10 November 2017|archive-date=2 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302095620/http://adainitiative.org/2013/02/keeping-it-on-topic-the-problem-with-discussing-sex-at-technical-conferences/|url-status=dead}} The abrupt cancellation provoked intense discussion in the information security industry.{{Cite web |url=http://www.csoonline.com/article/2137204/security-industry/rsa-bsidessf--the-other-side-of-the-violet-blue-controversy.html |title=RSA/BSidesSF: The other side of the Violet Blue controversy |date=27 February 2013 |access-date=2017-06-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628225703/http://www.csoonline.com/article/2137204/security-industry/rsa-bsidessf--the-other-side-of-the-violet-blue-controversy.html |archive-date=2017-06-28 |url-status=bot: unknown }} Since the event at B-Sides SF, lead organizer Ian Fung has outlined his account of the interactions between Blue, Aurora, and the Ada Initiative on the B-Sides SF front page, contradicting some of the claims made by both the Ada Initiative and Blue.

• Ada Project, The
• Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology
• Contributor Covenant
• Discrimination
• Sexism in the technology industry
• Women in computing

{{reflist}}

• [http://adainitiative.org/ Official website]
• [http://adainitiative.org/2011/06/census-march-2011-demographic-breakdown-of-responses/ Census, March 2011: Demographic breakdown of responses] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403143443/http://adainitiative.org/2011/06/census-march-2011-demographic-breakdown-of-responses/ |date=2012-04-03 }} from the Ada Initiative.
• [http://adainitiative.org/2011/08/18/ada-initiative-census-results-part-2-womens-representation-and-perceived-friendliness-of-opentech-to-women-7/ Ada Initiative Census Results Part 2] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219105019/http://adainitiative.org/2011/08/18/ada-initiative-census-results-part-2-womens-representation-and-perceived-friendliness-of-opentech-to-women-7/ |date=2021-02-19 }}

Category:Information technology organizations based in North America

Category:Women's organizations based in the United States

Category:Organizations for women in science and technology

Category:Defunct organizations based in the United States

Category:Free and open-source software organizations

Category:2011 establishments in the United States

Category:Organizations established in 2011

Category:Organizations disestablished in 2015

Category:2015 disestablishments in the United States

Category:Women in computing

Category:Ada Lovelace