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[H1] 2026 Board Election Candidates

Our community is full of passionate and talented individuals, and we’re excited to introduce the candidates for this year’s .NET Foundation Board of Directors election.

Check out the candidates here

[H1] Independent.Innovative. Always open source.

The .NET Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization established to support an innovative, commercially friendly, open-source ecosystem around the .NET platform.

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[H2] How we support the community?
We need you! Community involvement is what makes the .NET Foundation such a resounding success.

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Open Source Projects

The .NET Foundation provides several services to support the open source projects in our community and help them grow.

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Community

We work not only with Microsoft, but with the broader industry to increase exposure of .NET's capabilities. All our resources...

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Resources

The foundation also lists a number of presentations, workshops, e-books and tutorials from the community.

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The Benefits of Membership

The .NET ecosystem is constantly evolving and growing, and we've seen incredible innovation in the last few years with more to come. If you are passionate about the .NET ecosystem, then you should consider becoming a member.
The way we see it, there are four major reasons to become a member.
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Featured Speaker

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Samuel Adranyi

Accra, Ghana

Software Engineer, Blogger-Speaker-Streamer, Technology Advocate, Community Lead, AI, and IoT enthusiast making the world a better place through technology, community engagement, and knowledge sharing.

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Matthew D. Groves

Delaware, United States

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Layla Porter

United Kingdom

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Sean Killeen

Arlington, United States

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Aneesh Gopalakrishnan

New York, United States

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[H1] 2026 Board Election Candidates

[H1] Find out more about the Board Candidates
Before casting your vote on OpaVote, take some time to get to know the candidates for this year’s .NET Foundation Board of Directors elections.We’re excited to have a diverse group of outstanding candidates. Explore their profiles, watch their candidacy videos, and learn more about their vision for the community.Jordyn WallacePeter SmulovicsHayk YeghoyanMeagon HansenTalles ValiattiMitchel SellersHayden BarnesMaourice Gonzalez

[H1] Jordyn Wallace

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LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordyn-wallace/
[H2] What would it mean for you to serve in the Foundation?
Serving on the .NET Foundation Board would be one of the most meaningful things I've done in my career, and I don't say that lightly.I've spent years advocating for the idea that community is not a soft skill—it's a strategy. Being asked to bring that belief into a governance role at one of the most significant open-source foundations in tech is both a personal milestone and a professional validation I didn't know I needed.It would mean having a real seat at a real table, not just as a cheerleader for the ecosystem, but as someone with the responsibility to shape it. For someone who has built her entire career around the conviction that the "human in the loop" layer of technology matters as much as the technical one, this is the opportunity to prove it at scale.
[H2] What do you believe is the most important challenge or opportunity facing the .NET Foundation over the next 2–3 years?
The Foundation's most important work over the next few years is primarily relational.The community trust that was damaged by the governance controversies of 2021 hasn't fully healed, and the decline in active member projects is a symptom of that. I see the opportunity in front of the Foundation to rebuild—not through policy documents, but through consistent, human-centered engagement that makes developers and maintainers feel like the Foundation is working for them, not around them.I would focus on rebuilding that trust through transparency, by creating spaces where community members feel genuinely heard, and by championing initiatives that put maintainer experience and contributor belonging at the center of the Foundation's identity.Trust isn't a governance problem—it's a community problem. This is exactly the kind of problem I know how to solve.
[H2] Which specific skills, experience, or perspective would you bring?
I bring the skills the Foundation needs most right now: community architecture, ecosystem relationship-building, and the ability to make people feel like they belong somewhere no matter where they actually are.As a RenderATL and Torc ambassador, I've represented communities globally and built authentic relationships across the developer ecosystem. Through Let's Take This Offline, my blog and personal brand dedicated to human connection in tech, I've built an audience around the exact values the Foundation is trying to reclaim: transparency, inclusion, and showing up for each other.On the BD and partnership side, I bring experience identifying and cultivating sponsorship relationships, building programmatic community initiatives, and thinking strategically about how an organization presents itself to the world.As someone who is not a .NET developer, I bring an outsider's clarity about what the ecosystem looks like to the people the Foundation most needs to reach.
[H2] How would you actively contribute your time, network, and effort?
I have built both my personal and professional identity around showing up.I would bring my network of conference organizers, developer advocates, community builders, and ecosystem partners directly to the Foundation's benefit, opening doors to sponsorships, event partnerships, and visibility opportunities that a technically focused board may not have natural access to.I would champion community programming that makes membership feel indispensable for the individual developers inside them.I would use my platform on LinkedIn, X, and through Let's Take This Offline to amplify Foundation initiatives and model the kind of engaged, human-centered leadership I believe the Foundation needs more of.And I would attend, contribute, and do the unglamorous work because I believe this Foundation matters, and the people who believe something matters are the ones who do the work to prove it.

[H1] Peter Smulovics

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LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/smulovicspeter/
[H2] What would it mean for you to serve in the Foundation?
Serving on the .NET Foundation Board would be an opportunity to give back to a community that has shaped much of my professional career while helping guide its future.Throughout my career, I have benefited from the innovation, collaboration, and openness that have made .NET one of the most successful developer ecosystems in the world. For me, board service is not about recognition; it is about stewardship.It is an opportunity to help ensure that the Foundation continues to support maintainers, empower contributors, attract new participants, and remain a trusted home for open-source projects.I believe the Foundation plays a critical role in connecting developers, enterprises, sponsors, educators, and technology leaders, and I would be honored to help strengthen those connections.
[H2] What do you believe is the most important challenge or opportunity facing the .NET Foundation over the next 2–3 years?
Over the next two to three years, I believe the greatest opportunity facing the .NET Foundation is expanding its relevance and visibility beyond its existing community while simultaneously increasing the tangible value it provides to projects and maintainers.The .NET ecosystem is stronger than ever: it is cross-platform, cloud-native, AI-enabled, enterprise-proven, and increasingly relevant beyond traditional Microsoft-centric audiences. Yet many organizations, students, developers, and potential sponsors still do not fully understand the breadth of the ecosystem or the value the Foundation can provide.At the same time, maintainers continue to face growing challenges around sustainability, contributor onboarding, security, governance, and project operations.I would help address this by focusing on three areas:Strengthening support services for maintainersExpanding contributor onboarding and mentorship programsBuilding stronger relationships with enterprises and sponsors that depend on .NETThe Foundation has an opportunity to become not only a steward of projects but also an active enabler of their long-term success.
[H2] Which specific skills, experience, or perspective would you bring?
Beyond technical expertise, I bring extensive experience in governance, community leadership, strategic planning, sponsorship development, and open-source ecosystem growth.I currently serve as Chair of the FINOS Technical Oversight Committee and Chair of Open Source Readiness within the Linux Foundation ecosystem, where I have worked on project governance, maturity models, contributor engagement, transparency initiatives, and strategic planning across a large portfolio of open-source projects.Professionally, as a Distinguished Engineer at Morgan Stanley, I understand how large enterprises evaluate, adopt, fund, and depend on open source. This combination of enterprise and open-source experience allows me to bridge the needs of maintainers, contributors, sponsors, and organizational stakeholders.I also bring extensive experience in community building through conferences, hackathons, mentorship programs, developer events, and industry partnerships, as well as a strong track record of communicating complex technical topics to diverse audiences ranging from developers to executives.
[H2] How would you actively contribute your time, network, and effort?
I fully understand that board service is a working leadership role. If elected, I would actively contribute my time, network, and energy to advancing the Foundation's mission.I would leverage my relationships across the Microsoft, Linux Foundation, FINOS, enterprise, and developer communities to help build new partnerships, sponsorship opportunities, and collaborative initiatives. I would continue to advocate for the Foundation through conferences, community events, articles, panels, and mentoring programs.I would also work closely with fellow board members, maintainers, contributors, and Foundation staff to improve transparency, strengthen communication, and ensure that the Foundation remains responsive to the needs of its community.My goal would be to help the Foundation become more visible, more useful, and more impactful while preserving the values that have made it a trusted part of the .NET ecosystem.Ultimately, I believe my combination of governance experience, enterprise perspective, community leadership, and passion for open source would allow me to make a meaningful contribution to the Board.I have spent much of my career bringing together organizations, communities, and individuals around shared goals, and I would bring that same collaborative approach to helping the .NET Foundation grow, evolve, and thrive in the years ahead.

[H1] Hayk Yeghoyan

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LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeghoyanhayk/
[H2] What would it mean for you to serve in the Foundation?
The .NET ecosystem has been part of my work for most of my career, so serving would be a way to give back to a community I rely on.More than that, I see a real opportunity right now. AI is reshaping how software gets built, and .NET sits at the center of a huge amount of enterprise and fintech work. I'd want to help make sure the Foundation and its projects stay relevant and well-positioned through that shift, rather than reacting to it after the fact.
[H2] What do you believe is the most important challenge or opportunity facing the .NET Foundation over the next 2–3 years?
The biggest one is AI.The opportunity is making .NET a first-class platform for building AI and agentic systems—strong SDKs, clear patterns for LLM integration, structured outputs, orchestration, and tooling that developers actually reach for instead of defaulting to Python.The risk is the opposite: that .NET gets seen as a legacy enterprise stack while the AI-native work happens elsewhere.I work on this every day. I build agentic systems with LLM API integration, structured outputs, and multi-provider orchestration, and I architect production AI for regulated environments.I'd help the Foundation set a clear direction here—prioritizing the libraries, reference architectures, and developer guidance that keep .NET competitive for AI workloads, and helping the community see a credible path forward.
[H2] Which specific skills, experience, or perspective would you bring?
My strongest non-technical contribution is the intersection of fintech, compliance, and AI.I've led engineering teams in banking and financial services, where governance, risk, and regulatory constraints aren't optional. That gives me a useful perspective on Board-level questions around governance, partnerships, and how the Foundation positions itself with enterprise sponsors who care about exactly those concerns.I also bring multi-team engineering leadership and solutions architecture experience, so I'm comfortable with the operational and strategic side—setting priorities, managing competing interests, and turning direction into something teams can actually execute.
[H2] How would you actively contribute your time, network, and effort?
I treat board work as working leadership, not a title.Concretely, I'd commit time to the AI direction described above—helping shape strategy, reviewing proposals, and supporting maintainers working on AI-related projects.I'd use my network in fintech and enterprise AI to open conversations around sponsorship and partnerships, since those organizations are exactly the ones investing heavily in both .NET and AI right now.And I'd show up consistently for the unglamorous parts: governance, member support, and the day-to-day decisions that keep the Foundation healthy.

[H1] Meagon Hansen

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LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/81megs/
[H2] What would it mean for you to serve in the Foundation?
Serving on the .NET Foundation Board would mean contributing to the long-term health, clarity, and credibility of an ecosystem that has shaped so many careers and communities.For me, board service is not symbolic—it's stewardship. In my view and with my experience, it is the responsibility to expand reach, create connections, and share resources.It would be an opportunity to bring my experience in growth, partnerships, and organizational alignment to a community that deserves strong, stable leadership and is passionate about thriving.
[H2] What do you believe is the most important challenge or opportunity facing the .NET Foundation over the next 2–3 years?
The biggest challenge—and opportunity—for the Foundation over the next few years is building trust, clarity, and engagement across the community while modernizing how the Foundation operates.Developers, maintainers, sponsors, and partners need a Foundation that is transparent, communicative, and aligned around a shared mission. At the same time, the Foundation has an opportunity to expand its influence by strengthening partnerships and telling a clearer story about the value it provides.I would help by focusing on these areas:
[H3] Governance Clarity
Ensuring processes, expectations, and decision-making frameworks are communicated clearly and consistently.
[H3] Partnership and Sponsorship Growth
Bringing my experience in revenue generation, relationship-building, and strategic partnerships to expand the Foundation’s financial stability and reach.
[H3] Community Engagement
Helping shape messaging and programs that make contributors, maintainers, and members feel seen, supported, and connected to the Foundation’s mission.The Foundation is at a moment where it can evolve into a stronger, more consistent organization with greater alignment and community value. I see that as an exciting direction, and I’m ready to help move it forward.
[H2] Which specific skills, experience, or perspective would you bring?
I bring a combination of skills that directly strengthen the Foundation’s operational and strategic capacity.
[H3] Partnerships & Sponsorships
I’ve prospected, closed, and managed major partnerships with organizations such as Microsoft, Pluralsight, SAP, Oracle, Octopus Deploy, Redgate, Red Hat, and Dell. I know how to build relationships, structure value, and create sustainable revenue pathways.
[H3] Marketing & Communications
As a former VP of Marketing, I know how to clarify messaging,

Who We Are

[H2] What is the .NET Foundation?
The .NET Foundation is a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization, which was established to support an innovative, commercially friendly, open-source ecosystem around the .NET platform.

[H2] What we do
The .NET Foundation supports .NET open source in several ways:Promote the broad spectrum of software available to .NET developers through NuGet.org, GitHub, and other venues.Advocate for the needs of .NET open source developers in the community.Evangelize the benefits of the .NET platform to a wider community of developers.Promote the benefits of the open source model to developers already using .NET.Offer administrative support for member projects.Support .NET community events with sponsorship and content.

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[H2] How You Can Get Involved

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[H2] More about the .NET Foundation

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Hosting a .NET Meetup?

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.NET Virtual User Group

Are you a .NET developer or someone that is interested learning how to build apps across web, mobile, desktop, server and more with .NET? Join the .NET Virtual User Group, where you can find .NET meetups around the globe that are hosting their events online that you can attend.

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Are you a .NET user group that is already hosting online meetups? Submit your next meetup to be promoted on the .NET Virtual User Group meetup page. We will add your event to the .NET Virtual User Group meetup page so developers around the globe get notified when your event is happening and can tune in! It is a great way to promote your user group's awesome presentations.

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Past Events

Don't worry if you can't attend an online meetup because we work with .NET user groups around the globe and have a playlist of past events that you can re-watch.

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