The Ada Initiative announced today that they’ll be shutting down. I am, of course, sad to see them wind down, but I also recognise the value of making thoughtful decisions about the lifespan of organisations.
I appreciate the care that has gone into making sure that the knowledge and experience embodied in TAI’s work is made available to others to use and build on. Open sourcing the Adacamp Toolkit, the Ally Skills workshop material, and Imposter Syndrome training, means that other people can continue this work. TAI’s closing announcement also pointed to many other organisations doing congruent work, and ways that people can support women in open technology and culture.
Val is going to continue teaching workshops, and Mary will be looking for something new. I’ve loved all my interactions with Mary, and I think her work is incredible: if you know of an opportunity that will fit her, I hope you’ll get in touch!
Personally, I’ve gained so much from TAI’s work. I loved the first AdaCamp I went to, back in Melbourne. That and AdaCamp Montreal helped me to meet a bunch of wonderful people, and to get a sense of what a safe(r) space might really look like. I also appreciate that work by TAI and others to get Codes of Conduct in place for conferences is started to spread to academia. I hope that some of the resources TAI has produced find new life, particularly in Australia.
leftover words 