pyOpenSci Celebrates Inessa
Today, I want to take a moment to celebrate a devoted pyOpenSci community member, colleague, and friend, Inessa, who was just awarded the NumFOCUS Community Leadership award. In my opinion, no one is more deserving of recognition for their contributions and dedication to the open source community. Inessa’s day job at OpenTeams is devoted to open source, where she serves as the Open Source Program Manager. But her open source work extends far beyond her professional role!
“Inessa Pawson receives the NumFOCUS Community Leadership Award 2024. Inessa, a pyOpenSci Advisory Council member, is celebrated for her impact in the scientific Python community, including co-organizing the SciPy US and PyCon US Maintainers Summits, serving on the NumPy Steering Council, and leading a number of contributor experience projects.”
I have tremendous admiration for Inessa’s commitment to supporting the open source community, particularly in the scientific Python ecosystem. Her efforts reach far beyond pyOpenSci, impacting the broader open science and Python landscapes.
Inessa’s open source contributions
To foster opportunities for cross-project collaboration in open source and open science, Inessa has co-organized the SciPy US conference since 2020, establishing and serving on several committees (Maintainers Track, Teen Track, Tutorials, Social Activities, Mentorship Program, Hybrid Committee). She has also organized the NumFOCUS Project Summit for the past two years (2023 and 2024) and serves on the Scientific Python Project SPEC Steering Committee.
Inessa has championed the NumFOCUS Code of Conduct (CoC) reform and the creation of the NumFOCUS CoC Working Group.
Inessa is also a core contributor to the scientific Python community. Amongst many commitments within the scientific Python ecosystem, she has been serving on the NumPy Steering Council since 2021 and co-leading the scikit-learn survey team since early 2024. Inessa is a recipient of the 2019 NumPy New Contributor Award.
What truly sets Inessa apart is her relentless commitment to community building. She is a founder and organizer of the CHAOSS Scientific Research Working Group, Tech Alliance of SWFL, PyLadies South Florida, and PySWFL (Python user group in SWFL). Inessa doesn’t just participate; she builds frameworks and fosters connections to ensure the sustainability of the communities that fuel scientific progress.
Inessa cares about DEIA - deeply
Inessa’s leadership and passion for fostering inclusive, supportive communities also extend to her role on the pyOpenSci Advisory Council. She has always been there to talk through challenges as pyOpenSci has grown over the years. I see her as a key advisor behind pyOpenSci’s success.
Inessa is also a devoted mom
On top of all these accomplishments, Inessa is a dedicated mother to two wonderful, bright children who you may have run into at a PyCon US or SciPy US conference! And, on a personal note, Inessa is a wonderful friend and an incredible human being. I can’t think of anyone more deserving of recognition.
Her wide-ranging contributions make her a true leader in the open source community. I’m so happy to be able to take a moment to celebrate her impact.
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