About 40% of the open-source hardware is from a Minority and Woman-owned Business Enterprise @ohsummit #opensource #MWBE

The OSHW Community Survey 2020 from the Open Source Hardware Association was published with a lot of details –

“In 2020 we conducted the third OSHW Community Survey (see 2012 and 2013), which collected 441 responses. All questions were optional, so you may notice response counts do not always add up to 441. In particular, a number of individuals didn’t feel comfortable with the demographic questions. We ask these questions as part of our efforts to promote diversity in the community, but these too were optional and anonymous.

Read the results here.

Regardless of the optional self-reported demographic info as of right now at least 40% of the certified open-source hardware comes from a Minority and Woman-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE)… Adafruit.

For 2021, we’d like to see OSWHA include companies and businesses in their surveys, sites, and publications (celebrate them). This includes: sending the survey to companies, including companies and specific questions about the companies in the surveys, having a list of OSHW companies on OSHWA properties, profiles / “open source success stories” of companies by OSWHA. Suppose companies are not mentioned or celebrated – In that case, no one will want to do open-source hardware if the organization tasked to promote open-source hardware does not mention businesses/companies besides the sponsoring of the summit(s). Non-profit open source organizations can celebrate people, companies, businesses and publish any conflict of interests or just state facts. And the fact is, for the time being, most certified open-source hardware is woman/women made, and that’s a good thing worth celebrating… one day, it won’t be unique or a first.