I’ve been part of the Apache CloudStack community for a while now. One of my major contributions to the project is that I built new data sources and resources for the CloudStack Terraform Provider during my Google Summer of Code project, helping extend how CloudStack integrates with modern DevOps workflows.
You can read more about that experience in my final GSoC report or watch my CloudStack Collaboration Conference talk.
ShapeBlue has long been a key driving force behind CloudStack’s growth — not only through deep technical contributions but also through consistent community leadership and stewardship. Even more inspiring, ShapeBlue recently became a 100% employee-owned business — owned by its people, for the benefit of its people. That ownership model says a lot about the kind of culture they’re building.
As I prepare to begin this new chapter, I wanted to share a few reasons why I’m especially excited about joining ShapeBlue:
Deep Open-Source Impact
Over the past few years, I’ve contributed to various open-source projects beyond GSoC — from small community PRs to funded open-source initiatives — but few communities compare to CloudStack’s unique blend of technical depth and collaborative mentorship I’ve experienced.
My GSoC mentors were ShapeBlue engineers (Shoutout to Pearl Dsilva, Boris Stoyanov, Harikrishna), and that experience was foundational for me: it pushed me to learn Go, understand distributed systems at scale, and adopt real-world software engineering practices. Joining the same team that shaped that experience feels like completing the circle.
Engineering with an Ownership Mindset
The employee-ownership model deeply resonates with me. It’s rare to find an engineering organization where every contributor has a stake in the company’s success.
That sense of shared responsibility — to build software that’s robust, maintainable, and community-driven — is something I value deeply.
A Natural Next Step
Joining ShapeBlue feels like the natural progression of my journey — from contributor to collaborator, and hopefully an Apache Committer at some point.
It’s an opportunity to work alongside the people who’ve been instrumental in defining CloudStack’s direction for years and to contribute to open-source cloud infrastructure that powers organizations worldwide.
I’m incredibly grateful for the open-source community that helped me reach this point — and excited to keep learning, contributing, and building software that lasts.
If you’re interested in Apache CloudStack or just passionate about open-source — let’s connect and collaborate!