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Karen Sandler

Executive Director at Software Freedom Conservancy

Karen Sandler is the Executive Director of the Software Freedom Conservancy, a 501c3 nonprofit organization focused on ethical technology.1 She is an attorney and a prominent advocate for free software and free culture.1

Sandler received her law degree from Columbia Law School, where she was a James Kent Scholar and co-founder of the Columbia Science and Technology Law Review.1 She also holds a bachelor of science in engineering from The Cooper Union.13

Prior to joining Software Freedom Conservancy in March 2014, Sandler served as the Executive Director of the GNOME Foundation from June 2011 to March 2014.23 She has also worked as the general counsel of the Software Freedom Law Center.13

Sandler is known as a "cyborg lawyer" for her advocacy of free software in medical devices, which stems from her personal experience with a defibrillator implant to manage her hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.34 She co-organizes Outreachy, an award-winning outreach program for people who face under-representation, systemic bias, or discrimination in tech.14

Throughout her career, Sandler has received several accolades for her work in software freedom, including the O'Reilly Open Source Award in 2011 and an honorary doctorate from KU Leuven in 2023.13

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Karen Sandler
Karen Sandler, photo 1
Karen Sandler, photo 2
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Location

Brooklyn, New York, United States

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