This is who we are

Meet the technologists, activists, and designers working at Mozilla Foundation

Mission

Mozilla Foundation is a non-profit building a better technology future — powered by people, open by design, fueled by imagination.

We deliver people-first alternatives to today’s extractive systems. We build side by side with developers, innovators and advocates, united in the belief that a better technology future is not only possible — it’s ours to create.

History

  • 1998
    ORIGIN STORY
  • 2003
    Foundation Heritage
  • 2010
    Community Development
  • 2017
    Good Tech
  • 2020s
    Trustworthy AI
The Beginning

The browser is everyone’s portal to the Internet. The 90s was the golden age of Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator (both now retired). Netscape made the audacious move in 1998 to release its code to the public. This code was named Mozilla. The open-source Mozilla project was born, led by a global community of volunteers.

Hello World!

Mozilla Foundation was established as a non-profit with $2 million in seed funding from Netscape to kick off an era of open source development. By 2004, the Mozilla project had expanded globally with new communities in Europe, Japan, and China. The Mozilla Developer Network distributed free resources to developers and sparked open-source innovations worldwide.

Sharing Knowledge

Our builders turbo-charged new ways of learning online with recognition systems (Open Badges), community networks (Hive Networks, Science Lab), online tools (Webmaker), engagement events (Maker Party), and mentorship programs (Open Leaders). We also started an annual gathering, now the Mozilla Festival, for thousands of community members to co-create together. Our Fellowship program supports over 200 technologists.

Ensuring Internet Health

We launched the annual Internet Health report, which combined research and storytelling to give a state of play online and spotlight trailblazers building better tech alternatives. The report gave life to our award-winning podcast, IRL (Online Life is Real Life). We published well-researched consumer privacy reviews on wearables, cars, and apps under the banner Privacy Not Included. In 2018, we launched the Responsible Computing Challenge, embedding ethics in computing education.

Our Work on AI

We combat misinformation, AI bias, and platforms’ impact on global elections. New initiatives include our Technology Fund, the Data Futures Lab, and an expansion of the responsible AI Fellowship. Common Voice is our community crowdsourcing project to ensure that tech speaks your language. Our research drove meaningful changes for consumers across major tech platforms, including Tinder, TikTok, YouTube, and legislation in the EU.

Leadership

  • Leadership
  • Board of Directors
Nabiha Syed
Executive Director
Angela Plohman
Chief Operating Officer
Dayo Lamolo
Vice President, Strategic Communications
Amanda Lee Gaffar
Executive Program Manager
D’Andre Walker
Senior Counsel
EM Lewis-Jong
Product Director, Common Voice
Kristen Spangler
Senior Director, Finance and Administration
Lauren Hendry Parsons
Director, Communications
Lindsey Dodson
Director, Global Grants
Michael Whitney
Senior Director, Development
Rocío O’Rourke
Director, Mozilla Festival
Shing Suiter
Senior Director, Technology Platforms
Steven Azeka
Program Lead, Responsible Computing Challenge
Tekia Stokes
Senior Director, People and Culture
Robin Curran
Director, Mobilization
Nicole Wong
Nicole Wong
Chair
Brian Behlendorf
Brian Behlendorf
Board Member
Helen Turvey
Helen Turvey
Board Member
Amy Keating
Amy Keating
Board Member
Mark Surman
Mark Surman
President, Mozilla
Alondra Nelson
Alondra Nelson
Board Member
Edwin Macharia
Edwin Macharia
Board Member
Raffi Krikorian
Raffi Krikorian
Board Member
Zain Habboo
Zain Habboo
Board Member