Have you ever met someone and thought, "Wow, how does she do ALL of that?!" Open source leader Ruth Suehle is truly a kaleidoscope of passions and talents.

One minute she's spearheading an open source program office at a major tech company. The next, she's competing in Scottish Highland dancing competitions (yes, that's a thing!). Then you find out she's also an embroidery master, a skilled baker who grinds her own wheat, and has even pursued mermaiding!

Ruth shares her delightfully unconventional path from journalism grad to open source maven. You'll be amazed as she recounts her childhood dreams of archeology and finding her name in print. Hear how she stops dancing, only to rediscover this passion through the world of community dance years later.

Along the way, Ruth shares wisdom about avoiding the "one passion" trap, making time for all your curiosities, and her unique take on what true success means. You'll be inspired by her authenticity and zest for just "doing all the things."

Get ready to have your preconceptions shattered about what's possible in one lifetime. Whether you're a techie, crafter, dancer or maker, Ruth's incredible story will show you how to embrace your kaleidoscope of interests too.

Get inspired by this open source leader who truly "lights the way" for living a richly layered, unconventional life!

You can also listen on Podbean, Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Show Notes:
00:00 Welcome to She Lights the Way: Meet Ruth Suehle
00:12 Introducing Ruth: A Journey from Journalism to Open Source
00:34 Ruth's Multifaceted Life: From Open Source to Scottish Dancing
01:31 Exploring Passions and Pivotal Moments
02:37 The Zigzag Path: Embracing Change and Finding Joy
06:25 Creative Outlets and the Joy of Making
09:33 Leadership and Learning in the Open Source Community
11:00 Reflecting on a Rewarding Life and Defining Success
14:26 Advice for a Fulfilling Life: Do Things That Matter
21:50 Looking Forward: Anticipations and Aspirations
23:19 Closing Thoughts: The Essence of She Lights the Way

Guest Bio:
Ruth Suehle is Director of Open Source at SAS, where she is creating a nearly 50-year-old analytics, data management, and AI software company’s first open source program office (OSPO). Ruth has helped build open source communities for nearly two decades, much of which she spent in the OSPO at Red Hat.

She is executive vice-president of the Apache Software Foundation, a producer of the ApacheCon conference, and serves on the Open@RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) advisory board. In the past, Ruth served on the governing board and TSC of the Open 3D Foundation. Co-author of Raspberry Pi Hacks (O’Reilly, December 2013) and former editor of Red Hat Magazine and opensource.com, she is a frequent writer, currently as core contributor at GeekMom.com (previously of WIRED), where she covers the adventures of motherhood and fandom.

Learn more about Ruth’s work and connect with her:
LinkedIn
Twitter/X
GitHub
Women Take the Conn
Raspberry Pi Hacks

Note: The title of the book about the women of Star Trek that Ruth talks about in our discussion has been changed to Women Take the Conn.