Beck

You might know him as the "guy who doesn't shut up about Linux & Open Source!" — and you'd be right. Beck has spent 17 of his 28 years in higher education and public service as a Linux & Open Source advocate, user, and instructor. Being threatened with his job — more than once — for speaking up about saving taxpayers money has only made him double down and fight harder. And the world is finally waking up. That fight led Beck to co-found learnOPENtech (LOT), a white-glove business solutions company that uses Linux & Open Source to help organizations free themselves — and their customers — from vendor lock-in and tech companies that just data-mine and sell their data. LOT believes everyone, customer or not, deserves privacy and security. Now, alongside DevSA, a 501(c)(3) tech education nonprofit, LOT is running the "Give-a-LOT" computer donation drive: donated computers get a fresh install of Linux & Open Source, then go to people who need technology that doesn't data-mine or sell their data — empowering local communities, with global reach. Without proprietary software. Without restrictions.