Hello! I'm Ben Werdmuller.

I'm an open source founder, developer, and writer.

I’ve been creating online communities, websites, and applications for 25 years. I created one of the first social intranet platforms and pioneered the use of social software in education. I’ve trained startups, non-profits, and media companies in product and technology strategy, and have given workshops on designing for equity to newsrooms from around the world.

I led technology at The 19th, a non-profit newsroom reporting at the intersection of gender, politics, and policy. I was the Director of Investments in San Francisco for Matter Ventures, which supported early-stage entrepreneurs who were changing media for good.

I started my career by co-founding Elgg, an open source social networking platform that is used by governments and corporations around the world. It became one of the first social intranet platforms.

I care deeply about software autonomy, privacy, and freedom from surveillance. I've been heavily involved in decentralization as part of the indieweb movement.

More generally, I care deeply about working on projects with the potential to make a more informed, equal society.

You can learn more about my professional background on LinkedIn, or connect with me on Mastodon.

You can always email me at ben@werd.io.

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