 | This biographical articleis writtenlike a résumé. Pleasehelp improve it by revising it to beneutral andencyclopedic.(April 2025) |
Karen Sandler | |
|---|---|
 Karen Sandler at Swathanthra 2017 inThiruvananthapuram. | |
| Occupations | Executive Director,Software Freedom Conservancy |
| Website | punkrocklawyer |
Karen Sandler is theexecutive director of theSoftware Freedom Conservancy, former executive director of theGNOME Foundation, an attorney, and formergeneral counsel of theSoftware Freedom Law Center. She holds an honorary doctorate fromKU Leuven.
As of March 2014, Sandler is executive director of theSoftware Freedom Conservancy.[1]
From June 2011[2] to March 2014,[3] Sandler served as executive director of theGNOME Foundation. Under her leadership, GNOME embarked on an ambitious project to draw more women into Free and Open Source software, theOutreach Program for Women.[4]
Between October 31, 2005[5] and June 21, 2011, she worked at theSoftware Freedom Law Center (SFLC), first as counsel, and then as the organization'sGeneral Counsel after January 6, 2010.[6]
While at the SFLC, Sandler advised a wide range of free and open source software organizations such as theFree Software Foundation, theApache Software Foundation, theX.Org Foundation,Software in the Public Interest and theSoftware Freedom Conservancy. With SFLC, she became a public speaker about issues of Free and Open Source software at conferences such asOSCON,[7][8] SCaLE,[9] and LinuxCon.[10] In 2010, she led an initiative advocating for free software onimplantablemedical devices[11] after exploring the issues surrounding the software on her own implanted medical device (a defibrillator), which regulateshypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), an inherited heart condition.[12][13]
In addition to her work with the Software Freedom Conservancy, Sandler also served as general counsel (pro bono) of the non-profit Question Copyright.[14] She is also co-host of the "Software Freedom Law Show" (2008-2010)[15] and "Free as in Freedom" (2010-) podcasts.[16]
Sandler received the 2017 Free Software Award for her work promoting software freedom.[17]
In 2023 she received anhonorary doctorate fromKU Leuven for her exceptional dedication to open source applications within medicine, for her relentless drive to make technology better and safer, and her exemplary role within the technology world as a woman and lawyer.[18][19]
Before working with the SFLC, Sandler worked as an associate in the corporate departments ofGibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in New York andClifford Chance in New York and London.
Sandler received her law degree fromColumbia Law School in 2000, where she was a James Kent Scholar and co-founder of the Columbia Science and Technology Law Review. She received her bachelor's degree in engineering fromThe Cooper Union.[5]
As of May 21, 2011,[20] she is married to Mike Tarantino, aGrammy nominated music engineer.[21] Their wedding invitation, a working paper record player and playable record, was covered by a number of internet publications.[22][23][24] The record contained a songHere's the Invitation! that Sandler and Tarantino made together.[25]
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