# Ben Werdmuller (@werd.io)

Profile: https://sifa.id/p/werd.io
Headline: Senior Director of Technology at ProPublica | Open Web, Open Source, Open Communities
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Website: https://werd.io

## About

Most technology extracts value from communities. I build technology that serves them instead. As Senior Director of Technology at ProPublica, I lead product engineering and enterprise technology for one of America's most important investigative newsrooms. Previously, I was the first CTO at The 19th, Head of Engineering at ForUsAll (leading a 22-person team), and Director of Investments at Matter Ventures, where I invested in media startups and taught venture design to innovation teams from organizations like the Associated Press and New York Times.

I co-founded Elgg, an open source social platform translated into 80 languages and used by governments (Australia, Netherlands, Canada), NGOs like Oxfam, and Fortune 500 companies. I built Latakoo, which enabled journalists to send footage from Mount Everest, Syria, and Air Force One back to their newsrooms. I co-founded Known, an open source publishing platform acquired by Medium.

I build teams around psychological safety, rapid experimentation, and transparent feedback. The best products emerge when engineers talk directly to the communities they serve, and when every team member can challenge decisions. I've learned what makes technology projects fail and what makes them succeed: human-centered design, sustainable business models, and teams that understand their communities.

I'm a board member of A New Social, an active participant in the open social web movement (Bluesky, Mastodon, ActivityPub), and hold two patents for media transfer systems in newsrooms.

## Career

- **Senior Director of Technology at ProPublica** (Feb 2024 - Present)
  New York
  I lead product engineering and enterprise technology for ProPublica, managing teams that build tools serving both journalists and millions of readers. My work includes building a robust technology strategy that supports the newsroom, developing AI-enhanced tools for investigative journalism, and ensuring technology decisions reflect our values and keep our sources and journalists safe. Recent initiatives include building encrypted tip management systems in partnership with the Lenfest Foundation, restructuring the technology organization for greater effectiveness, and establishing ProPublica's AI strategy, proving that newsrooms can adopt new tools without compromising privacy or editorial integrity.
- **Technology Consultant at ProPublica** (May 2023 - Feb 2024)
  New York, New York
  After some team changes at ProPublica, I stepped in to provide interim technology leadership, eventually moving into a full-time position.
- **Chief Technology Officer at The 19th** (Mar 2022 - Apr 2023)
  Austin, Texas
  As The 19th's first CTO, I built the technology team and defined its role within this mission-driven newsroom covering gender, politics, and policy. I hired and mentored engineers while serving as lead engineer myself, building website features and core infrastructure. I steered our migration to WordPress VIP, developed an equity-focused framework for technology decisions, and cultivated a team culture centered on transparency and psychological safety. As a senior leadership team member, I helped shape organizational strategy during a crucial period of the newsroom's evolution.
- **Head of Engineering at ForUsAll** (Sep 2019 - Mar 2022)
  San Francisco, California
  As Head of Engineering at ForUsAll, a retirement savings platform handling sensitive financial data for thousands of savers, I built and led a 22-person engineering team, serving as the company's de facto CTO. I transformed the engineering hiring process to prioritize equity and openness, established a culture of psychological safety, and led the company's security program from the ground up, shepherding ForUsAll through SOC 2 certification, implementing encrypted infrastructure including secure VPNs, and establishing digital security practices across the engineering organization. When ForUsAll pivoted to support alternative investments in retirement portfolios, I designed the secure technical architecture and third-party trading platform integrations that enabled the new business direction.
- **VP Product Development at Unlock Inc** (Aug 2018 - Aug 2019)
  New York
  As Unlock's first employee and VP Product Development, I established the engineering team and product strategy for this open source protocol enabling membership on the open web. I built a cross-disciplinary team and contributed to the core Node, React/Redux, and Ethereum blockchain codebase, helping launch the foundational protocol for decentralized membership systems.
- **Director of Investments (San Francisco) at Matter.** (Jan 2017 - Aug 2018)
  San Francisco, California
  As west coast Director of Investments at Matter, a venture capital accelerator for media startups backed by the New York Times, Associated Press, KQED, and PRX, I was responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and investing in startups with the potential to transform media for good. I led the investment strategy, ultimately investing in 24 companies across diverse verticals and mentoring a total portfolio of 73 startups. I provided hands-on guidance on fundraising, technical decision-making, sustainable business models, and building strong team cultures, drawing on my experience as both a successful founder and engineering leader.
  
  I co-taught the product design and strategy side of Matter's accelerator program: a 5-month intensive course on venture design thinking for early-stage media startups and innovation teams from our media partners. My students included founders working on audience engagement, revenue diversification, and technology platforms, as well as teams from the New York Times, Associated Press, and other major organizations tackling strategic transformation challenges. I taught human-centered design, rapid prototyping, sustainable business model development, and the frameworks that separate successful media ventures from those that fail.
- **Senior Engineer at Medium.com** (Mar 2016 - Jan 2017)
  San Francisco, California
  After Medium acquired Known, I joined as a Senior Engineer on the publications team. I built features supporting major platforms like The Ringer and ThinkProgress while advocating for open web principles within a centralized platform. I developed export tools and custom domain support to give users more control over their content, co-founded an Openness Circle to champion standards like Do Not Track, and facilitated discussions about Medium's editorial approach during the contentious 2016 election.
- **Co-Founder at Known, Inc** (May 2014 - 2016)
  San Francisco
  I co-founded Known, an open source publishing platform for mobile-first communities that prioritized individual content ownership over platform control: an early entry in the movement toward user-owned content on the open web. I conceived and built the software, established the open source community, and secured Matter Ventures funding. Our platform powered communities at KQED, Davidson College, and Harvard University; KQED's implementation won a NAMLE media literacy award. Known was acquired by Medium in 2016, and the open source platform continues to exist today.
- **Chief Technology Officer at Latakoo** (May 2010 - May 2014)
  Austin, Texas
  As Latakoo's first employee, I served as Chief Technology Officer and helped define the company's vision: enabling TV journalists to transmit video from anywhere with an internet connection, transcoded to their newsroom's specifications. I led all product and technology development, building the core platform from the ground up. I also conceived and developed Latakoo Hub, a co-located enterprise product that became central to the company's profitability.
  
  The platform I built empowered journalists to report from extraordinary locations
  \- including Mount Everest, Syria, the Sochi Olympics, and Air Force One
  \- serving major newsrooms including NBC News, Nexstar Media Group, and Spectrum News. I co-authored two patents for the video compression and transfer technology. I remain a member of Latakoo's Board of Directors.
- **Geek in Residence at Edinburgh Festivals** (Sep 2010 - Sep 2011)
  Edinburgh
  •	Designed and constructed a data API for the Edinburgh Festivals, collectively the world's largest arts festival.
  • Collaborated with disparate arts organizations to address their digital requirements.
  • Co-hosted a hackathon targeting Scotland's creative sector.
- **Co-founder / CTO at Elgg** (Jan 2004 - Apr 2009)
  I co-founded Elgg and built one of the first open source white-label social networking platforms designed to serve communities rather than extract from them. I wrote the initial codebase, led technical development, and built an open source community that translated Elgg into over 80 languages and contributed hundreds of developers. The platform empowered diverse communities: Spain's anti-austerity movement used it for organizing, the Australian, Canadian, and Dutch governments deployed it for public sector collaboration, and Ivy League universities, NGOs like Oxfam, and Fortune 500 companies adopted it for their communities. Elgg remains in active use worldwide today.
  
  Dave Tosh and I founded Curverider in 2006 to provide commercial services for Elgg. As CTO, I led technical decisions while working with Dave on business strategy. We bootstrapped to profitability: MIT became our first client for the first OpenCourseWare platform, and the University of Brighton partnered with us to launch the world's first campus-wide social network. Our work was covered in the Guardian, ZDNet, and TechCrunch and won InfoWorld's Best in Open Source Software award. We built a hosted platform competing with Ning and created Explode, a semi-distributed network that pioneered concepts now central to federated platforms. After raising venture investment, Curverider was acquired by Thematic Networks in 2010.
- **Web administrator at Saïd Business School** (Mar 2005 - Jun 2006)
- **Web Developer at The University of Edinburgh** (Jun 2003 - Sep 2004)
- **System Operator at Daily Information** (1994 - 1997)

## Publications

- Graze's election night dashboard demonstrates the power of open algorithms — werd.io (Oct 2026) https://werd.io/grazes-election-night-dashboard-demonstrates-the-power-of-open-algorithms
- The space to breathe — werd.io (Oct 2026) https://werd.io/the-space-to-breathe
- Amazon tries to placate data center protesters — werd.io (Oct 2026) https://werd.io/amazon-tries-to-placate-data-center-protesters
- The Lenfest AI Collaborative has additional funding. That's great for open source in news. — werd.io (Sep 2026) https://werd.io/the-lenfest-ai-collaborative-has-additional-funding-thats-great-for-open-source-in-news
- The Public Ledger of Credentials directory is taking flight — werd.io (Sep 2026) https://werd.io/the-public-ledger-of-credentials-directory-is-taking-flight
- Trump TV is the only source of footage of the President. That may be exactly what he wants. — werd.io (Sep 2026) https://werd.io/trump-tv-is-the-only-source-of-footage-of-the-president-that-may-be-exactly-what-he-wants
- Seeking a "yes, and" space — werd.io (Sep 2026) https://werd.io/seeking-a-yes-and-space
- Buy my house! — werd.io (Sep 2026) https://werd.io/buy-my-house
- Notable links: September 11, 2026 — werd.io (Sep 2026) https://werd.io/notable-links-september-11-2026
- Two more newsrooms are suing OpenAI. It's complicated. — werd.io (Sep 2026) https://werd.io/two-more-newsrooms-are-suing-openai-its-complicated
- Your TV is spying on you, and it's worse than you think. — werd.io (Sep 2026) https://werd.io/your-tv-is-spying-on-you-and-its-worse-than-you-think
- AI companies are at risk of making Silicon Valley's harmful mistakes all over again — werd.io (Sep 2026) https://werd.io/ai-companies-are-at-risk-of-making-silicon-valleys-harmful-mistakes-all-over-again
- Notable links: August 14, 2026 — werd.io (Aug 2026) https://werd.io/notable-links-august-14-2026
- Chicago's social network is a huge bet for news. I think it's the future. — werd.io (Aug 2026) https://werd.io/chicagos-social-network-is-a-huge-bet-for-news-i-think-its-the-future
- My next experiment — werd.io (Aug 2026) https://werd.io/my-next-experiment
- Notable links: July 31, 2026 — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/notable-links-july-31-2026
- Change is fractal. It starts with leaders — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/change-is-fractal-it-starts-with-leaders
- Don't bring sensitive data to a border crossing — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/dont-bring-sensitive-data-to-a-border-crossing
- Can data collectives help strengthen vulnerable cultures in the face of AI? — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/can-data-collectives-help-strengthen-vulnerable-cultures-in-the-face-of-ai
- Notable links: July 24, 2026 — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/notable-links-july-24-206
- AI vendors can't be trusted to secure their systems. Newsrooms need to act accordingly — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/ai-vendors-cant-be-trusted-to-secure-their-systems-newsrooms-need-to-act-accordingly
- Private healthcare makes industries less innovative. It's time for change. — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/private-healthcare-makes-industries-less-innovative-its-time-for-change
- People are transcribing your conversations without asking. That puts you at risk. — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/people-are-transcribing-your-conversations-without-asking-that-puts-you-at-risk
- American AI is locked down and proprietary. It's losing. — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/american-ai-is-locked-down-and-proprietary-its-losing
- Notable links: July 17, 2026 — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/notable-links-july-17-2026
- To innovate, news needs allies — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/to-innovate-news-needs-allies
- The SFPD leaked its drone footage. It shouldn't be surveilling to begin with. — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/the-sfpd-leaked-its-drone-footage-it-shouldnt-be-surveilling-to-begin-with
- We need a PIT Crew for news — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/we-need-a-pit-crew-for-news
- Climate.gov was destroyed. Open data saved it. — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/climate-gov-was-destroyed-open-data-saved-it
- The Trump administration is subpoenaing journalists to reveal sources. Their data security is more important than ever. — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/the-trump-administration-is-subpoenaing-journalists-to-reveal-sources-their-data-security-is-more-important-than-ever
- Notable links: July 10, 2026 — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/notable-links-july-10-2026
- Communities will build trust and loyalty for local public media. Chicago Public Media is taking a big leap forward. — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/communities-will-build-trust-and-loyalty-for-local-public-media-chicago-public-media-is-taking-a-big-leap-forward
- As social networks fill up with AI slop, trusted relationships and communities will win. — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/as-social-networks-fill-up-with-ai-slop-trusted-relationships-and-communities-will-win
- IndieWeb Fiction Carnival: May 2026 Roundup — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/indieweb-fiction-carnival-may-2026-roundup
- Startups track business metrics. Newsrooms should learn from them. — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/startups-track-business-metrics-newsrooms-should-learn-from-them
- CNN and CNBC promote gambling to make a cheap buck — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/cnn-and-cnbc-promote-gambling-to-make-a-cheap-buck
- Governance can prevent AI from being used to undermine democracy. But only if it has teeth. — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/governance-can-prevent-ai-from-being-used-to-undermine-democracy-but-only-if-it-has-teeth
- Happy 250th birthday, America — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/happy-250th-birthday-america
- Notable links: July 3, 2026 — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/notable-links-july-3-2026
- A new media spinout provides streaming apps for public service broadcasters. I just wish it was open. — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/a-new-media-spinout-provides-streaming-apps-for-public-service-broadcasters-i-just-wish-it-was-open
- Newsrooms need to get comfortable expressing their business value - and raising money on it. — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/newsrooms-need-to-get-comfortable-expressing-their-business-value-and-raising-money-on-it
- OpenAI wants to give us 5% of its success. It's a bad bargain. — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/openai-wants-to-give-us-5-of-its-success-its-a-bad-bargain
- I have a theory about AI fake news site The Editorial — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/i-have-a-theory-about-ai-fake-news-site-the-editorial
- AI's costs are going through the roof - so businesses are telling LLMs to talk like cavemen — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/ais-costs-are-going-through-the-roof-so-businesses-are-telling-llms-to-talk-like-cavemen
- They tell us surveillance makes us safer. It undermines our democratic rights. — werd.io (Jul 2026) https://werd.io/they-tell-us-surveillance-makes-us-safer-it-undermines-our-democratic-rights
- A concrete tool to help newsrooms cover emergencies — werd.io (Jun 2026) https://werd.io/a-concrete-tool-to-help-newsrooms-cover-emergencies
- Community Survey 2026 — werd.io (Jun 2026) https://werd.io/community-survey-2026
- A right-wing media chain tried to replace 47 newspapers with AI. They all died. — werd.io (Jun 2026) https://werd.io/a-right-wing-media-chain-tried-to-replace-47-newspapers-with-ai-they-all-died
- Two posts about writing — werd.io (Jun 2026) https://werd.io/two-posts-about-writing
- Are frontier models really too dangerous? — werd.io (Jun 2026) https://werd.io/are-frontier-models-really-too-dangerous
- Notable links: June 26, 2026 — werd.io (Jun 2026) https://werd.io/notable-links-june-26-2026
- All you need to poison an LLM is 13 words. — werd.io (Jun 2026) https://werd.io/all-you-need-to-poison-an-llm-is-13-words
- To build resilient organizations, you need to empower your team to make decisions. — werd.io (Jun 2026) https://werd.io/to-build-resilient-organizations-you-need-to-empower-your-team-to-make-decisions
- Journalism is rearranging the deckchairs. It needs to reinvent itself. — werd.io (Jun 2026) https://werd.io/journalism-is-rearranging-the-deckchairs-it-needs-to-reinvent-itself
- Signs you're a dangerous terrorist: using Signal, moving zines — werd.io (Jun 2026) https://werd.io/signs-youre-a-dangerous-terrorist-using-signal-moving-zines
- Notable links: June 19, 2026 — werd.io (Jun 2026) https://werd.io/notable-links-june-19-2026
- The European Commission falls for openness theater by working with W Social — werd.io (Jun 2026) https://werd.io/the-european-commission-falls-for-openness-theater-by-working-with-w-social
- More people get their news from social media than anywhere else - globally. The platforms we use matter. — werd.io (Jun 2026) https://werd.io/more-people-get-their-news-from-social-media-than-anywhere-else-globally-the-platforms-we-use-matter
- AI answers are a new vector for election disinformation — werd.io (Jun 2026) https://werd.io/by-the-pricking-of-my-corpus-something-wicked-answers-for-us
- The honest truth about leaders who want to replace their workers with AI — werd.io (Jun 2026) https://werd.io/the-honest-truth-about-leaders-who-want-to-replace-their-workers-with-ai
- To build the future, we need theories of change — werd.io (Jun 2026) https://werd.io/to-build-the-future-we-need-theories-of-change
- It's not enough to have better ideals. — werd.io (Jun 2026) https://werd.io/its-not-enough-to-have-better-ideals
- The community-first software era — werd.io (Jun 2026) https://werd.io/the-community-first-software-era
- Notable links: May 29, 2026 — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/notable-links-may-29-2026
- "The protocol world has been trying to solve the problem of how to leave, and the next step is working on how we can stay together." — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/the-protocol-world-has-been-trying-to-solve-the-problem-of-how-to-leave-and-the-next-step-is-working-on-how-we-can-stay-together
- To reach your big goal, you need to sell where you're heading next — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/to-reach-your-big-goal-you-need-to-sell-where-youre-heading-next
- The Fediverse is not a product. It's time to get real about marketing — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/the-fediverse-is-not-a-product-its-time-to-get-real-about-marketing
- When the AI boom subsides, the data centers will remain. What we do now matters — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/when-the-ai-boom-subsides-the-data-centers-will-remain-what-we-do-now-matters
- The Pope used his first encyclical to warn about tech centralization — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/the-pope-used-his-first-encyclical-to-warn-about-tech-centralization
- Affordances for me, but not for thee — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/affordances-for-me-but-not-for-thee
- Like sunrise over a sink — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/like-sunrise-over-a-sink
- Why micropayments can't save news — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/why-micropayments-cant-save-news
- A quarter of a century of open educational technology — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/a-quarter-of-a-century-of-open-educational-technology
- Notable links: May 15, 2026 — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/notable-links-may-15-2026
- 52 actionable posts about building a culture of innovation — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/52-actionable-posts-about-building-a-culture-of-innovation
- AI may be the new gatekeepers, but human connection is more needed than ever — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/ai-may-be-the-new-gatekeepers-but-human-connection-is-more-needed-than-ever
- Bridging feels seamless. Behind the scenes, it's a technical marvel — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/bridging-feels-seamless-behind-the-scenes-its-a-technical-marvel
- To maintain their independence, publishers are fleeing Substack — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/to-maintain-their-independence-publishers-are-fleeing-substack
- Asking platforms to do better won't work. We need to force their hands — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/asking-platforms-to-do-better-wont-work-we-need-to-force-their-hands
- WordPress powers 47% of the web. Now it's more social, too — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/wordpress-powers-47-of-the-web-now-its-more-social-too
- Canvas is open source, but its cloud services ransomware attack really hurts — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/canvas-is-open-source-but-its-cloud-services-ransomware-attack-really-hurts
- Notable links: May 8, 2026 — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/notable-links-may-8-2026
- Plugging the gaps won't save news. It's time to redesign — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/plugging-the-gaps-wont-save-news-its-time-to-redesign
- The way to save news is not to create monopolistic monocultures — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/the-way-to-save-news-is-not-to-create-monopolistic-monocultures
- Open source maintainers need to go in with open eyes — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/open-source-maintainers-need-to-go-in-with-open-eyes
- Claude Opus can now identify an author from their writing — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/claude-opus-can-now-confidently-identify-an-author-from-their-writing
- Notable links: May 1, 2026 — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/notable-links-may-1-2026
- IndieWeb Fiction Carnival: May 2026 — werd.io (May 2026) https://werd.io/indieweb-fiction-carnival-may-2026
- Matt Mullenweg thinks WordPress is in decline. He may be right — werd.io (Apr 2026) https://werd.io/matt-mullenweg-thinks-wordpress-is-in-decline-he-may-be-right
- Product-shaped or movement-shaped? — werd.io (Apr 2026) https://werd.io/product-shaped-or-movement-shaped
- Building with love, and paying for it — werd.io (Apr 2026) https://werd.io/building-with-love-and-paying-for-it
- That terrible Signal exploit has been fixed. We have journalism to thank for it — werd.io (Apr 2026) https://werd.io/that-terrible-signal-exploit-has-been-fixed-we-have-journalism-to-thank-for-it
- All You Fascists (Bound to Lose) — werd.io (Apr 2026) https://werd.io/all-you-fascists-bound-to-lose
- Sustaining innovation has failed us. It's time to think more radically — werd.io (Apr 2026) https://werd.io/sustaining-innovation-has-failed-us-its-time-to-think-more-radically
- AI is not a magic wand and it won’t fix your problems — werd.io (Apr 2026) https://werd.io/ai-is-not-a-magic-wand-and-it-wont-fix-your-problems
- The world is not a database — werd.io (Apr 2026) https://werd.io/the-world-is-not-a-database
- Notable links: April 24, 2026 — werd.io (Apr 2026) https://werd.io/notable-links-april-24-2026
- In wartime, megascale data centers may make way for distributed architectures — werd.io (Apr 2026) https://werd.io/in-wartime-megascale-data-centers-may-make-way-for-distributed-architectures
- The new, Tailwind-based theme is so much ... — werd.io (Mar 2026) https://werd.io/2026/the-new-tailwind-based-theme-is-so-much
- Inkwell is a very nicely implemented fediverse ... — werd.io (Mar 2026) https://werd.io/2026/inkwell-is-a-very-nicely-implemented-fediverse
- Instant HTML5 Geolocation How-To — Packt Publishing (May 2013) http://www.packtpub.com/html5-geolocation-how-to/book
- Handbook of Research on ePortfolios — Idea Group (May 2006) https://books.google.com/books?id=P3tJSOXYiQ0C&dq=handbook+of+eportfolios+werdmuller&source=gbs_navlinks_s

## Skills

### Technical
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Cloud Computing
- HTML 5
- HTML5
- JavaScript
- Mobile Applications
- MySQL
- Node.js
- Software Architecture
- Software Design
- Software Development
- Software Engineering
- Web Development
- Web3
### Business
- Agile Methodologies
- Blogging
- Business Analysis
- Business Development
- Business Strategy
- Entrepreneurship
- Fundraising
- Management
- Product Development
- Product Management
- Product Strategy
- Project Management
- Social Media
- Social Media Marketing
- Strategy
- Web Project Management
### Creative
- Design Thinking
- Product Design
- User Experience
- User Experience (UX)
- User-centered Design
### Interpersonal
- Cross-functional Team Leadership
- Engineering Leadership
- Leadership
- Public Speaking
- Technical Leadership
### Community
- Open Source
### Other
- APIs
- Business Planning
- Computer Science
- Digital Media
- Due Diligence
- Early-Stage Startups
- Elgg
- Enterprise Software
- Open Source Platforms
- Open-Source Software
- Organizational Strategy
- Product Evangelism
- Product Vision
- Security
- Social Networking
- Social Software
- Social Web
- Start-up Leadership
- Start-up Ventures
- Start-ups
- Startups
- Strategic Partnerships
- Strategic Thinking
- Technology Leadership
- Technology Strategy
- Valuation
- Venture Capital
- Venture Financing
- Web Applications
- Web Standards

## Credentials

- SOE-XETECH0001 - Ethics, Technology and Public Policy for Practitioners — Stanford Online (Nov 2023) https://digitalcredential.stanford.edu/check/D4083431D862C391FBAA2678DF39A14333E4214C6DA7FBCA560A8A8592652021cVc4aWFVcEhrdTZ4WXlKMGNSMWg1L0taeVJqSlBtM0kxQTV3SkMvODhwczJTRWdl

## Education

- **Stanford University** (Nov 2023)
  I participated in the fall 2023 cohort of Stanford's Ethics, Technology, and Public Policy for Practitioners course, which included a nuanced discussion of ethical and policy issues relating to technology and AI in particular. Participation was under Chatham House rules but included some of the most prominent figures in technology and policy.
- **University of Edinburgh** — BSc (Hons), Computer Science (May 2002)

## Links

- Website: https://werd.io
- bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/werd.io
- github: https://github.com/benwerd
- activitypub: https://werd.social/@ben