Erlang Ecosystem Foundation Update and Community Engagement

During a lightning talk given at Code BEAM Europe 2023, A. Woodman provided an update from the Erlang Ecosystem Foundation (EEF). This talk highlighted the EEF's dependency on sponsorships for funding, which significantly outweighs the income from membership dues. With over 1500 members, the EEF still primarily relies on corporate sponsorships and encourages companies to support its mission. Woodman emphasized the EEF's investments in a range of projects over the past three years, including grants for both noticeable and less obvious initiatives that offer potential benefits to the community. These projects include support for remote conference attendance, educational outreach, and verticals like Robotics and Vision systems. Woodman compared the EEF's funding strategy to that of a venture capitalist, making various small bets on community activities. The talk also mentioned that the EEF works with universities to bolster Erlang and Elixir education, thus contributing to the growth of new developers. A call to action was made for attendees to participate in SpawnFest and other community events supported by EEF.