Free Geek Seattle:About

History

Free Geek Seattle formed in 2008 as a side project of the Greater Seattle Linux Users Group (GSLUG) and under the guidance of a few dedicated individuals started to gain interest and momentum.

Our first community event was the 2009 Install Fest held in commemoration of Software Freedom day. This took place at the Greenwood public library meeting room and was big success.

Also, quarterly meetings were held at various locations (libraries and 3rd Place commons) to help drive the growth and direction of the organisation. By working with Free Geek Portland we were able to obtain semi-official status as a Free Geek startup with the requirement that we select a board of advisors to help guide the organisation in a more democratic manner. (See below for more details about the board).

Another important event in 2010 was our computer recycling workshop held at the Seattle Green Festival.

In 2011 we began to partner with " Jigsaw Renaissance and shortly after they moved into the Inscape building they agreed to host our monthly workshops and quarterly board meetings there. Our first workshop was in August 2011 and since then we have seen accelerated momentum and growth as more frequent and willing volunteers show up to help, grow and learn.

Future

While much has been accomplished, so much more lies ahead for Free Geek Seattle, including:

• Obtain 501c3 Non-profit status so that donors can get a tax write-off. along with Wa. state business license
• Secure a permanent location for our operations, training and retail storefront
• Liability Insurance
• Establish bonafide training programs and volunteer programs like Free Geek Portland has

Want to help? Visit our homepage at http://freegeekseattle.org to find out how to get involved!

Board

See Board to find out more about our board of directors.

Current Board

List of current Board members

2012 Board Members

• Jon Madamba
• Harvey Friedman
• Mark Foster
• Chad Walters
• Andrew Kane
• Will Fong -Resigned 2012-May

2010 Board Members

• Jon Madamba
• Harvey Friedman
• Paul Bartell
• Patrick Kettner
• Greg Swafford
• Mark Foster
• Chad Walters