Distributed Governance with Loomio

OpenSSL Library secures the world’s digital infrastructure, but trust in the library depends on more than code. It depends on governance. In this session, we will share how OpenSSL Library Project has structured its communities and introduced advisory committees to ensure transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in decision-making. Governance is treated as a security layer, where every community has a voice in how the project evolves. We will then explore how Loomio, an open-source, decision-making platform, enables this model in practice. From running open elections to keeping a searchable history of discussions, Loomio provides the infrastructure for distributed governance across OpenSSL’s diverse communities. Together, OpenSSL Library Project and Loomio demonstrate how secure tools and democratic processes intersect — showing open source projects how to evolve from ad-hoc discussions to transparent, participatory governance.