Open Mainframe Project has grown immensely since launching in 2015. More than 20 projects and working groups make up the Open Mainframe Project ecosystem and we’ve seen several ambassadors and innovators step into leadership roles to make a huge impact in our community. Today, we’d like to congratulate two of our leaders – Jakub Balhar and Tiiso Senosha – for being recognized as a TechChannel Mainframe Rising Star 2023!
For the third year in a row, TechChannel is recognizing the next generation of aspiring innovators within the IBM mainframe and Power Systems communities. The naming of a new class of Rising Stars may be an annual occurrence, but for everyone involved, it’s an important part of a bigger picture. For TechChannel editorial staff and contributors, so much of our coverage throughout the year relates to the people working on these platforms—both the issues and challenges that they face, and the opportunities that lie before them.
“Realizing a need to recognize up-and-coming talent, TechChannel founded Rising Stars two years ago. The program demonstrates the value of education, mentorship and developing new talent in the tech ecosystem,” says Emma Pitzl, managing editor, TechChannel.
Rising Stars, past, present and future, are laying the groundwork for successful careers and innovation in today’s tech ecosystem. Please join Open Mainframe Project as we celebrate Jakub and Tisso’s achievements.
Jakub is an Open Mainframe Project ambassador, Chair of the Zowe Technical Steering Committee and Principal Product Owner at Broadcom. He has worked on Zowe for several years and is part of the leadership team that help push Zowe to the forefront of mainframe modernization. In fact, according to the Arcati Yearly Report, a respected source for z/OS market data, reveals that approximately 70% of z/OS users plan to adopt Zowe, with 40% already utilizing it.
“I am proud to be helping the z/OS community to modernize and get new great talent to engage with the platform. Thanks to all the great people from the Zowe community and Broadcom who helped me through the last few years.” – Jakub Balhar
Tiiso Senosha started with the project as an Open Mainframe Summer 2022 Mentee. He graduated from the University of Johannesburg and became a 2023 Open Mainframe Project mentor and a member of the Mainframe Open Education Core Team. He now works as a junior mainframe systems engineer.
“Being named a TechChannel Mainframe Rising Star is a big achievement in my career. It serves as an inspiration for me to keep on learning and contributing to the development of learning resources for zSystems. Participating in Open-Source Software (OSS) projects like the Mainframe Open Education Project (MOE) gives me a sense of purpose. It allows me to mentor other students, curate content for the project, and review and advise on the project’s direction. It is this kind of contribution that allows one to be recognized as an ambassador for zSystems.” – Tiiso Senosha
We are so proud of Jakub and Tiiso and are excited for them to be part of the Open Mainframe community.
To learn more about TechChannel’s Rising Star program or to meet the other leaders in the 2023 class, click here.
