Where We’re Going… A New Network-led Chapter!
Dear Maintainers,
We’re delighted to officially introduce you to the 2025–26 Interim Maintainers Steering Committee. This is a group of thoughtful, experienced, and passionate individuals stepping into a shared leadership role for the next phase of The Maintainers starting August 1st, 2025.
We intentionally convened this group, bringing together voices from the early conference days to the more recent Movement Fellows. Together, they combine localized practice with international frameworks. And, believe it or not, are also big fans and champions of maintenance, repair, and care in all forms.
Please join us in warmly welcoming:
Himani Kulkarni, Sam Bennett, Mathew Lubari, Nathan Proctor, Purna Sarkar!
These leaders bring a rich diversity, unique perspectives, and dedication to maintaining thinking and action. They represent a beautiful cross-section of the broader Maintainers ethos – from community organizing to policy, from repair cafes to care infrastructures. They bridge both global and hyperlocal contexts. They are academics and practitioners, collectively embodying the heart of this network.
A new model of governance
Over the past year, we’ve worked closely with this group to transition into a distributed leadership model – one deeply rooted in our community’s long-term vision, which we spoke to in our previous communication on closing our current grant chapter and transition leadership.
This distributed leadership model is inspired by frameworks like the Exit to Community (co-developed by MEDLab at the University of Colorado in Boulder) but customized to reflect the specific context and history of The Maintainers. Over the past five years, the project has evolved from a group of conveners to a more centralized structure with co-directors and now into a distributed model of network stewardship.
What to expect next…
Over the past year, we’ve had the privilege of collaborating closely with these folks as we shaped the transition to a distributed leadership. This approach is our way of enacting a long-held vision: that The Maintainers be co-governed and held by a rotating body of caretakers who bring fresh energy, curiosity, and commitment to expand and further amplify this evolving body of work. Our hope is that a shared leadership model will provide a broader scope for maintenance projects at The Maintainers over time.
Soon, you’ll hear directly from them through their reflections, invitations, and updates. We know you’ll greet them with the same curiosity and camaraderie that has defined this network from the beginning.
We’re excited to see where this next chapter takes all of us!
With gratitude,
Lauren, Liliana, Himani, Mathew, Nathan, Purna, and Sam