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Michele Metts

Worker-Owner / Public speaker, industry organizer, advisor

As a public speaker Micky brings the Agaric message of cooperative development using free software, to many networks and movements. 

Micky is a highly active and dedicated individual who is deeply involved in various movements and networks related to free software, cooperative business models, and community building. She is a worker/owner of Agaric, a member of numerous "free software" networks and movements, and actively uses tools like BigBlueButton, Drupal, and the GNU/Linux operating system to promote and introduce people to the world of free software.

Micky plays a crucial role in connecting different organizations and networks and she serves on the board of May First Movement Technology (MFMT), The US Solidarity Economy Network (SEN) SnowDrift.coop. As a member of The Tech Workers Peer Network a coalition of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC), she works to foster ongoing dialogues and collaborations in building a new economy network rooted in community-based, shared ownership. She also works with organizations like, Platform Cooperativism Consortium, The Free Software Foundation, The Center for Global Justice, The Greater Boston Chamber of Cooperatives, Restore the Fourth, and MassMesh, among others, to raise awareness about free software, cooperative business models, privacy protection, plus local and global opportunities to share knowledge. She has been a Keynote speaker, lecturer and panel member at conferences over the past 20 years.

As a member of the May First Movement Technology board, Micky actively collaborates with technical activists to provide people with the necessary information and tools to transition from being a local or small global network to becoming part of a global movement based on solidarity and cooperative principles. She strongly believes that the workers' economy requires free software tools to protect our freedoms, and she combines the principles of free software liberation and cooperative development in her presentations and talks.

Micky is also an active member of the Drupal community, an international group centered around a free software content management system. She has contributed to the Drupal community as a writer and has shared her experiences as a contributing author in the book "Ours to Hack and to Own," which is considered the handbook for the Platform Cooperativism Movement. The book was initiated by Trebor Scholz and Nathan Schneider at the New School in NYC and was listed as one of the top tech books of 2017 by Wired magazine.

As a public speaker, Micky passionately delivers the message of cooperative software development to various networks and movements. Her presentations cover a wide range of topics, including free software, cooperative tech development, personal digital privacy, worker-owned cooperatives, artificial intelligence, surveillance and capitalism, introduction to web technology, and the incorporation of the seven cooperative principles using Sociocracy, into work and living environments. Additionally, she provides software training for free tools such as BigBlueButton, Signal Instant Messenger, NextCloud, and encrypted email, and she can offer advice on alternatives to proprietary software.

Outside of her professional endeavors, Micky has a rich personal history. She was a resident of Weston, CT in the 50s, 60s, and 70s and currently resides in Boston, MA with her long-time partner John M. Crisman. Micky was a member of a few bands in Boston, MA during the 1970’s through the 90’s, such as The Phantoms. The band is featured in the book "Hit Girls" by Jen B. Larsen, a compendium of female-led punk bands in the USA during the late 70s and early 80s.

Micky's dedication to her work and her commitment to promoting free software, cooperative business models, art, music and community building make her a valuable asset to the movements and networks she is involved in. She continues to make a positive impact in the world through her activism, public speaking engagements, and the creation of platforms like CommunityBridge, which prioritize privacy and provide a secure environment for meaningful video chats between individuals who share a passion for education and activism.

 

Here is a trailer for a video documentary about Micky's High School days  - It is Rock and Roll History - The High School that ROCKED.

Request an interview, presentation or workshop with Micky

Presentations and Workshops:

*Updated list and references available upon request.  

2021

  • Live interview - Sweden CivicTech Lab - The Two Money Problems

2020

  • Hosted workshop: Surveillance Capitalism, Predictive Analysis and YOU at HOPE 2020  (Hackers on Planet Earth)
  • Live interview on Radio Statler at the HOPE 2020 conference
  • Libreplanet LIVE online 3/14/2020. We hosted a discussion at 4:20 ET on fsf.org - Libreplanet 2020
  • Surveillance Capitalism, Predictive Analysis and YOU - Lecture, Biblioteque, San Miguel de Allende
  • Internet Security - Workshops - Biblioteque, San Miguel de Allende
  • Boston College - presentation on AI and Predictive analysis
  • Colorado.edu online interview on Cooperative development and Agaric values

2019

2018

 

2017

  • Open.coop 2017 - London University, London, UK
    • Panel: Empowering digital collaboration: Introducing the open app ecosystem
    • Workshop: Designing interoperable apps for the open app ecosystem
micky@agaric.com Micky's public key

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