It’s All About Ecosystems: Dan Applequist on Open Source, Standards, and Lifelong Learning

In this episode of The Education Road, we sit down with Dan Applequist, Open Source Strategist and longtime advocate for the open web.

Dan shares how he nearly dropped out of university, why discovering cognitive science saved his academic journey, and the lasting lessons from courses in decision-making and creative writing that still guide his leadership today. He reflects on teaching himself to code as a teen, discovering the power of community through early internet bulletin boards, and eventually building a career at the intersection of open source, open standards, and public advocacy.

Dan has been at the center of the web’s most pivotal shifts. Along the way, he’s grown from an introverted student to a global conference speaker, mentor, and connector who is always pushing for more openness, more collaboration, and more ethical technology.

Today, he works across ecosystems: from the OpenSSF to W3C to content authenticity initiatives, ensuring that the open source projects we all rely on remain secure, transparent, and sustainable. For students and developers looking to break in, his advice is simple: start a GitHub, contribute to projects you care about, show your passion, and share your work.

Dan’s story is proof that curiosity, persistence, and community make all the difference.