OpenSearch Ambassadors

Amanda Katona is focused on growing the OpenSearch Foundation and expanding adoption of OpenSearch worldwide. A community builder at heart, she designs programs that empower users and organizations to get the most out of search and AI. She’s also an adventure-seeker who finds inspiration in everything from Copenhagen dining to Utah mountain trails.

Charlie Hull is a search consultant with deep experience in open source platforms, including OpenSearch. He helps organizations build effective search systems and increasingly uses AI to improve search outcomes. Known for his honest and pragmatic perspective, Charlie is also a regular conference speaker, writer, and trainer.

Dotan Horovits is a senior developer advocate at AWS and long-time champion of OpenSearch. He has been involved since the project’s inception, pushing for a foundation-led model and helping shape its observability capabilities. When he’s not leading the Observability Technical Advisory Group, you’ll probably find him recording his OpenObservability Talks podcast.

Eric Pugh is the co-founder of OpenSource Connections and a contributor to OpenSearch documentation and relevance features. He works with organizations to improve their search maturity and build effective OpenSearch teams. When he’s not knee-deep in search, Eric builds furniture by hand, with his current project being a reproduction Danish modern couch.

Itamar Syn-Hershko is the founder of BigData Boutique, where he helps organizations run mission-critical OpenSearch clusters. With over a decade of experience in search technologies, he is a trusted advisor on scaling large search and analytics systems. When not consulting or speaking at conferences, he’s contributing directly to the OpenSearch community.

Kassian Rosner Wren is an open source evangelist focused on OpenSearch, AI, and developer education. They create content, workshops, and talks that make search and machine learning easier to understand. With more than a decade in developer relations, they bring humor, hands-on demos, and a love for robotics to the OpenSearch community.

Kris Freedain is the Community Manager for the OpenSearch Project and its Technical Steering Committee. He builds global user groups and creates opportunities for people to connect with the project. Outside of OpenSearch, he helps run the Fosstodon Fediverse community, proving his passion for building digital spaces where people belong.

Laysa Uchoa is a backend engineer who contributes her expertise in distributed systems, data modeling, and cloud infrastructure to OpenSearch. She focuses on performance and clean design, making the project stronger and more scalable. A dedicated search enthusiast, she still makes time to nerd out over system design and elegant abstractions.

Nate Boot is a developer advocate for OpenSearch with a background in DevOps and Linux. At AWS for nearly a decade, he helps users understand and adopt OpenSearch through user groups, conferences, and community support. He’s also a fan of retro tech, so ask him about old video games if you catch him with a margarita in hand.

Nils Bandener is a freelance software architect and co-maintainer of the OpenSearch security plugin. He contributes to strengthening the project’s security layer while keeping usability in mind. Known for his pragmatic approach, his favorite line in community discussions is, “Let’s take one step back.”

Sakshi Nasha is a software engineer at Cohesity and contributor to OpenSearch. She shares her experiences at international conferences, helping developers learn how to get more from search technologies. Outside of work, she balances her love of tech with trekking and cycling adventures.