Supporting Innovation Through Contribution

Drupal has a long and rich history of supporting and sparking innovation. Drupal 8 in particular represents a fundamental shift in the way we think about how we build websites and web-enabled software applications. Now more than ever, Drupal is well-positioned to help connect people, technology, and information in ways that have never been possible before.

This session will draw upon existing academic research, interviews, and surveys to explore how different forms of contribution promote innovation within the Drupal project, and the role that companies, agencies, and organizations play in helping to support that innovation.  

Some of the questions this session hopes to answer:

• What are the different kinds of benefits that companies, agencies, and organizations gain from supporting Drupal in different ways?
• What real and perceived barriers are currently keeping companies, agencies, and organizations from contributing to the Drupal project and community?
• How can the Drupal community encourage companies, agencies, and organizations to contribute in ways that won’t undermine the intrinsic motivations of individuals?
• What are some things that companies, agencies, and organizations can do to promote a culture of contribution within the Drupal community and support ongoing innovation?

This nontechnical session is useful for anyone who is part of a company, agency, or organization who uses and/or supports Drupal and is interested in learning more about how to justify investment and engagement in the community and project.