If you’ve spent any time in the Cilium community, you’ve probably heard us talk about the honeycomb: many unique cells coming together to build something strong. That same spirit of connectedness is what makes open source—and its people—thrive. The Dan Kohn scholarship plays a big role in opening doors for those voices. At Isovalent, we support this fund because we believe every perspective makes the cloud-native ecosystem better. Inclusion isn’t an afterthought; it’s how great technology—and great communities—happen. In this post, learn all about the scholarship—from its beginnings to how you can benefit from applying - along with others’ stories and practical advice. Voices from the scholarship Real snapshots of how the scholarship opened doors—careers, community, and confidence. Jana Polianskaja “Attending KubeCon completely transformed the trajectory of my career. During the conference, I had a brief yet impactful conversation with a former Google employee.Immediately after the conference, I successfully passed the Cloud Digital Leader exam and enrolled in the Professional Data Engineer course, and ultimately made the decision to join the Data & AI team.” — Jana Polianskaja’s, three-time scholar (Valencia 22 ➜ Amsterdam 23 ➜ Paris 24) Learn more about Jana's experience in her Medium post, "My Third KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe with the Dan Kohn Scholarship ☸️" and on LinkedIn. Akhil Mohan “Being awarded the Dan Kohn scholarship was not just a financial aid but a ticket to an experience that would unfold as a series of remarkable moments.” The scholarship allowed me to be a part of KubeCon, a colossal event in the realm of Kubernetes and cloud-native technologies. — Akhil Mohan, maintainer track, KubeCon NA 24 Learn more about Akhil's experience in his post, "Unforgettable Moments and New Milestones: My First KubeCon Experience." Why Dan Kohn? When Kubernetes was still a bright‑eyed toddler, Dan Kohn took the helm as the first executive director of the CNCF (2016‑2020). He grew the foundation from four seed projects to an ecosystem of hundreds, insisted that every KubeCon reserve budget for diversity scholarships, and championed the mantra “open source is about opportunity.” He passed away in November 2020, far too soon, but his conviction that software communities should be doors, not gates lives on in the scholarship that now bears his name. Every first‑timer badge printed in Atlanta this year is a tiny extension of that legacy. Five tips to make your application sing! Dan Kohn scholarship deadlines Three tracks: Diversity • Need‑based • Maintainer Since its launch the fund has issued 7,000+ scholarships across 80+ countries, with 529 people receiving travel help in 2024 alone. Life after “Congrats!” Join the #scholarships and #merge-forwards channels on CNCF Slack. It’s like pre-boarding with friendly faces. Hit the Newcomer Reception on day-0; the room is 100% scholarship peers and mentors. Pay it forward: write your own recap or volunteer as a first-timer guide next year. The flywheel keeps spinning when we all give a gentle push. Culture corner: what this means inside Isovalent Sponsoring the fund is about people, not publicity. Diversity brings energy, creativity, and resilience to the Cilium hive, and it’s what makes hallway-track debates and deep-dive sessions truly exciting. Supporting this fund is also how we open doors for new contributors and build lasting connections with the community. Call to action (a.k.a. your TODO) Grab a drink, block 45 minutes, and draft that application. Set a calendar ping prior to Sep 12 (travel fund) and prior to Sep 30 (registration pass). Share this post with someone who keeps saying “Maybe next year.” See you in Atlanta—look for the booth with the crocheted bees! 🐝 Useful resources Apply for the Dan Kohn scholarship Find more information regarding travel funding Jana’s Story Your Dan Kohn scholarship for KubeCon + Cloud Native cheat sheet