Vaishali Thakkar is a Linux kernel and virtualization expert with over 10 years of experience in open source. She has contributed to various open source initiatives and has actively participated in mentoring programs such as RGSoC and Outreachy, serving as an organizer and coordinator. Vaishali is a regular speaker at open source and technology conferences, and in the past, she conducted Linux kernel workshops at universities across India to inspire and support students in getting started with open source.