Our Mission

To preserve and provide perpetual access to the digital legacy of all people for the historical and educational benefit of future generations.
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Proudly Nonprofit

The Permanent Legacy Foundation is not your typical tech company. We are a mission-driven, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, cultural heritage organization, just like a library, museum, university, or faith-based organization.

Any money left over after paying salaries and utility bills is reinvested into the preservation of the digital materials entrusted to us. We actually pool all our one-time storage fees into a shared endowment and use the interest on this tax-exempt investment fund to pay our ongoing operations and storage costs, in perpetuity.

Charitable donors are valuable partners. Philanthropy allows our team to do what we otherwise could not: research new technology, innovate on user experience, recruit new talent, and expand access to the broadest possible community through our Byte4Byte Program. Charitable gifts can take many forms, such as cash, stocks, property, bequests, and valuable volunteer time.

The Nonprofit Advantage

Typical for-profit data storage companies answer to their shareholders. Their products and services are destined to change as profits grow and shrink. Without this burden, Permanent is able to stay true to our mission and our Board of Governors ensures the fidelity of our foundation. Our unique nonprofit designation also allows us to put people first and guarantee more protection and power for our users. Unlike other platforms, we don’t require anyone to relinquish their copyright, we will not jeopardize their privacy, sell their information or use their files to market third party products.

Meet the Team

Robert Friedman
Robert FriedmanExecutive Director
Robert brings two decades of experience in academia, research, museums, technology, and nonprofit leadership. His work at the Mozilla Foundation and the Adler Planetarium in Chicago sparked his passion for digital equity. He holds a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Chicago. Robert enjoys raising chickens and homesteading in the lost pines outside of Austin, TX.
Cecilia Krum
Cecilia KrumDirector of Engineering
Cecilia has a decade of experience working in open source and civic tech. She was co-author on a report to the World Bank and led a project for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In her Aspen Institute Tech Policy Fellowship, she researched consumer tech solutions for the digital afterlife. Cecilia enjoys cross-country skiing and paddleboarding in Minneapolis, MN.
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Amanda MeeksCommunity & Partnerships Manager

Amanda (she/they) is an interdisciplinary artist, librarian, educator, activist, and end-of-life doula. Her tenure in libraries, museums, and community archives spans over ten years. When Amanda isn’t working or making art you can find her biking around Tucson, AZ with a free mobile zine library, gardening, or reading a good creative non-fiction book.

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Kaitlyn JarnaginMember Success Manager
Kaitlyn Jarnagin is a trained digital archivist who is interested in making digital preservation accessible to everyone. She received her Master of Science in Information from the University of Michigan and has previously built digital preservation programs in university libraries and archives. Kaitlyn enjoys crafting, running, and playing with her three cats in Knoxville, TN.
Han Pham
Han PhamMember Journey Coordinator
Han Pham is passionate about creating excellent customer experiences on digital platforms. She has an expansive background in strategy and operations leveraging a customer-focused mindset to reach her goals. Born and raised in San Diego, CA, but recently moved to NYC, Han loves to spend time with her dog at the beach, compete in local tennis tournaments, and stay healthy and active in her community by playing pickup games at the park.
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Natalie MartinSoftware Engineer

Natalie Martin is a software developer who cares about writing clean code and enhancing both user and developer experience. In addition to her years as a professional front end developer, she has also contributed to multiple open source projects in her free time. She likes developing video games and is an accordionist living in Phoenix, AZ.

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Liam LloydSenior Software Engineer
Liam Lloyd is a backend software developer who strives to write well-crafted, readable code that will endure the test of time. In addition to professional software development, he enjoys using programming to solve puzzles. Outside of software, Liam enjoys historical fencing, tabletop RPGs, poetry, and video games. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
nathalie-rayter
Nathalie RayterUX Designer
Nathalie Rayter is a UX designer with a passion for addressing problems in complex service systems. She draws from her previous work in education and her Master's in human-computer interaction from Carnegie Mellon to build flexible, accessible designs for digital interfaces and IRL experiences. A longtime Chicagoan, she loves traveling on foot and cooking for other people.
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Emily SienkiewiczCommunications Specialist
Emily (she/her) is a storyteller with a passion for family history. With a background in communications and a love for history, Emily works to ensure that every member is both excited and able to share their story. When she isn't archiving her own family history, Emily can be found in Western, MA reading anything she can get her hands on, playing with her niece, or sending mail art to her friends.
Janel Simms
Janel SimmsDesigner
Janel is a graphic and web designer who endeavors to create engaging visual concepts in pixels or print. After graduating with a BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design, she became the lead in-house designer for a print house on Cape Cod. Upon moving to Texas, she started Wagging Labs where she enjoys the freedom in consulting with clients. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, baking, and visiting dog parks in Round Rock, TX.

Our Advisors

We are honored to join a rich community of thought leaders, industry experts and fellow travelers. We seek their insight and guidance to tackle our most ambitious challenges and we thank them for their support.

dean-drako
Dean DrakoGoverning Board Member
Founder, President & CEO of Eagle Eye Networks, Founder of Barracuda Networks
Tracy-LaQuey-Parker
Tracy LaQuey ParkerGoverning Board Member
Internet Hall of Fame Innovator, Best Selling Author, Founder of the UTeach Institute
stephen-wolfram
Stephen WolframGoverning Board Member

Founder & CEO of Wolfram Research, Wolfram Alpha and Pioneer of Wolfram Language

josh-baer
Joshua BaerGoverning Board Member
Serial Entrepreneur, Email Guru, Founder & CEO of Capital Factory
paul-vixie
Paul VixieGoverning Board Member
Internet Pioneer, Founder of Internet Software Consortium, Internet Hall of Fame inductee
david-munson
David MunsonGoverning Board Member
President of the Rochester Institute of Technology. Former Dean of University of Michigan College of Engineering
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Brewster Kahle

Founder, Internet Archive

mark-surman
Mark Surman
Executive Director, Mozilla Foundation
cherie-bush
Cheri Bush

Deputy Chief Genealogical Officer, FamilySearch

cathi-nelson
Cathi Nelson
Founder and President of The Photo Organizers (APPO), Speaker and Author
jeff-ubois
Jeff Ubois
Program Officer, MacArthur Foundation
karen-jeffey
Karen Jeffrey

President, ForAllSystems

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Brian Muntz
Commercial Photographer, Muntz Studios
patti-hixon
Patti Hixon
Vice President, Buie & Co
karl-fogel
Karl Fogel
Partner, Open Tech Strategies & Best Community Builder, Google/O'Reilly Open Source Award
james-vasile
James Vasile
Partner, Open Tech Strategies
brad-jung
Brad Jung

Partner, Strategy and Product Marketing Decision Counsel

Wendy Hanamura
Wendy Hanamura
Director of Partnerships, Internet ArchivePartner, Open Tech Strategies
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Richard Stiennon
Independent Analyst and Author of Secure Cloud Transformation: The CIO's Journey
eric-niloff
Eric Niloff

Co-Founder and CEO, EverPresent