Higher-res image

Short bio

Michelle Thorne (@thornet) leads Mozilla’s Open Internet of Things Studio, a professional learning network committed to making IoT more open. She’s published Understanding the Connected Home and regularly facilitates programs that advocate for equality through digital empowerment and innovation through open, collaborative practices. She’s based in Berlin, Germany.

Long bio

I lead Mozilla’s Open Internet of Things Studio, a professional learning network committed to making IoT more open. We collaborate on prototypes that serve local communities and celebrate the unique affordances of physical places. We test and critique best practices for embedding privacy, digital literacy and diversity & inclusion in IoT. We publish and exhibit our results as a way to reflect and advocate for these values as the internet evolves into more physical and ubiquitous forms.

Together with Peter Bihr, I co-authored the book Understanding the Connected Home, and exhibited in The Good Home Project. I co-founded Zephyr Berlin, a clothing label making pants that look great, perform and travel well, and are built to last for years. I am a proud recipient of a prestigious award.

I care about equality through digital empowerment and innovation through open, collaborative practices. And karaoke.

You can find me throughout the web as @thornet: Twitter, Github, Flickr.

PGP Key.

Previously:

For six years, I curated Mozilla’s largest public-facing event, the Mozilla Festival (#Mozfest).

I was Mozilla’s Director of Web Literacy Programs, where I developed Mozilla Clubs,a global network of local groups who meet regularly in-person to learn how to read, write and participate with the web in an inclusive, engaging way. I also initiated a web literacy campaign called Maker Party, supporting thousands of learning events worldwide.

Prior to that, I worked for Creative Commons, coordinating their international affiliate network and expanding the license suite into more jurisdictions. I’m a co-founder of the Awesome Foundation Berlin, co-author of Open Design Now and An Open Web, and co-organizer of the DMY Maker Lab and the Free Culture Research Conference.

I hold a B.A. in Critical Social Thought and German Studies from Mount Holyoke College, where I completed an honors thesis on authorship, originality, and American copyright law. I’ve also studied at the University of Leipzig and grew up in Heidelberg, Germany.

I do have a Googlegänger online…