Breaking Free from Commercial Databases

We’re joined by Anna Widenius and Michael “Monty” Widenius, the people behind the MariaDB Foundation, who are here to help us unpack the challenges of the open source business, vendor lock-in, and owning your data through their unique lens — and experience.

And believe us, you will be interested to hear their story!

Anna Widenius is a CEO of the MariaDB Foundation, an organization that supports the sustainability, governance, and community of MariaDB. As prominent a thought leader as she is a driving force in the open source business, Anna will share insights into what the foundation — and its mission — are today.

Monty is a highly influential figure in the world of database development and open source software. He is the creator of the original MySQL database and MariaDB, originally a fork of the former, and a project through which Monty continues to lead the way in open source innovation.

To me, data sovereignty means being able to control your own data. Where it leaves, who can access it, in what format. And yes, it’s part of a broader concept of digital sovereignty which is essentially about self-determination in the digital world. And that said, in many ways it all begins with open source because control and freedom go hand in hand.

Anna Widenius

CEO, MariaDB Foundation

In this episode, after covering all the Whats, Whens, and Whys of open source and owning your data, we dive into more thought-provoking questions, including:

• What would MySQL be today without MariaDB?

• Is there anything Anna or Monty would have done differently?

And the big one — a question every leader in an open source community must grapple with:

• How do you align your open source business with community stewardship and vitality?

This episode is for anyone active in the open source community or interested in open source software, as Anna and Monty give a behind-the-scenes look with wit and insight!

Episode links

Find all references from our speakers here:

• Anna Widenius | LinkedIn
• Michael “Monty” Widenius | LinkedIn
• MariaDB Foundation
• MariaDB: Joining the Community
• Nextcloud Community Conference 2025
• MariaDB Server Fests
• Open Source Summit Europe
• Building Open Source Together with MariaDB: Frank Karlitschek, Nextcloud
• Nextcloud Enterprise: Content collaboration software for enterprises

The post Owning your data: The open source path with Nextcloud and MariaDB appeared first on Nextcloud.