From Baltimore to Boston, We’re Off to the Races!

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Reflecting on Futures2, Looking Forward to TechEX24

SUMMARY: Get leadership insight into the InCommon 2023 strategic planning process and what it means for the future of identity and access management in research and education. Join your colleagues at the 2024 Internet2 Technology Exchange in Boston where you will hear first-hand how the power of collective community action continues to move InCommon forward.

Betting on Baltimore: The Anticipation of Triple Crown’s Second Round

For better or worse, my being from Baltimore is as obvious as is me being bald. You can see me being bald from a mile away, and if we have a conversation you knowing I’m from Baltimore is usually only a minute away. I define a good day by how strongly my fingers smell like Old Bay. Fort Mchenry and the Battle of Baltimore is an incredibly underrated moment in U.S. history. Thames Street is pronounced differently in Baltimore than it is in London. Without Lord Baltimore the Maryland flag wouldn’t be the best state flag. The Wire is better than The Sopranos, and one of my kids is named after a Baltimore Oriole.

A huge summer moment for both Baltimore and Maryland is the running of The Preakness Stakes, the second round of horse racing’s Triple Crown. The Preakness is where the coveted Triple Crown chase is at its most compelling. It is at The Preakness where everyone is hopefully anticipating that the Derby winner will pull off a win at Pimlico. The anticipation for the outcome of The Preakness is like few other sporting events. Is the winner going to win? Will there be a surprise upset?  All the drama of the third leg of the Triple Crown is created in Baltimore. So much anticipation, so much hope, so much excitement.

By the way, did you know that I am from Baltimore?

Running Our Race: Futures2 and Beyond

About this time last year, we were starting to wrap up a long year of a strategic planning process we affectionately referred to as “Futures2.” In 2009, InCommon community leaders developed a strategic plan that got us where we are today. Fifteen years later and in the year of our 20th birthday, we developed a new plan to get us to where we need to go. We learned a lot in that year. It was a tiring, humbling, and gratifying project. In January of 2024 – this year – we had a report and plan. In February we moved into action.

I’ve led and been a part of many strategic planning efforts. None have moved from publication to action faster than Futures2 at InCommon. It has been explosive, exciting, and sometimes frightening. We’re off and running, co-creating InCommon’s future with many caring, creative, and committed colleagues.

At the 2024 Internet2 Technology Exchange (TechEX) next month in Boston (Dec. 9-13), you’ll be hearing lots about what we’re already doing for our future. And if you don’t, grab any one of us from InCommon, and we’ll be happy to share. You will have many opportunities to meet us at TechEX, including InCommon’s 20th Birthday Celebration.

Of course, we’ll still be bringing you an insightful track of IAM sessions – better known as CAMP Week – developed by a committee of your peers and covering the topics most critical to successful identity and access management today and tomorrow. Following the curated sessions is our not-to-be-missed, and always eagerly anticipated, two days of crowd-sourced content, Advanced CAMP, commonly known as ACAMP.

If you haven’t already made plans to join us at TechEX, I hope you will. By the way, did you know we’re from InCommon?

Meet us at TechEX

Please join us for these special gatherings during TechEX in Boston.

ICYMI

• Choosing the Moon: InCommon Futures2 Will Take Our Community to New Heights