Fáilte / Servus

Hi, I’m Tara, though some people still know me as Gippa. I’m British/Italian and live mostly between London (UK) and Milan (IT), with a few Austrian ties that occasionally pull me eastward.

Since I was 7, I’ve been passionate about computers and transmitting data, across any medium and any protocol. I started tinkering with Linux in the mid-90s, and more recently, I’ve embraced FreeBSD, a return to simplicity and clarity that I appreciate more and more. That early curiosity eventually became a career in infrastructure and open source. I’ve spent the past couple of decades helping organisations build private cloud infrastructures, mostly using open source. Along the way, I’ve written books, spoken at conferences, and worked with companies across Europe and beyond.

After recent roles as a Distinguished System & Cloud Achitect at a startup in San Francisco and as Head of Open Source at a global telecom, I’ve returned to independent consulting, where I can focus, go deep (and hands-on!), and help where it really matters. I also serve as an ambassador for OpenUK, supporting open technology in the UK.

Outside of tech, I’m a licensed pilot (seaplanes included), a lover of quiet skies, and a fan of trance and EDM, the kind of music that makes you feel like you’re flying even when your feet are on the ground. I’ve also been an avid reader of sapphic fiction since late 2021, a discovery that still makes me smile.

This blog is just a personal space. No newsletter, no ads, no tracking/logs, no fuss.

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This site renders in elinks 🌷 💜