Dear community and friends,
I thought it might be a good idea for us all to gather our thoughts, memories and stories of Shuli and what she meant to us in one place. Please add your contribution below via a pull request.
I was fortunate enough to get to know Shuli Goodman when LF Energy was but a glimmer in her eye and not even a fully-funded Linux Foundation project. Through mutual friends, we were introduced and she asked if I could come and provide a day-long consulting on how Open Source worked for some initial member company prospects, from communities to corporate interactions.
I jumped at the chance, because Shuli, as others have noted, was not only extremely persuasive, but her passion for decarbonization and making life on this planet better for everyone was infectious. A ten minute conversation with Shuli could convince even the most hardened non-environmentalist that using open source technologies and community techniques was not only the answer to a better planet, but also a more efficient energy production and distribution business model. Over the next year or so, I would get an opportunity to present at the first LF Energy Summit and occasionally provide ad-hoc consulting for her work. I always considered it a great privilege to work with her.
As others have noted, to know Shuli was to know someone who was kind, personable, multi-dimensional, and wholly involved in living life to the fullest. In many in-person and ad-hoc conversations, we bonded on topics of open source, wildfire prevention (I was a volunteer with Cal Fire for 10 years, something we continually talked about) and social justice. She could be funny & charming, but also deadly serious about why open source and LF Energy were critical to our world.
Sadly, I hadn't had as much of an opportunity to work with her in the last year, but her passing leaves a hole in my life, and a strong desire to live a life more like hers - full of hope, passion and the spirit of helping each other. We'll miss you Shuli, but I'm confident that what you started will be a beacon to our world.
I've had the pleasure and honor on working with Shuli in growing the LF Energy Foundation over the past few years. Shuli was always passionate towards her vision of open source being the solution to the climate challenge in front of our society. But it was more than just professional passion; her passionate was personally drove her, and up to her last days she was constantly pushing forward towards that vision. Her relentless drive is the reason LF Energy has gotten to the level of success it has achieved and is well setup for the future.
I only met Shuli one time in person, and this was at an LF offsite after we had been working together for quite some time. I remember it fondly because during that conversation, I recieved a phone call that my brother had died. Shuli immediately consoled me, showing sympathy and support, and checking in on me regularly in the weeks that followed to make sure I'm ok. Another time, after a series of summer storms that knocked power out for my home for several days, she sent me an emergency lantern and power pack. She would start many of our conversations while she was battling cancer with "How are you doing John? Are you doing ok with all of this?" This is the side of Shuli I truly admire - that she was not just a great visionary, but a human that truly loved and cared about the people around her.
I'll miss Shuli immensely, from the long and winding conversations we would have, us sharing stories of our lives and families, and us working through the various challenges faced while I supported her in growing LF Energy. My biggest sadness for her leaving this world too soon is that for all the hard work she put into this foundation, that she won't be here in person to see it all come together. However, I do know that she will be with us all and this foundation in spirit as it grows to new heights.
My first interaction with Shuli was in July of 2018 when I was helping with the announcement of the launch of LF Energy. I was lucky enough to work with her part time on communications for LFE after the launch. When I left the Linux Foundation the following year for a PR agency, Shuli quickly reached out and asked if she could hire me to keep doing PR for the foundation. I remember vividly introducing her on the phone to my team; after the call one of the team members said something along the lines of "this lady is either crazy or a genius." That was Shuli to a tee; she always had so many ideas and so much knowledge that it could be hard to keep track and get her to explain it all in a way a layperson could understand. While that could rub some people the wrong way I always loved it as I learned something new every single time I spoke to her.
The first time I met Shuli in person was at Open Source Summit 2018 in Edinburgh. LF Energy hosted its first developer summit at that event, and I helped schedule some media interviews for Shuli. I recall one of the interviews was back to back with an interview I was staffing with another LF spokesperson - and at a different location - so I had to sprint to make it on time. I arrived at the hotel bar where we were to meet the journalist to find Shuli sitting in a huge neon green booth sipping on a cup of tea. She could see I had sprinted there so told me to relax and take a load off. The journalist was late so we proceeded to have a lovely conversation about family, life, the climate, and her dreams for LF Energy. She always made you feel at ease, and when you were talking to her, she would listen intently as if you were the most important person in the world. That's a rare skill that I will miss terribly.
I was again privileged last year when Shuli and John reached out to say LF Energy was in a position to hire a full time marketing and comms lead and to ask if I would be interested in the role. I jumped at the chance to work with Shuli full time finally and help her move her vision for the organization forward. I'm just sorry that it was for such a short amount of time, just over 4 months, before we lost her. During that short time though I've watched her shepherd this organization into a position where it's ready to skyrocket and truly make a significant impact on the energy transition and decarbonization. Shuli seemed to know everyone in the industry and just about everything about power systems; there truly is no one like her and there never will be again. My life is fuller for Shuli having been in it, and I'll never forget her intellect, passion, and energy. She was probably the most purpose-driven individual I've ever met and I am so sad she will not be here to see LF Energy make its full impact on the world. But when that does happen it will all be thanks to Shuli Goodman.
Shuli helped to onboard our FlexMeasures project into LF Energy. Her optimism and pragmatism was convincing and made the decision easy. It was always great talking to her, she was swift with her thoughts, very constructive for the mission, but also kept a personal tone and added her own distinct humor. She was truly a one-of-a-kind person and a leader who made you feel confident.
I did not have as many interactions with her as many others who have been with LF Energy longer, so I'll keep this brief. There are not many people who after just a few meetings will leave such a distinct memory, and the feeling of loss.
Shuli was an inspiration with her passion and perseverance to make open source software part of the solution for the challenges facing our planet. I share this passion for the role of open source software and I was delighted to help spread the word for LF Energy and support the mission within EPRI. I continue to believe in the mission and direction of LF Energy. Shuli’s energy has left a legacy that it is our duty to build on. Thanks for everything Shuli.
My first conversation with Shuli was in 2020 at the Open Source Bootcamp at Alliander in Duiven, right when my corporate Open Source journey started. The way she spoke a vision of Open Source helping the energy sector transition to a greener future made it clear to me she was the right person to lead the Linux Foundation Energy. She was always so friendly and easy to reach. For example I once had a bold idea to take part in a legislative consultation. She supported it, got a team together and we persisted and finally created a strong document. I'm still impressed by the amount of personal energy she put in something that was a bit of a moonshot. My impression of Shuli is that once she committed to something, she would see it through. One thing I'll remember in particular is how she was able to create a sense of urgency on climate change by taking her own risk and fear of forest fires as a very personal example. This spoke to me to the point that I recited her fear to evoke a sense of urgency in others. All of this, the way she was as a person and fulfilled the role at LF Energy made Shuli somebody to look up to. She certainly inspired me and her memory will live on.
This world is made up of all sorts of people, each trying to make their own way in the world , for better or worse. Every now and again we get to meet people who stand out from the crowd, who make an impression, an impact. It is only in recent months that I got to connect to Shuli and get to know her, all too briefly. In the few and brief encounters we had I quickly understood why LFEnergy has come to be the force that it is now. Leadership is a term bandied around a lot, often it is a label applied without being earned. In connecting with Shuli I quickly recognised a natural leader , a person who wanted to make the world a better place. With just a few words, her wisdom, her calm, her kindness , her intellect, her passion and her mission quickly came through. Her story in founding LF Energy and bringing it to the place it is at now, battling adversity as she did, is already an inspirational one. I don't know LF Energy all that well but in my dealings with the people involved and in connecting with Shuli, I see how she inspired it to get to the key force that it is today. Of course Shulis work with LFEnergy was not/is not done, but I believe Shuli, her work and her leadership have already made history in establishing LFEnergy. I wrote to her before Christmas to make the point; LFEnergy's mission and value may take time to be more widely understood and have the global impact it is destined for, but it will, its not a question of if, but when. Grateful to have known Shuli, albeit all too briefly. Shuli Goodman made the world a better place and her inspiring work will live on.
My first interaction with Shuli was in 2019 when I gave a first introduction to the Open Smart Grid Platform (OSGP) project, now known as the Grid eXchange Fabric (GXF) project. I still remember how passionate she was about her mission to make open source software part of the solution to decarbonize energy and help solve the challenges our planet is facing. When Alliander became a member of LF Energy, I was delighted to help support her mission and spread the word for LF Energy. It was always a pleasure and honor to be working with Shuli. Her relentless drive is the reason LF Energy has gotten to the level of success it has achieved today and is ready for the future. I'll miss her.
Thank you Shuli for your leadership and powerful inspiration to all of us involved in trying to make our world a better place. You will always be in our memories and in our hearts!
I met Shuli in 2019 at the Alliander meeting just outside of Arnhem (NL). We enjoyed dinner in the evening with a few other participants. We had a lovely conversation about Buddhism, meditation and a few of her favourite authors. We stayed in touch after that. I really appreciated her leadership, because of the holistic approach and long-term vision. A compassionate way of thinking/leadership that we so dearly need to make this world a better place.
My favorite memory of Shuli is at a restaurant in Denver, where we were in town for the IEPEC conference. IEPEC is a conference for energy program evaluators. After spending the day listening in to panel presentations, Shuli joined a group of us at dinner. She was apoplectic. How on earth could an industry be so backwards? It was this rebellious spirit that I found so kindred, endearing, and compelling. Shuli was one of the first people I called when I wanted to start a new company focused on translating energy metrics into carbon metrics. Her wisdom and guidance helped ensure that collaborativeness prevailed wtihin a contentious subject area. Her first-principles focus ensured that we were asking the right questions without getting in the way of the work to be done. The world needs more pople like Shuli and we will miss her dearly. I will miss her dearly.
It is so sad to contemplate a world without Shuli. She was passionate but kind, visionary but practical, logical but sensitive. It falls to all of us to continue her life's work of decarbonizing the global energy market and ensuring we leave the plant in better shape for those to come after us.
Shuli was a force of nature. She introduced herself to me as a gardener when I became her program manager for LF Energy in March, 2019, and I remember wondering exactly how a gardener was planning to direct this umbrella project which aspired to dozens of projects. I worked side by side with Shuli for over a year and a half, long enough to learn that bshe was in fact a consummate gardener who understood the nature of plants as well as communities - that they need to be invested in the ground and nurtured according to their own needs, not that of the gardener's, over a period of time before they can bear fruit. That is the calculus she used to distill LF Energy, and it is what made her a great leader. She was absolutely tireless, and her enthusiasm and energy were infectious and inspiring.
I think that is how she wanted to be remembered - planting seeds and curating ideas, chasing weeds, and putting her entire self into it. I feel the best way to honor her spirit is to carry on the effort of transforming the world's electrical systems and doing our part to save the planet for future generations. Shuli, my friend, you are gone too soon, and you will be dearly missed.
Dr. Shuli Goodman was a thoughtful leader who inspired, led and delivered an open source strategy for the energy transition by creating Linux Foundation Energy. She demonstrated how open collaboration is essential to our climate goals. One example that will stick with us is her passionate advocacy that the math involved in GHG emission measurements needs to be open and transparent. We, at Shell, started our interactions with Dr. Goodman around 2021 when we were starting to embark on the journey of open sourcing code developed in-house with the vision of accelerating energy transition. In Dr Goodman, we met someone who shares our ambition for scale and passion for execution. She was instrumental in shaping our emerging open source strategy & we are very grateful to her. Without her purpose driven leadership, perseverance, and talent - we would not be where we are today. Words are not enough to say how much we will miss her. Our thoughts are with the LFE team and with her family. May her soul rest in peace.
I heard of the death of Shuli, and wish you all strength in these sad days. I know Shuli a passioned person going for a susataiable energy landscape. Her leaderschip did bring LF energy together and greated growth. We had some nice conversations in the past. My deepest condoleances her family and friends.
I remember back in 2018 when we were a few lone nuts, dreaming of an industry shift towards open source for the sake of the energy transition. Our vision was perceived as unachievable, sometimes scary, at least as something odd. Planning the first LF Energy Summit was quite erratic: plans were drafted and crossed out. Shuli admitted a little bit of anxiety: the purpose was so important that it had to be successful. Eventually the dream has become a strong reality thanks to Shuli’s leadership, perseverance and generosity. Shuli strove to make it not only a business-oriented community, but also and above all, a human adventure. From wildfires to covid, from political crises to war, the last few years have been tormented. Nevertheless the commitment to the mission grew. We have inherited the inspiration to steer through the storm. Thank you captain.
We are heartbroken to learn the passing of Shuli Goodman, Ph.D. after her long battle with cancer. We last chatted mid-November after the annual LF Energy Foundation member meeting. She seemed to be doing better and was so brave hosting and chairing our meeting with her bare head. She joked about it saying that it was a bit like "coming out". Her introducing speech was a great message of hope, resilience and fighting through collaboration for a better future.
She will be remembered as a fighter working for the common good and believing that the technology would be a major part of the solution to global climate change.
I feel privileged to have known her and with Eloi Bail, and the entire Savoir-faire Linux team involved in those projects, we are committed to continuing her work within LF Energy Foundation and proving her right.
Our thoughts go out to her family and her team at the LFEnergy.
I first met Shuli in 2018 when she asked me to present at a workshop and she personally spent a couple hours with me giving me a personal "Electrification Industry 101" tour. She was incredibly passionate bringing open source to the energy industry and did an incredible amount of work in bringing folks across disciplines and industries together to make this happen.
She was a tour de force in decarbonizination adn bringing open source to the energy industry. You will be missed. Her passion will live on to benefit future generations in the work done in LFE and more, thank you!
I've known Shuli since 2019, when we first collaborated on standards development in the fight against climate change. The entire time we've worked together, she showed nothing but genuine, passionate focus on improving the world, helping others, and organizing groups to come together to make an impact. I deeply appreciate all she has done for the climate tech community, and hold profound respect for the impact and legacy she has been able to instill in all of us. Shuli, you will be missed.
I was introduced to Shuli Sept 6, 2018, by Pete Skala, Deputy Director of the California Public Utilities Commission's Energy Division, who described her as a "visionary who is swinging for the fences." Pete framed perfectly the fit in interests bw LFE and OS-C, saying we were "using very similar approaches (OS a la the LF-model and with their support) to accomplish similar ends (facilitate carbon reduction efforts) at two extremely different scales (i.e., at the electron level versus at the multi-trillion dollar pension fund level). Despite this last bit, I can’t help but wonder if there are some synergies or opportunities to swap best practices betwixt your respective open source moonshots here." (Pete, Shuli and I share in common one of my closest friends, Jonathan Kaplan, whose first cousin Lucy had been Shuli's wife.) Shuli immediately followed up, "I would love to talk to see if we can be of help - whether you want to go it on your own or whether the LF Energy would be a possible home (for all the various synergy and shared services opportunities)." From that moment forward, Shuli was a constant source of inspiration to me, Gary Rahl, and other in the OS-C founding group, and then others in our community.
She challenged us. She was a force nature.
We talked about the fires, and I could feel her anxiety as the winds were blowing chaos and fear around Northern CA.
We also shared, as we all do, our roots in the earth. Great hippy energy! We will forever be grateful to Shuli and look to be a good partner in stewarding what she brought into existence with her vision, knowledge, passion, and tenacity.
One of my favorite moments with her was when I got to meet Karen virtually. There was a movement behind Shul as we talked in Zoom, and when I asked about it, up popped Karen! It felt wonderful to be connected to Shuli and Karen in that way! @Karen, our thoughts and prayers are with you. Can we help in any way?
I hope you are at peace Shuli. I feel we will still be getting your help and encouragement as the journey continues.
With my love and thanks, Truman