5 0 1 ( c ) 3 ▁tax - ex empt ▁status , ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁It ▁prom otes ▁the ▁usage ▁of ▁Open ▁Source ▁Software . ▁ ▁The ▁organization ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁late ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁by ▁Bruce ▁Per ens ▁and ▁Eric ▁S . ▁Raymond , ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁group ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁N ets cape ▁Communic ations ▁Corporation ▁publishing ▁the ▁source ▁code ▁for ▁its ▁flags hip ▁N ets cape ▁Communic ator ▁product . ▁Later , ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁the ▁organization ▁added ▁a ▁board ▁of ▁direct ors . ▁ ▁Raymond ▁was ▁president ▁from ▁its ▁found ing ▁until ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁followed ▁briefly ▁by ▁Russ ▁Nelson ▁and ▁then ▁Michael ▁T iemann . ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁the ▁new ▁board ▁elected ▁Simon ▁Ph ipp s ▁as ▁president ▁and ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁All ison ▁Rand al ▁was ▁elected ▁as ▁president ▁when ▁Ph ipp s ▁stepped ▁down ▁in ▁prepar ation ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁Board ▁term . ▁Ph ipp s ▁became ▁President ▁again ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁Mol ly ▁de ▁Bl anc ▁was ▁elected ▁President ▁in ▁May , ▁ 2 0 1 9 . ▁ ▁History ▁As ▁a ▁campaign ▁of ▁sorts , ▁" open ▁source " ▁was ▁launched ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁by ▁Jon ▁" m add og " ▁Hall , ▁Larry ▁August in , ▁Eric ▁S . ▁Raymond ,