Antonio Prado
Biography:
Passionately curious, active in IT since 1993. Opensource enthusiast and IPv6 early adopter, currently I am a consultant for the Italian Public Administration and for Network Operators. Former MANRS ambassador and MANRS Steering Committee member, I recently co-authored the book “BGP, from theory to practice”, available in Italian and in English.
Statement of Interest:
I would like to continue to serve the PC where I can offer my experience and knowledge.
Babak Farrokhi
Biography:
Babak is the Director of Operations at Quad9, a free and widely trusted Protective Public DNS Resolver that safeguards millions of users globally against cyber threats. His work focuses on improving the quality of internet connectivity and creating a safer online environment for internet users worldwide.
With a career spanning over 27 years, Babak has gained extensive experience in building and managing service provider networks. Throughout his journey in the industry, he has taken on various roles, including several engineering leadership positions, technical trainer and member of the Program Committee for Middle East DNS Forum.
Additionally, he has been a prominent contributor to the open-source software community for more than two decades, including a committer at the FreeBSD project since 2004 and the author of widely used DNSDiag tools.
Statement of Interest:
I am excited to submit my candidacy for the RIPE Programme Committee, eager to bring my decades of experience to help shape an impactful program. I aim to foster sessions highlighting foundational topics and emerging trends, ensuring valuable insights for our community. I believe we need more diversity in content and speakers in upcoming RIPE meetings. I would like to help make that happen by acquiring and encouraging new speakers from different areas.
Martin Winter
Biography:
Martin Winter has a Bachelor in Computer Science and started with his first Internet connection in 1991. After working for a few years in Switzerland, he moved to the United States in 1998 where he worked for some time as a Backbone Network Architect at Exodus Communications (a large Colo provider) before spending (too) many years at Cisco. Since late 2011, he has been dedicated to Open Source. He moved back to Switzerland in 2018.
Initially working on Quagga for ISC, he later co-founded the non-profit Network Device Education Foundation (NetDEF) and helped start the FRRouting project. At NetDEF, Martin is the main person testing infrastructure for the FRRouting community. Martin enjoys travelling and Open Source Software and has a hard time understanding why people are still using closed/proprietary software. Martin attended his first RIPE meeting at RIPE 31 and started the Open Source Working Group at RIPE 66. Now handing over the Open Source Working Group to new chairs, he is looking for a new role to help out the RIPE community.
Milad Afshari
Biography:
My name is Milad Afshari, and I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Systems Networking. With over ten years of experience in network engineering, I currently serve as the Enterprise Network Planning Manager at MTN-Irancell, one of Iran’s leading mobile network operators. Additionally, I have worked as a consultant for ISPs and LIRs, providing valuable solutions.
I am actively involved in the networking community, attending RIPE Meetings, MENOG, and CAPIF regional conferences. As a Program Committee member of CAPIF, I have helped organize meetings in the region. Furthermore, I co-founded the Iranian Network Operators Group (IRNOG) and served as its PC Chair, successfully organizing six meetings over the past eight years to promote knowledge-sharing within our local community.
Statement of Interest:
I previously served on the RIPE Programme Committee from RIPE 83 to RIPE 86. I am deeply committed to the mission of RIPE and to fostering an environment where knowledge and best practices are shared openly.
Moin Rahman
Biography:
I, Moin Rahman, am currently based in the Netherlands, where I serve as an Infrastructure Developer for The FreeBSD Foundation. Alongside this role, I run a consultancy focused on IPv6 migration and network automation, driven by my longstanding interest in networking. My journey with RIPE began at RIPE 79, though I’ve been an active follower of RIPE Working Groups since 2016.
With nearly two decades of experience in the Asia Pacific networking landscape, I bring a seasoned perspective to the RIPE Program Committee. Before relocating to the Netherlands, I was a dedicated and active community member in the Asia Pacific region, where I frequently presented at regional Network Operators Groups, including APNIC, APRICOT, and SANOG. As a Program Committee member and Chair for events like APNIC54, I played an instrumental role in fostering emerging speakers, identifying impactful topics, and ensuring a high standard of content delivery that met the community’s evolving needs. This experience has honed my ability to curate diverse, high-quality sessions that resonate across regional and global audiences, reinforcing my commitment to advancing open dialogue and knowledge-sharing within the networking community. My work as an APNIC Community Trainer also provided invaluable experience in overcoming barriers and engaging with diverse audiences from varying technical backgrounds.
As a passionate advocate for the FreeBSD Project, I’ve contributed in various capacities over nearly two decades. Currently, my work is primarily focused on release engineering and global cluster management, ensuring the stability and resilience of the FreeBSD ecosystem. My experiences across network operations, training, technical leadership, and contributions to the open-source ecosystem reflect my commitment to fostering open, collaborative growth within the community.
When I’m not working, I find my escape in the mountains of Nepal, where I enjoy mountaineering and trail biking.
Statement of Interest:
Having been deeply engaged in the Internet community within the Asia Pacific region for many years, I bring both experience and a unique perspective that can help bridge the gap between the Global South and the Global North. Over the past two years, I have had the privilege of contributing to the RIPE Program Committee, building a reputation for fostering inclusive discussions and supporting diverse, relevant content. I believe my continued involvement can strengthen this bridge and enhance the richness of future RIPE meetings, bringing valuable insights and voices to the table.
Urban Suhadolnik
Biography:
My name is Urban Suhadolnik, I am a student at TU Graz and active in the RIPE community since RIPE 85 in Belgrade. My background is in network security. I’ve graduated in SDN with a topic in improving network security using Software defined perimeter.
Currently, I have started looking into Embedded systems and stub networks (BLE, Zigbee). Next goal is assessed internet measurements from stub networks.
I’ve been a RIPE fellow for SEE 11 in Split, I gave a short motivational talk at the student event for this RIPE meeting and I am constantly proactively giving feedback to RIPE NCC because I want to improve this community for everyone.
My interests are in IPv6, IoT, MAT and RIPE community topics.