who
we are
Community-driven
event organisers empowering
Open Source collaboration.
At plainschwarz we are event professional driven by a passion for empowering those committed to the goal of an open and free society. Specialising in working with Open Source and Free Software communities we are proud non-code committers to the wider ecosystem. Our services include full-service event management, ticketing & registration, online events, event conception, program coordination and more.
Established in 2019
plainschwarz is a Berlin-based company specialising in events for and with Open Source and Free Software communities. Being the organizers of internationally renowened conferences like Berlin Buzzwords and FOSS Backstage we have a deep understanding and expertise of events in this space.
Contributing to Open Source
Priding ourselves as being non-code contributors to the wider Open Source ecosystem, we strive to create unique, open and friendly events for an international expert audience, bringing together diverse communities and fostering exchange on innovation, technology and organisational challenges
Working with you
Apart from our own events, we are always looking forward tp applying our skills to your event as well. Listening to your specific needs and wishes we tailor events and services to make your project a success.
Paul Berschick
Paul has been involved in the organization of conferences and tech events since 2014. At Plain Schwarz he is an allrounder, enjoying the full range of tasks: from the meticulous planning beforehand to the excitement (and troubleshooting) of event production. Paul studied Communications, Politics and Italian at Freie Universität Berlin. He likes sheep, great books and taking deep dives into all kinds of niche topics, so if you fancy, let’s say, some cricket chat, he’s happy to talk to you!
Alexander Brăteanu
Alex is interested in the interactions of technology and society. During his studies of political science and communication science at the Technical University of Dresden he organized political campaigns and promoted the use of open source software. As a project manager for FOSS Backstage he once again brings people together to exchange ideas and come up with new solutions.
Anne Sophie Riege
Anne is the latest addition to the Plain Schwarz team. She is originally a foreign language correspondent with a passion for travel and video games. She loves to immerse herself in new projects and topics. After an internship at Plain Schwarz in 2019, she decided to come back to learn more about Open Source and the community behind it. Amongst other things she is responsible for communication and volunteer coordination.
Sven Spiller
Sven is part of the plainschwarz team since 2022. From speaker management, to attendee outreach and coordinating all kinds service providers, Sven is involved in all stages of the project cycle. Before organizing open source events, Sven studied Chemistry in the picturesque city of Münster in North-Rhine Westphalia. A bit of an FOSS tinkerer himself he is continuosly refining both his home lab setup and command line skills.
plainschwarz. is a CBO company
