Reflection on the humans powering Rust ecosystem

What do we know about the people building the Rust ecosystem? This talk presents key insights from a data-driven study that investigates whether Rust’s core contributors reflect the diversity of its global community. By analyzing pull request data and contributor demographics, this research identifies where the community is thriving and where gaps remain. Rooted in empirical, quantitative methods, examining Rust as a case study of a fast-growing open-source project. Beyond the numbers, the talk aims to serve as a dialogue starter: inviting contributors, maintainers, and community members to reflect on these findings, share their lived experiences, and help uncover the human stories behind the code. Through this conversation, we can better understand the invisible barriers to participation and work together to make Rust more inclusive, transparent, and globally representative.