The Linux Foundation Projects
Skip to main content
search

Who We Are

Developers and map creators face significant challenges today. There’s the complex and costly task of collecting and updating high-quality data from various sources. Many datasets, even when describing the same real-world entities, use different conventions and terms, creating integration issues. Additionally, open map data can have errors and might not have a useful structure for commercial applications. The purpose of the Overture Maps Foundation (Overture) is to address these challenges.

Founded in 2022 under the Joint Development Foundation, Overture is dedicated to the development of reliable, easy-to-use, and interoperable open map data that will power current and next-generation map products. We build this data through a collaborative process that combines technology, data, and support from a wide range of companies.

“

“We needed to build a bigger community to bring together technology, engineering skills, and data. Our aim at Overture is straightforward: Elevate the realm of open map data to power current and next-generation map products. With the collective insights of our expanding community, it’s not just about amassing datasets. Instead, it’s a conscious effort to lay the groundwork for a future where map data remains current and interoperable, serving a wide range of applications. Overture is about harnessing available high-quality data sources and building bridges of cooperation. It’s a journey, and every step, every release, every partnership counts.”

Marc PrioleauExecutive Director of Overture Maps Foundation

Our mission

At Overture, our mission is to build reliable, easy-to-use, and interoperable open map data. We believe in harnessing the collective intelligence and resources of communities, organizations, and governments worldwide and aim to support a multitude of applications that drive innovation, enhance connectivity, and shape the future of our digital world.

We envision a world where the best maps are not proprietary assets but shared, open resources, built and enriched by the very people who rely on them.

Leadership

Steering Committee

Nick Lee

Michael Kopenec
Chair

Jan Erik Solem

Mike Harrell

Nick Lee

Nick Lee is the Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Maps & Local, building consumer products and enterprise services that bridge the digital and physical worlds. Nick is a supporter of the power of open data and AI to enable creativity and innovation in the future of map products. Prior to joining Microsoft, Nick was at Google where he led the engineering teams within Google Maps building the core technology and user experiences for navigation, directions, and map rendering. 

Michael Kopenec

Michael Kopenec is the General Manager of AWS Geospatial, focused on developing a broad range of geospatial services to AWS customers ranging from 2D map applications to routing to geocoding to3D maps. Michael has been with Amazon since 2013 and previously held leadership positions in Customer Service and Last Mile before joining AWS in 2022. Michael brings deep geospatial domain expertise to AWS. Directly preceding his time in AWS, Michael led Last Mile Geospatial Products, focused on developing the map data, place data, and navigation solutions used to power Amazon’s delivery fleet. Michael also serves as AWS’s representation on the Overture Maps Steering Committee.

Chair

Jan Erik Solem

Jan Erik Solem is the Director of Maps at Meta and also serves as the Chairperson of the Overture Maps Foundation. He was a co-founder and CEO of Mapillary, a company focused on map data from crowdsourced street-level imagery. Prior to that, he was a manager at Apple, leading a computer vision team and working as a researcher. He also founded Polar Rose, specializing in face recognition technology for mobile, web, and cloud platforms.

Jan Erik had a brief yet impactful academic career, including a stint as an associate professor at Lund University. He has been recognized twice as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and is the inventor or co-inventor of over 20 published patents and applications. He is also the author of a best-selling computer vision book published in 2012 and was awarded for having the best Nordic PhD thesis in 2006.

Mike Harrell

Born and raised south of Detroit, Michael Harrell has worked at the intersection of engineering and innovation since his early days at General Motors. He is passionate about improving people’s lives through location-aware technology and is excited to bring the world together, to share and work on a better map. “It will take the world to map the world.

Michael’s interest in the power of geospatial and geo-location data began at Microsoft, where he managed the Streetside program, including developing information extraction algorithms from the data. At Amazon, he oversaw the architecture and design for the international expansion of Amazon Business. As TomTom’s VP of Engineer, Michael is overseeing the development of its TomTom Maps Platform. Michael also sits, as a founding member, on the Overture Maps Steering Committee.

Staff

Executive Director

Marc Prioleau
Technical Director

Amy Rose
Program Manager

Rob Craig
Marketing Communications Manager

Nora Anwar

David Woolf

Executive Director

Marc Prioleau

Marc Prioleau is the executive director of Overture Maps Foundation, a collaborative effort to empower current and next-generation map products by creating reliable, easy-to-use, and interoperable open map data. Overture Maps was founded in December 2022 by Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and TomTom. Marc is an early and frequent advocate for the use of open map data, having worked in the mapping and location field since 1995, first in the nascent GPS market and later in mapping and location services. Marc has worked with the mapping operations at a variety of companies including Meta, Uber, Mapbox, and deCarta. In his most recent position at Meta, Marc was on the core team that developed the concept for Overture Maps and launched the project.

Technical Director

Amy Rose

Amy Rose joined Overture Maps Foundation as Technical Director in November 2023. Her previous work in the geospatial domain spans nearly 30 years, designing, building, and deploying geospatial data and technology solutions for human health and security, environmental remediation, logistics, and transportation planning projects. Amy has worked for multiple organizations across the academic, private sector, and government ecosystems, most recently at Oak Ridge National Laboratory where she worked with interdisciplinary teams to model and map both the built environment and highly resolved estimates of human population at global scale. Amy received her PhD in Geography from The University of Tennessee, and an MS in Geography with a graduate minor in Logistics and Transportation.

Program Manager

Rob Craig

Rob Craig is a Standards Program Manager with LF Strategic Programs, currently supporting Overture Maps Foundation, as well as a number of other LF projects. Prior to LF, Rob spent seven years at IEEE SA where he led the training + development team in support of standards development initiatives. Prior to IEEE, Rob held various roles in higher education from NYU, the SUNY system, and The University of the Arts.

Rob holds a BFA, in Studio Art and an MA in Advanced Digital Applications, and an MA in Education.

Marketing Communications Manager

Nora Anwar

Nora is the Marketing and Communications Manager at the Linux Foundation, dedicated to promoting open source initiatives. In her role, she collaborates with various technical communities, driving the growth of open source projects. Previously, Nora was involved in the blockchain industry, navigating its evolving regulatory environment and exploring the societal impact of emerging technologies.

Her diverse Eurasian heritage and extensive international experiences have endowed Nora with a unique global perspective. This perspective was particularly beneficial during her time at The University of Western Cape in Cape Town, where she facilitated open knowledge exchange between academic institutions from Southern Africa and the Nordic regions. This work resonated with the open source ethos, focusing on open and accessible knowledge sharing across continents.

Nora studied Cultural Anthropology at Uppsala University in Sweden, deepening her understanding of global cultures and societal dynamics. Additionally, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Renmin University of China, further strengthening her insights into social structures and technological influences.

 

David Woolf

David is a Standards Program Manager at the Linux Foundation. Over his career, he has extensive experience with standard setting organizations in networking, data storage, mobile devices, and open hardware. In addition to contributing to technical specifications, he has spearheaded a variety of community testing programs to support compliance and interoperability.

Useful Links

Close Menu