GitLab Foundation Strengthens Board of Directors With Leaders From Philanthropy, Outcomes-Focused System Transformation, Finance

Appointments of senior leaders from Third Sector, Gates Foundation and GitLab will expand the foundation's board of directors and help the organization reach its $25B impact goal. 

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- GitLab Foundation, formed by GitLab to improve lifetime earnings through access to opportunity, today announced the appointment of three distinguished leaders to an expanded board of directors.

Caroline Whistler, co-founder and CEO of Third Sector, will now serve as board chair, with Benjamin Alex, Deputy Director of Finance at the Gates Foundation, and James Shen, GitLab's interim Chief Financial Officer, joining as board members. These appointments bring exceptional expertise in workforce and broader public system transformation, philanthropic finance, and strategic leadership that will strengthen the GitLab Foundation's unique approach to philanthropy.

Whistler's elevation and Alex's and Shen's appointments come at a pivotal moment as the GitLab Foundation scales a model that emphasizes ROI-focused, risk-tolerant grantmaking and outcomes-driven philanthropy. This approach has already demonstrated measurable impact: To date, the Foundation's 39 completed grants have generated $1.7 billion in lifetime earnings for more than 225,000 people.

"Caroline, Ben and James bring crucial expertise and leadership to the GitLab Foundation at an important moment, as the foundation enters its most ambitious growth phase yet," said Sid Sijbrandij, co-founder and executive chairman of GitLab Inc. "As we target creating $25 billion in lifetime earnings by 2028, their guidance on the board will help drive our mission forward and unlock opportunity at scale."

"I'm honored to take on an expanded role on the board and support the GitLab Foundation team as it continues to build on its work of improving lifetime earnings through access to opportunity," Whistler said. "Together with Ben, James, and the rest of our team I'm excited to help push the boundaries of what's possible as a foundation and a field."

The GitLab Foundation has set bold three-year goals: by January 2028, to drive at least $25 billion in cumulative lifetime earnings for 1 million people globally while catalyzing a sector-wide shift toward outcomes-oriented philanthropy. The guidance of the expanded board will be instrumental in helping the Foundation achieve its ambitious goals.

Board bios: 

Caroline Whistler, Co-Founder and CEO, Third Sector: Brings expertise in advising government agencies on reshaping policies, systems, and services to achieve better outcomes for people of all backgrounds. Her deep grasp of systems-level change and proven track record in creating cross-sector partnerships positions her to lead the Foundation through its ambitious growth phase. Her experience in aligning government policies, employer needs, and service delivery will be invaluable as the Foundation connects workers to quality jobs and builds platforms to improve workforce training. She will also help convene employers, philanthropists, and policymakers for collective action and co-investment.

Benjamin Alex, Deputy Director, Finance, Gates Foundation: Brings deep knowledge in philanthropic finance, strategic grantmaking, and measuring social impact from his work at one of the world's leading foundations. His background in evaluating catalytic investments and optimizing resource allocation will strengthen the Foundation's ability to identify and support high-impact organizations. His insights into cost efficiency, scalability, and portfolio strategy will be critical as the Foundation expands its investments to new populations while maximizing the effectiveness of every dollar deployed.

James Shen, Interim Chief Financial Officer, GitLab: Brings expertise in scaling financial operations and driving strategic growth from his roles at high-growth technology companies including GitLab, Meta, and DocuSign. His background positions him to guide the Foundation's ROI-focused grantmaking model toward its $25 billion lifetime earnings goal. As a bridge between GitLab and its Foundation, he will also ensure alignment while helping the Foundation maintain its innovative approach to measuring and maximizing social return on investment.

About GitLab Foundation 

GitLab Foundation is committed to improving lifetime earnings through access to opportunities. Founded in 2022, the Foundation provides innovative organizations with capital and capacity building to help people achieve economic mobility in the United States, Colombia, and Kenya.  With an ambitious goal of generating at least $100 in additional lifetime earnings for every $1 invested, GitLab Foundation backs solutions with the real potential to transform lives and unlock opportunity at scale. To date, we estimate our investments will generate more than $34.7 billion in increased lifetime earnings. See our progress at https://www.gitlabfoundation.org/.

SOURCE GitLab Foundation