Mac Admins Foundation Announces 2025 Charles S. Edge Jr. New Speaker Grants!

Announcing the winners of our first-ever Charles S. Edge Jr. New Speakers Grant:

  • Henry Kon, presenting LAPS That Just Works: Catalyst + Intune

  • Nakib Mashrur, presenting Making Macs Feel Like Macs: User-Centric IT Management

Both awardees have been notified and will receive registration for the MacAdmins Conference hosted at Penn State University and have been matched with experienced speakers from the community! They will also receive a grant to cover expenses. We’re extremely excited to see both presentations and work with the winners to make sure they are confident and prepared for their first time speaking at the conference. Congrats to you both!

Apply Now: 2025 Community and Conference Grant for MacAdmins Conference hosted at Penn State University.

Penn Stater Conference Center and Hotel in State College, PA
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In response to the continued success of our Community and Conference Grant programme, The Mac Admins Foundation is pleased to announce the second grant of 2025, supporting attendance at the MacAdmins Conference hosted at Penn State University. The Community and Conference Grant aims to broaden the experience of deserving individuals with the intent to foster their development as part of the next generation of technical professionals.


The 2025 MacAdmins Conference grant will provide recipients with:

  • Registration for the MacAdmins Conference hosted at Penn State University at The Penn Stater Conference Centre and Hotel in State College, Pennsylvania, scheduled for July 15-18th, 2025

  • $2,500 (USD) to cover applicable expenses

The Mac Admins Foundation intends this grant to be awarded to those with financial need or who may otherwise lack the means or opportunity to attend an event of this calibre. Therefore, grant programme applicants should self-identify with one or more of the following criteria:

  • You are early in, or starting, your career in technology

  • You have not previously been able to attend an event or conference of this type

  • You are currently unable to self-fund, or secure institutional funding for event attendance

The Community and Conference Grant does not require formal submission of work or financial credentials. The Foundation designed the programme to support individuals who are passionate about advancing their technical skills and knowledge, and who would benefit from the opportunity to connect with experts and leaders in the field. To apply, interested candidates must submit an application that includes responses to several questions related to their experience and goals in the technical field.

To apply for the grant, interested candidates must submit an application that includes responses to several questions related to their experience and goals in the technical field. Applications will be reviewed by the grant committee, who will evaluate each response based on factors such as relevance, depth, clarity, specificity, and originality.

We encourage all interested individuals to apply for this grant and to share this opportunity with others who may benefit. The deadline for applications is 5pm PST on Friday, May 9th 2025, and successful applicants will be notified on or about Monday, May 19th, 2025. Please contact the Mac Admins Foundation at scholarships@macadmins.org or #macadminsfoundation with any questions.

Mac Admins Foundation Announces 2025 Community and Conference Grant Recipients

Brighton Metropole

The Mac Admins Foundation is thrilled to announce the award of our 2025 Community and Conference Grants for MacAD.UK. After careful review of all applications, the Foundation has selected four outstanding recipients to attend the MacAD.UK 2025 Conference in Brighton.


Congratulations to our 2025 Grant Recipients:

  • Jarred Baker

  • Nicholas Suarez

  • Ben Kunkel

  • Jeffrey Matthews

All awardees have been notified via email and will receive registration for the MacAD.UK 2025 Conference at the Brighton Metropole (May 14-16, 2025) plus $2,500 USD towards travel and accommodation expenses.


We are incredibly excited to welcome these talented individuals to Brighton and look forward to the fresh perspectives and enthusiasm they will bring to our community. The Foundation remains committed to fostering the development of new technical professionals and creating opportunities for those who might otherwise be unable to attend such events.


Thank you to everyone who applied for this year's grant program. We were impressed by the quality and passion demonstrated in all applications.
For questions about the Community and Conference Grant program, please contact us at scholarships@macadmins.org or reach out via #macadminsfoundation

Mac Admins Foundation Announces the Charles S. Edge Jr. New Speakers Grant

The Mac Admins Foundation announces the Charles S. Edge Jr. New Speakers Grant for the MacAdmins Conference at Penn State!

In partnership with the MacAdmins Conference at Penn State, The Mac Admins Foundation is proud to announce the Charles S. Edge Jr. New Speakers Grant, a new initiative designed to support the growth and development of the Mac Admin community. This grant aims to encourage first-time speakers to share their expertise at conferences, empowering a diverse group of individuals to contribute their insights and experiences.

Many skilled Mac admins have valuable knowledge to share but face challenges such as financial constraints or lack of prior speaking experience that may discourage them from submitting proposals to speak at professional conferences. This limits the diversity of topics and perspectives presented at conferences, ultimately hindering the growth of the community.

To address this, the Mac Admins Foundation is launching the Charles S. Edge Jr. New Speakers Grant. This grant will provide financial assistance and mentorship to individuals who have never presented at a professional conference, encouraging them to submit proposals to the MacAdmins Conference at Penn State. The Foundation aims to award at least two grants and will offer guidance on creating meaningful, relevant presentations that will be valuable to the Mac Admin community.

  • Eligibility: First-time speakers at a professional conference that have submitted a talk proposal to the MacAdmins Conference at Penn State. Preference will be given to individuals from underrepresented groups.

  • MacAdmins Conference at Penn State Partnership: Thanks to the support of Mac Admins at Penn State, two speaker slots are guaranteed for first-time speakers, with the possibility of more depending on various factors.

  • Identity Validation: If selected, applicants will need to provide a form of photo ID to confirm their identity.

  • Grant Amount: Each grant will award $2,500, which can be used for travel, lodging, food, childcare, and other conference-related expenses.

  • Mentorship and Guidance: Selected speakers will also receive one-on-one mentoring with a knowledgeable member of the Mac Admins community.

  • Deadline: Applications will be received until 5pm Mar 26, 2025 (which is also the deadline for submitting a talk).

How To Apply

  1. Submit a proposal for a talk at the MacAdmins Conference at Penn State at https://sessionize.com/2025-macadmins-conference

  2. Fill out the grant application form found here.

  3. The Mac Admins Foundation will reach out with next steps.

About Charles S. Edge Jr.

Charles S. Edge Jr. was a respected published author of technical works around Apple systems administration, co-host of the Mac Admins Podcast, host of the History of Computing Podcast, and veteran of Jamf Software, 318, and Bootstrappers.mn. He was a Mac Admin enthusiast, frequently finding new voices within the broader community and encouraging them to speak, publish, and write about their work. Charles passed unexpectedly in 2024, and his gregarious and inclusive voice was silenced; he is missed by his community of friends around the world. 

Charles Edge sticking his tongue out

Charles S. Edge Jr.