[News] Add CNCF honours cloud native pioneers at 2025 community awards

Signed-off-by: anmolsah <[email protected]>

Author: anmolsah

src/collections/blog/2021/2021-04-05-meshmate-of-the-year-2020-nikhil-ladha/index.mdx

@@ -22,15 +22,7 @@ import MMOYNikhil from "./MeshMate-of-the-Year-2020-Nihkil-Ladha.webp";
 
 <BlogWrapper>
 
-<p>
-  If you are in the Layer5 Community, no doubt, you've met
-  <Link to="/community/members/nikhil-ladha" className="highlight">
-    Nikhil Ladha
-  </Link>. If not, I recommend that you join the community and get to know Nikhil.
-  He's the Layer5 MeshMate of the Year and here's why: Nikhil consistently volunteers
-  to uplift and support others in the community, freely sharing of his time and knowledge.
-  His actions embody and espouse the pay-it-forward culture of Layer5.
-</p>
+  If you are in the Layer5 Community, no doubt, you've met <Link to="/community/members/nikhil-ladha" className="highlight">Nikhil Ladha</Link>. If not, I recommend that you join the community and get to know Nikhil. He's the Layer5 MeshMate of the Year and here's why: Nikhil consistently volunteers to uplift and support others in the community, freely sharing of his time and knowledge. His actions embody and espouse the pay-it-forward culture of Layer5.
 
 <Blockquote
   quote="It is beautiful how you always respond to messages in the newcomer's channel and try to sort out issues or questions asked. I can personally relate to your kind heart, on the particular times you got on a call with me as a newcomer then and helped me sort out my problems while being so patient and amazing. You really deserve this award Nikhil, and a big congratulations to you!"
@@ -42,22 +34,15 @@ import MMOYNikhil from "./MeshMate-of-the-Year-2020-Nihkil-Ladha.webp";
 <h3 style="padding:2rem 0;">What is a Layer5 MeshMate?</h3>
 
 <img src={MeshMate} className="left" alt="Meshmate" />
-<p>
-  <Link className="highlight" to="/community/meshmates">
-    MeshMate
-  </Link>
-  is a distinction that Layer5 awards select members of the community who innately
-  align with our culture of helping others, paying it forward, and a commitment to
-  knowledge sharing. MeshMates are Layer5 mentors and ambassadors (not employees).
-</p>
+  <Link className="highlight" to="/community/meshmates">MeshMate</Link>
+  is a distinction that Layer5 awards select members of the community who innately align with our culture of helping others, paying it forward, and a commitment to knowledge sharing. MeshMates are Layer5 mentors and ambassadors (not employees).
 
 <Blockquote
   style="position:relative;"
   quote="Congratulations on the MeshMate of the Year Award, Nikhil, a well-deserved honor for a distinguished gentleman. When I was having a look at the Layer5 community, your member experience blog post stood out and was one of the main reasons for me to join the community. Within the community, it is apparent that your guidance, support, and contributions are very much appreciated. Keep up the excellent work!"
   person="Michael Gfeller"
 />
 
-<p>
   A Layer5 MeshMate is individual who has consistently demonstrated their
   commitment to helping community members. The MeshMate program pairs
   experienced Layer5 community members with community newcomers to ensure a
@@ -68,34 +53,29 @@ import MMOYNikhil from "./MeshMate-of-the-Year-2020-Nihkil-Ladha.webp";
   identifying areas of projects and activities within the community to engage
   within, which working groups to join, and in help community members grow in
   their open source and cloud native knowledge.
-</p>
-
-<p>
   There is a lot going in the Layer5 community. Projects and working groups move
   fast. By connecting one-on-one, MeshMates share tips on how to have the best
   community experience possible, but also build a relationship with the
   community member inevitably leaving a lasting mark as is evident from member
   comments about Nikhil.
-</p>
-
+  
 <h3 style="padding:2rem 0;">It's not easy being a MeshMate</h3>
 
-<p>
   With thousands of members in the Layer5 community, many come and go. Many take
   and many give. While we hope that each and every individual that joins will
   find a fit in the community and/or on a project, this isn't always the case.
+
   <BlockquoteAlt
     style="width:100%;"
     style="position:relative;"
     quote="The dedication you have shown on the way to this achievement is impressive, Nikhil. People like you are the key to the great community at Layer5."
     person="Rodolfo"
   />
+
   Engaging with and investing in community members can be taxing on mentors in
   terms of both their time and their emotional investment in seeing the newcomer
   plant roots, grow, and blossom.
-</p>
 
-<p>
   One of the goals MeshMates have is that of enabling the newcomer's passion and
   finding their sweetspot in the community and on a project, so that the
   newcomer ultimately achieves their goals - goals that are often similar, but
@@ -105,7 +85,6 @@ import MMOYNikhil from "./MeshMate-of-the-Year-2020-Nihkil-Ladha.webp";
   mentees start out with the best of intentions, but that not all overcome their
   hurdles in finding an area of the community to call home or aspect of a
   project to own.
-</p>
 
 <BlockquoteAlt
   style="width:100%;"
@@ -115,7 +94,6 @@ import MMOYNikhil from "./MeshMate-of-the-Year-2020-Nihkil-Ladha.webp";
 />
 
 <h3 style="padding:2rem 0;">MeshMates are a massive force</h3>
-<p>
   In just a year's time, with thousands of people in the Layer5 community and
   500+ contributors to our projects, it's clear that Layer5 MeshMates
   significantly uplift our collaborative efforts and are steady force in the
@@ -124,8 +102,6 @@ import MMOYNikhil from "./MeshMate-of-the-Year-2020-Nihkil-Ladha.webp";
   did I realize that meant reaching out to nearly a hundred people whom Nikhil
   has mentored or supported in the Layer5 community. More than a few of them had
   something to say about their time with Nikhil:
-</p>
-
 <div className="responsive-blog">
   <Blockquote quote="Nikhil, your Meshery journey probably started in an unbuilt way. Each time you help others to start this awesome journey, you construct a better journey for all, a better way to help others. Thanks for everything!"
   person="Jesus" />
@@ -172,32 +148,25 @@ import MMOYNikhil from "./MeshMate-of-the-Year-2020-Nihkil-Ladha.webp";
 </div>
 
 <img
-  style="width:130px;"
+  style={{ width: "130px" }}
   className="right"
   src={MMoY2020}
   alt="MeshMate of the Year 2020: Nikhil Ladha"
 />
-<p>
   In recognition a year's worth of paying it forward, and for the inaugural
   award, a new badge identifies our MeshMate of the Year award winner. Only one
   person carries this badge today. I can only guess as to who this ribbon may be
   awarded to for 2021. In the year and a half that Nikhil has been in the
   community, he has touched the lives of many people, including mine. Nikhil is
   my friend. He is the Layer5 MeshMate of the Year.
-</p>
-
 <div style="text-align: center;">
   <img className="meshmate-img" src={MMOYNikhil} alt="Meshmate of the year" />
 </div>
 
-<p>
   The MeshMate badge is a point of pride for individuals participating in the
   program and looked upon with admiration and veneration by many within and
   external to the Layer5 community.
-</p>
-
 <p style="text-align:center;">
   Wear your MeshMate of the Year badge proudly, Nikhil.
 </p>
-
-</BlogWrapper>
+</BlogWrapper>

src/collections/news/2025/2025-12-01-cncf-honours-cloud-native-pioneers-2025-community-awards/channellife-cncf-2025.webp

@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+---
+title: "CNCF honours cloud native pioneers at 2025 community awards"
+subtitle: "Layer5 founder Lee Calcote receives inaugural Outstanding Mentor Award among diverse honorees shaping cloud native technology."
+date: 2025-12-01 08:00:00 -0530
+author: The Newsroom
+thumbnail: ./channellife-cncf-2025.webp
+darkthumbnail: ./channellife-cncf-2025.webp
+category: "Press Coverage"
+description: "ChannelLife covers CNCF's 2025 Community Awards, highlighting Layer5 founder Lee Calcote's recognition with the inaugural Outstanding Mentor Award for supporting over 60 mentees."
+tags:
+  - Press
+  - CNCF
+  - Community Awards
+  - Layer5
+  - Mentorship
+  - Lee Calcote
+type: News
+presskit: ""
+resource: false
+published: true
+---
+
+import { Link } from "gatsby";
+import { NewsWrapper } from "../../News.style.js";
+import Blockquote from "../../../../reusecore/Blockquote";
+
+<NewsWrapper>
+
+**ChannelLife** has covered the Cloud Native Computing Foundation's 2025 Community Awards, highlighting the recognition of contributors and organizations shaping cloud native technology. Among the honorees, **Layer5 founder Lee Calcote** received the **inaugural Outstanding Mentor Award** for his extensive mentorship efforts across the CNCF ecosystem.
+
+<a href="https://channellife.ca/story/cncf-honours-cloud-native-pioneers-at-2025-community-awards">Read the full article on ChannelLife</a>
+
+## **Recognition Across the Cloud Native Ecosystem**
+
+The awards highlighted various contributions, including technical leadership, mentorship, end-user implementation, and efforts to protect open-source projects from patent challenges. With an ecosystem of more than 270,000 contributors and over 700 member organizations, the CNCF Community Awards celebrate the diverse skills and dedication that sustain the cloud native sector.
+
+## **Lee Calcote's Mentorship Impact**
+
+Lee Calcote received the inaugural Outstanding Mentor Award for supporting more than 60 mentees over the past five years through CNCF and Linux Foundation initiatives. The article notes that many of his mentees have progressed to become project maintainers themselves, demonstrating the lasting impact of his mentorship approach.
+
+His mentorship work has spanned multiple programs, including:
+- The Linux Foundation's LFX Mentorship Program
+- Google Summer of Code (GSoC)
+- CNCF TAG initiatives
+- Meshery and Layer5 community programs
+
+## **Other Notable Award Recipients**
+
+The ChannelLife article highlighted several other award categories:
+
+- **Lifetime Achievement Award**: Dawn Chen and Kevin Wang, recognized for a decade of involvement with Kubernetes and the CNCF ecosystem
+- **Top End User Award**: Michelin, for advancing cloud-native development and sharing best practices
+- **Top Committer Award**: John Howard, for technical work as a maintainer across CNCF projects
+- **Cloud Native Hero Award**: Chris Buccella, Ketan Sachdeva, and Ritu Tyagi, for defending open-source projects against patent threats
+- **TAGGIE Award**: Dawn Foster, Marina Moore, Leo Pahlke, and Mauricio Salatino, for contributions to Technical Advisory Groups
+
+</NewsWrapper>