Andrew Bolster has spent over a decade building and sustaining Northern Ireland’s technology community. As founding director of Farset Labs, he helped establish Northern Ireland’s first hackerspace, creating a collaborative home for makers, developers, and entrepreneurs that continues to nurture the region’s tech talent. He currently serves as Treasurer of BSides Belfast CIC, supporting the community-run cybersecurity conference that brings together 700 security professionals, researchers, and enthusiasts across the island of Ireland to Belfast. As a Director of the Northern Ireland Open Government Network, he advocates for transparency, civic technology, and citizen engagement in public services. Beyond these roles, Andrew has been a consistent presence in the local tech scene through years of organising and speaking at meetups including InfoSecNI, PyBelfast, BLUG, Data ArtNI, and AI NI, mentoring at events like Global Game Jam, and championing initiatives that connect academia, industry, and the grassroots community.