Italo Vignoli has been active in high-technology marketing and PR since 1981, and is a free software advocate and a Linux user since 2004. He is a founding member of The Document Foundation, and the principal spokesperson for TDF and LibreOffice. He is a public speaking teacher, and a professional toastmaster since 1987. In 2011, he has been a keynote speaker at several Linux conferences in Europe and in the US, where he has presented the history behind TDF and LibreOffice.