Raj is a 2024 Kim Cameron awardee, and we were pleased to support his journey to European Identity and Cloud Conference (EIC) this year. Read on to learn more about Raj and why he believes attending EIC supported his professional development.
In early April 2024, I received news that left me both overwhelmed and deeply honored: I had been awarded the prestigious Kim Cameron Award for 2024 by the Digital Identity Advancement Foundation (DIAF) and the OpenID Foundation. The happiness and excitement that followed were unparalleled. Having worked in the identity space for the past two years, I am deeply grateful to the DIAF and OpenID Foundation for this award and recognition. Kim’s pioneering work in identity has always been a source of inspiration and motivation for me.
My journey into the world of identity began right after I completed my engineering degree in 2022. I jumped straight into the realm of Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI), starting as a software engineer and exploring open standards like OAuth and OIDC. The concepts of SSI—Decentralized Identifiers (DID), Verifiable Credentials, and digital wallets—captivated my interest. Through developer workshops on SSI across various universities in India, I have aimed to educate students and tech professionals about SSI, new web standards, and cryptography.
Winning the Kim Cameron Award provided me with the incredible opportunity to attend the European Identity and Cloud Conference 2024 (EIC) in Berlin. This was my first international trip, and I was thrilled at the prospect of meeting my role models in the identity space. I am particularly grateful to the DIAF for their generous funding and mentorship, which made it possible for me to travel to Berlin from India. Without their support, attending this conference would not have been possible for me.
At EIC, I met many of the individuals I had long admired. I also had the privilege of meeting close friends of Kim, who shared insights about his work and philosophy on digital identity, leaving me even more inspired. Engaging with members of standards organizations like OIDC, ID Pro, and DIF, and discussing the latest developments and specifications, was a fantastic experience that deepened my interest in identity.
My primary objective for attending EIC was to gain a deeper understanding of the use cases for Verifiable Credentials and to learn more about eIDAS 2.0 and the EUDI Wallet. The sessions on these topics were incredibly informative and spurred new ideas. Conversations on Zero-Knowledge Proofs and DIDComm with industry experts and standards contributors were among the highlights of my conference experience. Sharing my work and ideas with these experts, while learning from them, was an enriching experience.
A particularly memorable moment was the panel discussion on the first day of EIC, titled “Being New to Identity”. I had the chance to share my journey in identity alongside a group of wonderful panelists. Listening to the experiences of other awardees and engaging in lively discussions was refreshing. I have always believed that identity is a dynamic field that intersects philosophy, human relations, and technology. EIC provided a unique platform to explore all these aspects under one roof.
The knowledge I gained, the connections I made, and the memories I created at EIC are invaluable. I am profoundly grateful to the Digital Identity Advancement Foundation, Open ID Foundation, and the EIC team for this wonderful opportunity. Moving forward, I am excited to continue contributing to the identity community and exploring new frontiers in this ever-evolving field.