One Economy: Helping Deliver Broadband
I attended a dinner last night hosted by Alec Ross and One Economy to discuss what this innovative group is doing “to deliver the power of technology and information to low-income people, giving them valuable tools for building better lives.” My former boss in Global Policy and Government Affairs at Cisco, Laura Ipsen, is on the board of One Economy along with some other heavy hitters such as former FCC Commissioner William Kennard; former U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Furse; and, former Cisco colleague and Bush Administration Commerce Department official Bruce Mehlman.
They are based in Washington, DC, have projects worldwide, and were out in Silicon Valley to help raise awareness about their work and look for additional support in three ways: 1) connecting them to other people who might be interested in their work (I am attempting to do this with this blog…and this is something Laura Ipsen has done with her board membership); 2) Helping them financially (they are a 501(c)3 and your donation if fully tax deductible; and, 3) Participating through volunteering in some of their many activities from mentoring to contributing content to their media sites.
Their overall goal is to use technology and “bring broadband into the homes of low-income people, employ youth to train their community members to use technology effectively, and provide public-purpose media properties that offer a wealth of information on education, jobs, health care and other vital issues.” You can learn more about One Economy at http://www.one-economy.com/
Their list of supporters is a “who’s who” in foundations and companies, including Cisco, Google, ATT, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, GE, Annie E. Casey Foundation, HP, Microsoft, Verizon and many more.
So, I invite you to check them out and consider involvement in this innovative group, which, in true Cisco fashion, is trying to change the way the world works, lives, plays and learns.
Posted by John Earnhardt at 05:19PM PST
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