Last week, I had the honor of representing the United States as a delegate to the 2017 Global Entrepreneurs Summit (GES2017) which was co-hosted by the U.S. Department of State and the Government of India. Located in Hyderabad, India, the event brought together 1,200 entrepreneurs, from 150 countries, to share ideas and to discover new opportunities. Throughout the course of the Summit, I kept hearing a recurring theme: the transformative, liberating power of technology and Internet access. Here are two examples and more are available on my Twitter feed.
Digital Citizen Fund – Helps girls and women in developing countries gain access to technology, virtually connect with others across the world, and gain necessary skills to succeed in today’s expanding global market. Founded by Roya Mahboob, the first female tech CEO in Afghanistan. http://digitalcitizenfund.org/
Kuza – Created and distributes a “Digital Micro Learning Platform” that bridges the digital divide in locations throughout Africa. Kuza brings Wi-Fi hotspots and web content into communities that otherwise lack access to the Internet. For example, see the #SheGoesDigital campaign: https://www.kuza.one/
Keep in mind that this was not an “education summit” or an “EdTech” event. This was the Governments of the United States and India bringing together some entrepreneurs with the hope of making the world a better place; and many of the discussions lead back to education and technology.
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Having these conversations underscored the importance of broadband connectivity for me personally. Regardless of your location, whether you are in Afghanistan or Michigan, all deserve to be on the right side of the digital divide. I am committed to doing all that I can to help reduce and bridge the divide. Share your ideas to bridge the digital divide with me, @JDHarrington
