Short Bio:
Angela is a private consultant, providing social networking workshops and guidance to non-techies of nonprofit and small/medium businesses. Angela's previous post was as the Vice President of Business Development at Lumifi, a software startup offering an online collaborative research portal. Angela envisions a world in which all members of society have the tools and the resources to use the internet for the betterment of themselves and their communities.
Angela has ten years of experience in the nonprofit technology field including two executive director positions. She was the Executive Director of Grassroots.org a national nonprofit providing capacity building services to small and medium size nonprofits. Angela was the Executive Director of the Ohio Community Computing Network, a statewide organization promoting the efforts of community technology programs to bridge the digital divide.
Angela has served on multiple voluntary boards, including the Community Technology Center Network, the Public Interest Registry, and Takes All Types. Angela earned both her BA and her MA in Sociology from the University of Toledo. She is also the proud bearer of both a Black Belt in TaeKwonDo and a Green Belt in Krav Maga.
Electronic Bio:
Extended Bio:
Angela is a private consultant, providing social networking workshops and guidance to non-techies of nonprofit and small/medium businesses. Angela's previous post was as the Vice President of Business Development at Lumifi, a software startup offering an online collaborative research portal. Angela lead the sales and marketing for Lumifi, promoting the free application available via Lumifi.com while defining the sales process and focus for the enterprise application.
Angela envisions a world in which all members of society have the tools and the resources to use the Internet for the betterment of themselves and their communities. Angela has ten years of experience in the nonprofit technology field including two executive director positions. Angela was the Executive Director of Grassroots.org a national nonprofit providing capacity building services to small and medium size nonprofits. Angela was the Executive Director of Grassroots.org for 1.5 years. While at Grassroots.org, Angela and her team accomplished the following:
- Expanded service delivery from 300 to over 1000 clients.
- Devised and led implementation of two new major service offerings.
- Successfully led organization through public competition of innovative technology projects (www.netsquared.org).
- Planned and implemented new organizational website.
- Defined goals and process for achievement of the vision set by the Board of Directors.
- Developed domain donation fundraising strategy.
- Managed a staff of eight, a satellite office and telecommuters.
- Managing a business oriented Board of Directors.
- Developing partnerships and fundraising
For six years, Angela was as the Executive Director of the Ohio Community Computing Network, a statewide organization promoting the efforts of community technology programs to bridge the digital divide. While leading OCCN, Angela and her team accomplished the following:
- Assisted with development of and distribution of $3,000,000 in grant funds to community technology centers.
- Developed and managed statewide twenty VISTA volunteers (Volunteers in Service to America) program.
- Encouraged and helped broaden focus of organization from advocating for computer training and serving the organizations who provide computer training to advocating for digital equality. The broadened focus led to the development of the Ohio Digital Divide Working Group, which later developed ONE Ohio.
- Managed a community oriented Board of Directors.
- Coordinated annual conferences and managed two staff.
Angela has served on multiple voluntary boards, including the Community Technology Center Network, OCCN, the Public Interest Registry, and Takes All Types.
Angela earned both her BA and her MA in Sociology from the University of Toledo with an emphasis on urban studies.
She is also the proud bearer of both a Black Belt in TaeKwonDo and a Green Belt in Krav Maga.
My Story
When I was in grad school, working toward a Master’s in Sociology, my dad would ask “What are you going to do with that?" -- a very reasonable question. As part of my studies, our research team conducted a project in which we asked the nonprofit organizations in the region what types of assistance they would like from the University. Technology was consistently one of the major issues for which community and regional groups needed help.
From that project, I helped form the Coalition to Access Technology and Networking in Toledo (CATNeT). And thus my professional career as a community technologist was born.
I am not a techie. I cannot code an application in PHP or deploy a community wireless network. I do understand the benefits of technology. I have worked for and fought for equal access to technology and tech training, affordable broadband, nonprofit internal use of technology and nonprofit use of the internet as a promotional tool. I understand the challenges technology poses and the struggles it can help organizations overcome. I understand the learning curve issues and that cost can keep some people from participating in the current culture, current business practices and current communication methods - to the detriment of society as a whole. I pay enough attention to internet policy to know that those of us who do understand internet policy must stay informed and participate in discussions at every level, from our neighborhood to our nation. I am a community technology advocate.
I am now building my own dream. For most of my career I have been promoting the use of technology, testing out what is available and making recommendations. I know I have the ability to bring the power of online apps to a those who shy away from it and I am jazzed about what those folks will do with their new found abilities.
It doesn’t make a lot of sense to my dad, how I got here from a Sociology degree, nor probably to most folks. But I see how I got here, and all I have learned on the way. And I very much appreciate the journey.
