Keynote Address

Organizers Collaborative is proud to announce that Nick Jehlen will be joining us this year with a keynote address speaking to his work on Iraq Veterans Against the War's Winter Soldier campaign. At a time when the nation wrestles with questions about the war and while grassroots activists and advocates experiment with ways to influence the big ticket issues of the day, IVAW, with Nick's help, boldly stepped out off the beaten path to bring together hundreds of veterans to address the occupations abroad and the neglect at home. Nick's talk will show how they made careful and appropriate use of a wide range of communications technologies and tools.

Post Luncheon Presentation

Paul Niwa has launched and helped launch two international television networks, six newscasts and a streaming media newscast for NBC, CNBC and StockHouse Media, Canada's largest internet company (as Senior Vice President responsible for content at the company’s eight global editorial centers). In 1999, he helped NBC create "Early Today," and in 1996 he launched the award winning "NBC Asia Evening News" in Hong Kong. He produced CNBC's "Today’s Business" and the nationally syndicated newscast "This Morning’s Business." He's won two Golden Mike awards for radio reporting and documentary. He is currenly an Assistent Professor in Journalism at Emerson College.

Session Presenters

Lauren Andrews is the Partnership Manager for iMentor’s national initiative, iMentor Interactive. Lauren plays a significant role in supporting current iMi members, providing the resources and information necessary to ensure the success of their programs, as well as conducting outreach to prospective members. Lauren has extensive experience working with technology and nonprofit organizations, both nationally and internationally, and sits on the Board of Directors of VEGlobal, a grassroots international volunteer organization based in Santiago, Chile. She earned her B.A. in English from Binghamton University and is pursuing her master’s degree at New York University.

Nate Aune is the owner and managing director of Jazkarta, a Boston-based consulting firm specializing in Plone, a popular open source content management system. Since 2004, Jazkarta has been helping non-profits build better websites that they can self-manage. Nate recently returned from a meeting in Indonesia to share his knowledge of open source video publishing tools with video activists and artists working for social change in the Asia Pacific region.

Steve Backman is founder and principal of Database Designs. Established in 1989, the consulting practice provides unique and sophisticated solutions based on the best of today's web and data technologies to nonprofit and noncommercial organizations. Vendor neutral and platform diverse, Database Designs today work on strategy, implementation and integration of Drupal, .Net as well as commercial products. Drawing on his 25 years of experience in software development and computer technology, as well as a long personal history of community activism, Steve has been a frequent presenter at conferences dealing with technology and technology planning, particularly for the nonprofit sector.

Eric Bryant works at the Community Software Lab has meant more Lawrence, Massachusetts youth workers becoming stakeholders and users of the locally popular MVHub.com. MVHub stands for 'Merrimack Valley Hub,' a a Web-based tool which assists people find information about social services programs which fit their needs. Eric had a prior fling with community organizing in the East Bay area, where he unsuccessfully advocated that the country's largest student housing cooperative maintain an open residence policy for students from all area colleges and universities.

Marie Celestin is the founder and Executive Director of the G.I.R.L.S. (Growing Individuals Reacting to Life's Struggles) Project and Creator/Producer of Girl TV. In addition to its innovative media programs, the project is known for its annual leadership girl-led conference that address of concerns to young women.

Rich Cowan, OC founder, is now serving as Director of the ODB project. Rich has two degrees in computer science from M.I.T and built OC over a six year period into an group that assists hundreds of social change nonprofits. He has worked as academic computer support specialist, a database consultant, an adjunct faculty member, a newspaper editor, and as a nonprofit founder. Prior to founding Organizers' Collaborative, Rich started the Center for Campus Organizing making extensive use of the Internet to network progressive students and faculty. Rich has written articles for Responsive Philanthropy, Techsoup.org, and speaks frequently at conferences on the intersection of technology and social change.

Aliza Dichter is co-director of CIMA: Center for International Media Action, helping groups build their strategies, knowledge and alliances for transforming the media system to better serve social justice and human rights. A board member of Women In Media & News (WIMN), she is based in the Catskill region of New York.

Adam Frost works in Boston as a computer repairman, consultant and educator. He strives to do computer repair in the tradition of workmanship and collegiality that one often finds in theater, carpentry, and good health care. You can read about his developing practice at www.ComputerCareandLearning.com. Adam also runs an internship program that trains people to do computer work. He and his team focus on helping organizations develop computer systems and work habits that keep people and their information safe, and that foster good communication, efficiency, and healthy community.

Ross Glover is a sociologist studying the relationship between technology and politics. Currently completing his PhD at Boston College, Ross has taught various courses on technology, philosophy, and social change. As a member of May First/People Link for close to a year, Ross has become actively engaged with the implications of internet rights as well as the importance of developing a cross-educational agenda between technologically knowledgeable activists and non-technologically knowledgeable activists.

Sura Hart is the Outreach Coordinator for Grassroots.org. Sura received her BA from the University of Southern California, where she studied business administration with a specific interest its application in the nonprofit sector. As the Outreach Coordinator for Grassroots.org, Sura manages the Search Engine Optimization and Volunteer Web Design programs. Sura is an active participant in local and national-level nonprofit and community events, and enjoys spreading the word about services that help nonprofits to build capacity. In her free time, Sura enjoys attending live music shows, meeting new people, and volunteering for her neighborhood food co-op in Brooklyn, NY.

Harold Jordan is on the staff of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. He has worked in program and leadership capacities in non-profit organizations advocating for human rights, peace, and social justice for more than 25 years. He coordinated a national youth program for the American Friends Service Committee (17 years), served as Executive Director of the National Coalition of Education Activists, worked as an administrator in the Philadelphia Public School District, and was the National Field Coordinator for the Mobilization for Survival. He has extensive web, communications, publishing and workshop/speaking experience and is a former computer programmer.

Tom Kelly graduated from the University of Florida’s College of Engineering with a Computer Science degree in 1984. Was a contract programmer for 10 years 1985-1995. Got involved in politics around 1996. Elected to the Orange County (FL) Republican Executive Committee in 2000. Filed two important political lawsuits Kelly v. Oliver (2002) at the state level and Kelly v. Katherine Harris, 331 F3d 817 (11th Appellate Circuit 2003), at the federal level. Started his own political party, British Reformed Sectarian Party, www.brsparty.com. His plan was multi-faceted with one purpose -- get access to voter information which at the time was restricted to political entities. Created www.florida-voters.org which has all 10 million plus Florida voters on it (the data is from December 2006).

Alfredo Lopez is co-director of May First/People Link. Alfredo's been a movement activist and organizer for 40 years.

Dan MacNeil's greatest weakness is to refer to himself in the third person. He enjoys long walks along the beach and his favorite color is red, though he usually claims it is blue. In his 2006 grassroots tech conference debut he presented: "Paypal doesn't suck". He droned through about 10 badly constructed powerpoint slides. Perhaps out of pity about half of the audience remained to the end. In 2007, his tech volunteering session started: "So I don't have much prepared, what do people want to know." To his surprise that session went pretty well. In 2008, Dan expects to win "best in show", since Greg Bedard, the audience member who did most of the work last year is co-presenting.

Jamie McClelland is the co-director of May First/People Link , a membership organization of progressive groups nationwide who use the Internet. In his capacity of co-director, Jamie does political organizing, systems administratration, and support for the members of May First/People Link. May First/People Link is the result of a merger in 2005 between May First Technology Collective (originally known as Media Jumpstart) and People-Link. Prior to the merger, Jamie was co-founder and co-director of May First Technology Collective, a worker run nonprofit organization that provided technical support to NYC's social justice movement groups. He also worked as a community organizer for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and was an active member of ACT UP New Orleans.

Benjamin Melancon is driven by justice, liberty, and the self-organization to get involved in lots of stuff. He supports the Fund for Authentic Journalism , Carlitos Café y Galeria in Spanish Harlem New York, Gringoyo Productions , and COA News . He found and was elected to the board of directors of Amazing Things Arts Center , which seeks to build community through the arts and now runs the center's annual fundraising auction web site . As co-founder of Agaric Design Collective , he develops and maintains web sites for companies, organizations, and individuals, using (and creating) open source free software-- mostly Drupal and some CiviCRM . People who want a better world need to find and work with each other for us to move toward one. We have to connect and build the things and relationships that all people need. Together, we can. For part of my part, I'm helping to create an open, transparent, not-for-profit network called, and for, People Who Give a Damn .

Caroline Meeks is founder of a successful for-profit software company, Solution Grove, Inc., and also works internationally to co-found an open source learning management system and nonprofit corporation (www.dotlrn.org). An entrepreneur with a proven ability to launch companies, organizations and web sites, Caroline has substantial leadership experience with for-profit organizations and open source communities as well as project management experience, strong computer skills, extensive cross-disciplinary engineering experience, and a proven ability to learn new technologies and lead teams in applying these technologies in a variety of industries.

Denise Moorehead is the Communications Director at Third Sector New England, helping build the capacity of nonprofit organizations. She is a member of the Progressive Communicators Network and is on the leadership team at ONE Massachusetts, a network of people working together to expand economic opportunity and improve the quality of life in Massachusetts.

Kevin Palmer has spent the last two years working with the CTC VISTA Project, first working with a Boston-based media nonprofit where he worked in several Boston Public schools developing curriculum, supporting teachers, and administering in-school and after-school programs. He is now a VISTA Leader with CTC VISTA, responsible for the training, support, and development of over 50 Americorps*VISTAs spread out across the country as well as building the capacity of the CTC VISTA Project. Kevin enjoys strategic planning, project management, and flow charts.

Jason Pramas is a longtime labor-community organizer and media consultant. He is the Editor/Publisher of Open Media Boston - a progressive news portal for the Boston, MA area - and a native Bostonian.

As Idealware's Director, Laura Quinn directs Idealware's research and writing to provide candid reports and articles about nonprofit software. Prior to founding Idealware, Laura worked with Alder Consulting, where she helped nonprofits create internet strategies, select appropriate software, and then build sophisticated websites on a limited budget. She has also selected software, designed interfaces and conducted user research for multi-million dollar software and website implementations with such companies as Accenture and iXL. Laura is a frequent speaker and writer on nonprofit technology topics.

Colin Rhinesmith is the Community Media Coordinator at Cambridge Community Television (CCTV). He was recently Digital Media Producer at Berkman Center for Internet & Society at the Harvard Law School and writes about issues of community media, technology and politics in his blog at colinrhinesmith.com.

Ada Robinson is a member of the Boston Neighborhood Producers Group, a nonprofit advocacy group for the voices of residents in the public access cable TV system. Ada is a public access TV producer, a community organizer and an advocate for grassroots media.

Martha Rogers is Data Collection and Reporting Specialist at Quincy Community Action Programs, Inc. QCAP is an anti-poverty community service organization that works with the public, businesses, and community organizations to help promote the self sufficiency in the Quincy and South Shore area of Massachusetts. Martha often serves as a grant reviewer at the local state and federal level. Martha was featured in the March 2005 issue of Computer World Magazine.

Susan Low Saadat is a Senior Fundraising Consultant at Soft Trac, a technology company that makes a difference in our communities by focusing on the needs of nonprofits. Susan holds an MSB from Husson College and a BA from Wheaton College. Susan has more than 10 years of experience with nonprofit marketing and fundraising as a consultant and practitioner.

Katie Winterbottom is the Interim Executive Director of Grassroots.org, a national nonprofit providing free business services to grassroots organizations. She also serves on the advisory board of Takes All Types. She recieved her BA from Dartmouth College in 2004 and spent the following year in Accra, Ghana, building a computer training program in a public school. Before joining Grassroots.org, Katie served as the Marketing Coordinator for the Ohio Community Computing Network. Katie currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, where she enjoys exploring the city by foot and listening to NPR (often at the same time).

Stephen Wilmarth is co-founder of the Center for 21st Century Skills, and now a visiting professor at Ningxia Polytechnic University in Yinchuan, China, Steve Wilmarth has been championing new technologies and social trends that are reshaping our understanding of knowledge creation and information dissemination. In addition to his work at the Center for 21st Century Skills, designing and operating innovative curriculum and active learning programs for high school and community college students, Steve has been a social activist, public speaker, and writer well known for his clear and original ideas on how technology trends and social adaptations are transforming societies and cultures around the world. Steve has been a Director of Technology and a social studies teacher at Cheshire Academy, a member of the Commission on Technology for the CT Association of Independent Schools, a guest lecturer at MIT’s Sloan School, the London Business School and the National Forum on Trade Policy hosted by the University of Connecticut. In addition to his teaching role at Ningxia Polytechnic University, Steve is working on a book project focusing on five socio-technology trends that change everything in teaching and learning. He is CIBER Academy Fellow at the Academy for Global Economic Advancement at the University of Connecticut. Steve is a friend of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School and the Information Society Project at Yale Law School.