Daniel Ben-Horin, CompuMentor's founder and President, feels very fortunate that his job has evolved over the years (since 1987!) to allow him to spend the bulk of his time trying to think about transformative things that this organization can do in the world. The rest of his time is spent trying to sell these ideas to the people at CompuMentor who have to implement them and the people outside whom we need to convince to be our partners and/or to fund us.
After graduating from college in 1969, Daniel spent 7 years as a journalist (Arizona Republic, New York Times, New Times) in Arizona. It was an important time for him, during which he realized that much as he liked to write and edit, he was more interested in what those skills can be deployed for, specifically for social change. Gradually, his work moved in the direction of becoming an organizer, administrator, fundraiser and what would today be called a social entrepreneur. He worked for Pacific News Service, directed Media Alliance in the early 80's, took a wild swing at writing fiction, took a couple of basic programming classes (Cobol! Yeah!) and, in 1987, founded CompuMentor with the notion that people who understood technology were an undervalued but potentially tremendous resource for social change organizations.
Daniel married late, at 41, and now, at 59, has two sons, 17 and 15. He is a total jock, both participatory (tennis, skiing) and as a fan (Maysfield). Daniel's wife, Jamie Stobie, is a wonderful documentary filmmaker (Freedom Machines). Daniel has lived on the same corner of SF's Potrero Hill since 1976, but became a homeowner only in 2004. So now, he and Jamie are discovering their inner Martha Stewarts in the garden and tearing up the house. Daniel is also passionate about music (Dylan, Springsteen, Lucinda Williams, Mary Gautier), though he can't carry a tune in a bucket (the kids, on the other hand, are ace musicians; clearly Jamie's genes at work). Daniel loves San Francisco and the Sierra, where he and Jamie have a cabin in MiWuk Village, and hopes his generation can remember its idealistic coming of age and become idealistic elders in the years to come.
Billy Bicket is the Director of NetSquared and serves as NetSquared's Community Architect. Gayle Samuelson Carpentier, TechSoup's Director of Business Development, gets the fun of helping some of the world's largest technology firms engage with TechSoup, with a big focus on creating or expanding product donation programs to benefit social benefit organizations around the world. She continue to seek a triple win in each donation program(for technology companies, for the nonprofit sector and for TechSoup's mission of helping NPO's understand and use technology effectively so they can achieve their individual missions). Beyond CompuMentor, As a widowed mom, Gayle focuses her time on her 14 year old son, volunteering activities at school and church, plus training (or trying to anyway) her new shelter rescue dog Max.
Jayson Fagar, Event Marketing Associate, is happy to be joining the NetSquared team. Before working for CompuMentor, Jayson worked in Chicago for The Center for Immigrant Resources and Community Arts (CIRCA), a nonprofit that works with youth in helping them to relate their immigrant experiences through theater, dance, and song.
Aside from facing the wind in Chicago, Jayson has also lived in Seattle. Despite its rainy reputation, Jayson felt much at home in its' perpetual drizzle. The next weather challenge for him: the sun that California has to offer.
Jennie Frohman is NetSquared's Producer and wears many hats on the small yet dedicated team. She splits her time between the NetSquared.org Web site, the on-line Community, Challenge Projects as well as supporting the Biz Dev function and the in-house team. Her responsibilities range from ensuring the Web site is functioning proplerly and is updated with relevant information to developing web strategies for core activities to providing metrics reports to engaging with our various online & offline communities to supporting the daily needs of the team and our contributors. And much more. And she enjoys nearly every minute of it!
Prior to working for TechSoup Global, Jennie spent years wandering the world teaching in various high schools and universities. She earned her Master of Arts in International Peace Studies from the United Nations mandated University for Peace.
When not working, Jennie enjoys traveling, good old fashioned veggie cooking and bluegrass music, an ode to her Tennessee roots.
Beth Kanter is a trainer, coach, and consultant to nonprofits and individuals in effective use of technology. She has worked on projects that include: training, curriculum development, research, and evaluation. Her expertise is how to use new web tools (blogging, tagging, wikis, photo sharing, video blogging, screencasting, social networking sites, and virtual worlds, etc) to support nonprofit. She is an experienced coach to "digital immigrants" in the personal mastery of these tools.
She is a professional blogger and writes about the use of social media tools in the nonprofit sector for social change.
Visit her blog at http://beth.typepad.com
Maryline Daviaud Lewett's 15 years of business development experience include work in social and environmental organizations and the entertainment and technology industries. She has consulted with PAX Scientific, SPG Solar, New Voice of Business, and Innovest Group. Prior positions include Director of Sales at Akamai Technology and Director of Advertising Sales for International Channel Networks. Ms. Lewett received her MBA in sustainable management from the Presidio School of Management.
With her focus on sustainable development, Maryline is excited about contributing to TechSoup’s mission. "TechSoup has always been ahead of the curve as it relates to creating strategic relationships between nonprofits, NGOs, and corporations that are committed to meeting their social responsibility goals" commented Ms. Lewett. "We explore technology trends and options such as Web 2.0 tools, Information and Communication technologies, Green technologies and help social benefit organizations to fully take advantage of this rapidly evolving tech landscape. Tri-sector partnership is becoming a key factor for success." On the volunteer front, Maryline runs an after-school French educational program from K-9th grade that participates in rising cultural diversity among children.
Justin Massa’s time is split among NetSquared.org, where he is the Program and Technical Coordinator, MoveSmart.org. where he is the executive director, and as consultant with Navigators Guild (website coming soon). MoveSmart.org, which he co-founded, is a start-up organization dedicated to fostering vibrant and diverse neighborhoods by empowering housing seekers through technology to move to opportunity.
Previously, Justin was the Fair Housing Testing and Outreach Coordinator for the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, where he supervised the testing program, handled intake and investigation, and conducted fair housing trainings for 3.5 years. At CLCCRUL, his work focused on the intersection of fair housing and technology, and he the led the investigation into craigslist’s publication of discriminatory advertisements.
Born and raised in New Orleans, Justin now lives in Chicago’s South Loop with his wife Abbie and dog beast Reggie.
Alex Steed, is a freelance journalist, activist, and online community management consultant based in Boston and Portland, Maine. He has worked as an outreach coordinator at Change.org and as a full-time blogger with The Point, an innovative social change platform. In the past several years, he has enjoyed varying levels of involvement with the Northwestern Global Engagement Summit and Maine Youth Leadership. At present, he contributes to the NetSquared blogging community, where he covers nonprofit Internet connectivity. During the fall of 2008, he will be documenting and analyzing grassroots organization efforts in over 30 cities nationwide in a project entitled "Millennials Changing America: The Next Generation of Organizing."
Jed Sundwall is a freelance Internet marketing consultant who focuses on making the most of the Internet's ability to connect businesses with their customers on a personal level. He is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and follows the Latin American, Spanish, and Portuguese online industries. Before he started freelancing, he co-led the politics initiative at Eventful.
He has a master's degree in International Management from UCSD, and has worked on social development projects in Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, and Venezuela.
He lives in north Pacific Beach (a beautiful walkable community) in San Diego and spends his spare time screen printing, surfing, and gardening with his wife.
Heroes include Alice Waters, George Orwell, and Robert Irwin.
Amy Sample Ward is the Community Builder for NetSquared and always happy to connect! Currently based in London, UK, she is excited to help connect those working in nonprofit organizations and social change projects around the world. She also hopes to share insights and findings about the similarities and difference in social media use by nonprofit organizations in the US, the UK and beyond. Amy also organizers the Net Tuesday London and would be thrilled to help you start a Net Tuesday event in your city!
In addition to her fun with NetSquared, Amy is a nonprofit technology blogger, trainer, presenter, and collaborator. She has worked in and with advocacy organizations of varying sizes and for a private grantmaker. She loves all tools that facilitate collaboration and conversation. You can find her blog at http://amysampleward.org/.
Marnie Webb is the Co-CEO of TechSoup Global. Marnie has been with TechSoup Global since 2001, most recently holding the position of Vice President of Knowledge Services. To help address the nonprofit sector’s systemic technology challenges, Marnie works towards optimizing TechSoup Global’s popular Web resource, TechSoup, and its Knowledge Services program, which includes projects such as Healthy and Secure Computing and MaintainIT. She is one of the driving forces behind the NetSquared Initiative, which brings the social Web to nonprofits across the globe.
A sought-after speaker and writer on nonprofit technology, she understands both challenges and technological possibilities facing the sector. Marnie is one of the founding members of the Nonprofit Emerging Technology Exchange and an organizer of the NPTech tagging experiment.
In 2008, The Nonprofit Times included Marnie on its list of the 50 most influential leaders in the U.S. nonprofit sector.
Fresh! is celebrating his 3rd year as the logistics manager for NetSquared.
Moving into his 7th year with CompuMentor/TechSoup, Fresh! is very excited to once again be a part of the NetSquared Team and support their efforts to help non-profits best utilize Social Networking tools. Fresh! also co-produces Net Tuesday with Britt Bravo by managing the logistics for that event as well.
A long time Bay Area activist, Fresh! currently sits on the board and provides anti-violence training with the Community United Against (CUAV) and supports Writing Ourselves Whole, a project designed to transform lives through words; Fresh! also supports the National Black Justice Coalition and Generation Five and hopes to work on the development of a US Social Forum in the SF Bay Area.
Fresh! is also a professional coach; working to help others connect with their inner power, strengths and talents in order to live their lives as completely as they wish. Fresh! and his fiancé are enjoying the beautiful views from their new apartment next to the lovely Lake Merritt, Oakland.
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