AUSTIN, TEXAS, UNITED STATES, February 1, 2021 — Today, Geeks Without Frontiers announced that Kevin Schwartz, award-winning Technology Officer for Learning and Systems at the Austin Independent School District, has joined the organization as Director of Community Innovation.
The Board based its decision on Schwartz’s extensive experience in technology innovation services, his emphasis on equity as a deliverable, and his eagerness to expand on the Geeks’ “CommunityConnect” program, which brings essential digital divide related equipment, services and support to underserved communities.
Schwartz recently led a safe, equity-driven, school district deployment of 55,000 computers and 25,000 hotspots in response to the pandemic. This innovative work was highlighted by national media and recognized locally by the community with an award for the Public Sector IT Executive of the Year. While Kevin has been previously honored at the national level as the K-12 Outstanding CTO from CoSN in 2016, Schwartz suggests this award was more meaningful because, “It comes from the community at a time when we are all learning that issues of technology equity are local, even hyper-local, though they exist around the world.”
The accumulation of lessons learned and best practices created during Kevin’s 30 plus years of technology and education experience helped form the basis of this broadband community initiative. His accomplishments establish him as a leader in innovation and a true architect of this initiative.
Schwartz outlined the approach he will apply as Geeks’ Director of Community Innovation. The focus areas are embedded in the work to help organizations and communities leverage their collective strengths in partnership. “Technology is an accelerant. We will work in partnership with communities and organizations to make good on the promise of technology to democratize and not divide,” says Schwartz. He elaborated, “Technology leaders in public and private organizations are bringing their resources to bear on long-standing inequities.
Broadband access and adoption is in the critical path to success. We offer practical support to ensure the human outcomes improve as communities become more connected.”
Geeks Without Frontiers is a technology-neutral platform for global impact. An award-winning non-profit, Geeks’ mission is to promote technology for a resilient world including bringing the benefits of broadband connectivity – disaster preparedness, health, education, poverty reduction, gender equality and the other United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) – to the estimated 3 billion people who remain unconnected.
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