Broadband For America Launches "Faces of Innovation"

WASHINGTON, June 27, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Broadband for America (BfA) – a coalition of over 300 members from consumer groups, to content, application and Internet service providers – today launched "Faces of Innovation," a new website that highlights the innovators and entrepreneurs who are powering today's growing Internet economy.  Faces of Innovation will profile a diverse range of visionaries from across the country – from cutting edge developers and app creators, to artists, farmers, educators and more – who will share their stories about how they are revolutionizing the industries they work in through high-speed broadband Internet.

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"The proliferation of easily accessible, high-speed connections has enabled what will be seen as a golden era of entrepreneurship and innovation in America," said Broadband for America Co-Chair, former Senator John Sununu.  "Today, people across the country are transforming and disrupting out-dated business models with new applications, websites, and online services. Faces of Innovation will recognize these visionary leaders that are powering the Internet economy.

"Even during challenging economic times, entrepreneurship and innovation – enabled by the proliferation of broadband – led to the creation of millions of jobs that helped many families weather the difficult economy," said Broadband for America Co-Chair, former Congressman Harold Ford Jr.  "Encouraged by the government's light touch regulatory approach, the private sector has invested more than $1.2 trillion in Internet infrastructure since 1996. These investments have transformed the Internet from its early days as a test bed for hobbyists, the Defense Department and academic institutions, into the indispensable tool that empowers each of these innovators today."

The Faces of Innovation project will identify, publicize, and promote the work of the people and companies that are transforming modern day life and business thanks to broadband Internet. In the coming weeks and months, Faces of Innovation will launch a video series featuring companies from the Austin, TX, Des Moines, IA and Silicon Valley, CA areas whose unique stories demonstrate how broadband can unleash America's technological ingenuity and entrepreneurship.

There are twenty-one innovators currently featured on Faces of Innovation including:

• Leah Busque, the founder of San Mateo, CA-based Task Rabbit, a company that helps people complete tasks like grocery shopping;
• Sara Sutton Fell, the founder of Boulder, CO-based FlexJobs, which specializes in finding its users jobs with flexible working arrangements; and
• Neal Sales-Griffin, the founder of Chicago, IL-based The Starter League, a school that teaches beginners how to code and design web apps in three months.

A full list of companies can be found on the Faces of Innovation site here.

Broadband for America (BfA) is a growing coalition of more than 300 members ranging from independent consumer advocacy groups, to content and application providers, to the companies which build and maintain the Internet. The complete BfA membership list is available at: http://www.broadbandforamerica.com/about/members

SOURCE Broadband for America