This meeting is for the Broadband Interest Group at Philanthropy Northwest. Our goal is to gain an action-oriented understanding of the role philanthropy can play in supporting broadband access, specifically in rural, Indigenous/Native communities and communities of color in our region. The group will partner with our Tribal Broadband Learning Community, federal and state government offices, community leaders and funder networks to help our communities get improved broadband access.

In this session, Roberto Gallardo Ph.D. will be joining us to demonstrate his Digital Divide Index and host a discussion about framing local conversations on the potential benefits of broadband in rural communities. To get a sense of his work, please read “The Land That the Internet Forgot: Travelling the Highways of America’s Least Connected State.”

Speaker

Roberto Gallardo is the director of the Purdue Center for Regional Development and a Purdue extension community & regional economics specialist. He holds a bachelor's degree in electronics engineering, a master’s degree in economic development and a Ph.D. in public policy and administration. Roberto has worked with rural communities over the past decade conducting local and regional community economic development, including the use of technology for development.

He has authored more than 80 articles including peer-reviewed and news-related regarding rural trends, socioeconomic analysis, industrial clusters, the digital divide and leveraging broadband applications for community economic development. He is also the author of the book “Responsive Countryside: The Digital Age & Rural Communities”, which highlights a 21st-century community development model that helps rural communities transition to, plan for and prosper in the digital age. Roberto is a TEDx speaker and his work has been featured in a WIRED magazine article, a MIC.com documentary and a RFDTV documentary. He lives in West Lafayette with his wife and two daughters.

Eligibility

Participation in this meeting is open to philanthropic organizations. This includes private and family foundations, corporate foundations and giving programs, community and public foundations, Tribal corporations and nations, governmental grantmaking programs and CDFI institutions with a philanthropic focus. You do not need to be a Philanthropy Northwest member to participate but do need to represent an organizational philanthropic institution. Please do not join this call if you are a nonprofit organization. If you are unsure about your eligibility, please contact Lyn Hunter.

Thank you to Innovia Foundation for partnering with us to move this work forward.