Last week (I think) I had the opportunity to meet this whirlwind of a person – Lisa Conn. She is a force and pitched me hard on this new organization FWD.US supported by some very cool people (Reid Hoffman, Mark Zuckerberg, Ron Conway, Reed Hastings and Paul Graham to name a few).
FWD.us is an advocacy organization created to promote policies that will lead to a more advanced workforce and stronger knowledge economy in the U.S. Our organization is backed by a diverse group of leading innovators, job creators, business owners and founders from Silicon Valley’s tech sector.
The organization is not political but will influence politicians. It’s aim is bi-partisan. Their agenda:
- Comprehensive immigration reform that allows for the hiring of the best and brightest.
- Education reforms that produce more graduates in the science, technology and math fields and ensure all children receive a high quality education from effective teachers and accountable schools.
- Support for scientific research, which seeds the future innovation of our knowledge economy, and breakthrough developments.
As a local advocate who works hard for our area, I would like to see more student visitors able to stay and create companies, work in startups and drive our local tech community.
They are hosting an open house/happy hour at Tobacco Road Sports Bar in Durham on Wednesday, October 2nd from 7:30pm to 8:30pm. See you there.