New targets nonprofit Tech cooperation, social change

A new non-profit Wednesday launched an advocacy group for tech and co-founder of Twitter will focus on using technology to drive improvements in the U.S. education system and other social changes.

One of the goals of ConvergeUS, the brainchild of TechNet, CEO and co-founder of Twitter, Biz Stone, is to convene various groups working on a "technology innovation blueprint," a plan for the use of technology and social media to drive social change, said its founders. ConvergeUS will work with three other groups every year to work on social issues, with a Summit each year, where the top thinkers in technology and social issues will gather in Silicon Valley, said Rey Ramsey, CEO of TechNet.

"We have some things really left to do for America," Ramsey said during an event kick-off. "Everybody in this room understands the transformative power of technology. There is almost no area untouched by technology in our lives. But there is still work to do in the social sector. "

A relatively slow pace of technological innovation in the social sector, relation to other areas of growth, "gnaws at me," Ramsey said.

ConvergeUS is based on a philosophy at Twitter that "doing good" is important, Stone said. "You can really have a positive global impact, it is possible to make money, and you can have a lot of fun along the way," he said. "This is a new definition of success for your business. You have all these three things together, or you don't. "

Julius Genachowski [cq], President of the u.s. Federal Communications Commission has appreciated the effort. "All we can do to support this effort to bring our best minds, our talent, our best technology platforms in space, the space of business and social space will pay tremendous dividends, mutually for the country," he said.

The new group will host an annual Summit at the end of this year, social innovators, entrepreneurs, business leaders, problem solvers and subject experts invited to address social issues. The group will work on other social projects as well as three identified as main focuses each year, the founders, he said.

ConvergeUS Wednesday, announced a partnership with two groups focused on improvement of parts of the U.S. education system, elementary reading campaign, a coalition focused on improving reading competence and the Silicon Valley Education Foundation, focused on improving student performance in math and science education.

ConvergeUS has also appointed Babson College as an academic partner. The University of Massachusetts has been rated the # 1 College for entrepreneurship for 14 years running by U.S. News & World Report.

Another non-profit partnership will be announced in a few weeks.

Grant Gross covers technology and telecommunications policy in the Government of the United States for the IDG News Service. Follow Grant on Twitter at GrantGross. E-mail address is grant_gross@idg.com of Grant.