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Technology is changing the game for organizations in the social space. In this interview with John Powers, nonprofit technology consultant Paul Lamb explores how the web is already transforming nonprofits and NGOs, and looks ahead to the potential that ubiquitous, mobile computing, virtual worlds, user generated content, and social networking have to up-end traditional constraints and open new doors. Although the pace of change can be daunting, venturing into the tech frontier can increase effectiveness and help smaller nonprofits take their destiny into their own hands.
In the mid-1990s, most nonprofits were not on the internet or using email. By now, these basic tools are taken for granted, and the next wave of technological creativity is spilling over to the social sector. Many new resources for connecting organizations to each other and to their constituents have come on line. Blogging has already gone mainstream in just a few short years, followed closely by related trends such as audio/video podcasts and wikis. Virtual worlds, most notably Second Life, have developed into interesting educational and collaborative spaces. Lamb invites us to imagine a time where people with similar passions for their cause can be instantaneously connected through a web of colleagues and resources, taking advantage of SMS and GIS-enabled mobile devices in a rich, social network.
Technology also promises to increase the transparency of organizations and help equalize access. With easier ways to track and share data, better accountability and rapid feedback will become expected. Powerful, direct connections between people and organizations are dis-intermediating the walled gardens of the past, giving individuals and smaller groups a new voice. Lamb closes with some thoughts on the challenges which organizations face in deploying new technologies, but overall he exudes the optimism and excitement and gives a great deal of practical guidance for anyone looking to stay ahead of the curve.
Paul Lamb is a consultant and entrepreneur with over 18 years of experience in business, nonprofit management, technology and public policy. In early 2006, he was honored as the University of California, San Diego’s Outstanding Alumnus of the year.
Lamb’s international business background includes serving as Director of Programs and Executive Director of the China Business Forum at the US-China Business Council in Washington, D.C. He has managed outreach and education programs targeting Members of Congress, U.S. and Chinese government officials, and California legislators on a variety of business, trade, and technology issues throughout his career. In 1997 he successfully organized a meeting between the President of China and over 30 American Fortune 500 CEOs.
As a business analyst for Ernst & Young, Lamb identified strategic strengths and weaknesses of financial and technology companies. As a marketing consultant for both U.S. and Asian firms, he helped design international advertising and marketing campaigns for both the consumer market and business-to-business clients. His work with an international marketing team helped MITAC International to maintain its position as Taiwan’s second largest computer producer.
With strong leadership and diplomacy skills, Lamb's innovative ideas and financial knowledge allowed him the freedom to create a highly successful nonprofit organization. He is a founder and former Executive Director of Street Tech, a program providing computer training and job placement for low-income and underserved youth in San Francisco’s East Bay. Paul’s hard work garnered Street Tech both the California Governor’s Technology & Innovation Award and the CompTIA 2002 Workforce Development Excellence Award. He has also developed several other successful nonprofit programs and community collaboratives, and raised over $6 Million in private and public funding for a broad range of youth, workforce development, and technology projects.
He is a frequent radio commentator on NPR and his writings on technology and social issues have appeared on Salon.com, CNET, Computerworld, and in the Christian Science Monitor, the San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, and other local and national publications.
Lamb is a graduate of Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana with a Bachelors in Political Science. He has also graduated from The Johns Hopkins-Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies in Nanjing, China. He received his Masters degree in International Relations/Business from the University of California, San Diego's Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies. He is a recent graduate of the Zero Divide Fellowship program of the Community Technology Foundation of California and is a Next Generation Fellow with the American Assembly at Columbia University.
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