Our work at EveryoneOn to end the digital divide for the more than 62 million people in the United States that don't have the internet at home demonstrates that when we work together to make it happen for those being left behind, we as a country make it matter."
WASHINGTON (PRWEB) November 30, 2017
Chike Aguh, EveryoneOn’s CEO, will be honored Saturday as a Distinguished Alumnus by the Wharton African American MBA Association (AAMBAA) at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Specifically, he will be honored for his work to end the digital divide in the United States through his leadership of EveryoneOn, a national nonprofit that creates social and economic opportunity by connecting everyone to the internet.
The honor will take place as part of the Whitney M. Young Conference, AAMBAA’S annual event that celebrates the legacy of the author, humanitarian, educator and civil rights activist, Whitney M. Young, Jr. At the conference, prominent business and civic leaders will share reflections on the themes and experiences that have helped them chart their personal and professional paths to inspire and educate students, alumni, and business professionals. The theme for this year’s conference is “Make It Happen, Make It Matter: Building a Stronger Community, Together”, and featured speakers include Shellye Archambeau, CEO of MetricStream; John Washington Rogers Jr., Chairman and CEO, Ariel Investments, LLC; U.S. Senator Cory Booker, D-NJ; Edith Cooper, EVP Human Capital Management, Goldman Sachs; and other leaders.
“I’m honored to be chosen for this award,” Aguh said. “My time at Wharton taught me the value of commitments to hard work, passion, social and economic equity and the life-changing power that comes with collective hard work. Our work at EveryoneOn to end the digital divide for the more than 62 million people in the United States that don’t have access to the internet at home demonstrates that when we work together to make it happen for those being left behind, we as a country make it matter for our community, our country, and our collective good. While I’m being honored for this award, I share it with my colleagues at EveryoneOn, who work tirelessly on-the-ground everyday changing the lives of others. I’m proud to lead such a group. Thank you to the University of Pennsylvania, the Wharton School of Business, and the AAMBAA for this honor.“
In addition, Aguh has been named to Wharton Magazine's 2017 40 under 40 list. The 40 under 40 list debuted three years ago with the intent “to recognize some of the brightest stars in a vast galaxy of impressive young Wharton alumni,” according to the magazine’s website. The list includes “a pioneering entrepreneur; a former Marine trusted with the financial health of a legendary newspaper; two social media savants; a trio of siblings balancing business and social impact; and one of the most remarkable human beings you’ll ever meet (who happens to be a hedge fund manager).” Read more about this honor here.
Aguh leads EveryoneOn as its chief executive officer (CEO). He is the son of immigrants from Nigeria whose lives were changed by America’s opportunities and he has spent his career ensuring that all Americans have access to the same. Aguh worked as an education policy official under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a second-grade teacher and Teach For America corps member, a Fulbright Scholar in Thailand, and a Director of Corporate Strategy at the Advisory Board Company. He holds degrees from Tufts University (B.A.), the Harvard Graduate School of Education (Ed.M), the Harvard Kennedy School of Government (MPA), and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (MBA). In addition, he is a term member at the Council on Foreign Relations, a NationSwell Council Member, a Presidential Leadership Scholar, and a member of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government's Alumni Board of Directors. He has spoken at and been interviewed in venues such as the White House, SXSWEdu, Forbes, and Wired Magazine. He lives in Beltsville, MD with his wife, Crystal and son, Kelechi.
EveryoneOn is a national nonprofit that creates social and economic opportunity by connecting everyone in United States to the internet at home. Since 2012, EveryoneOn has connected more than 500,000 people in 48 states and will connect a total of one million by the end of 2020.
According to the American Community Survey, there are more than 62 million people in United States who do have the internet at home. They are disproportionately poor and people of color. What keeps these families offline? Pew Research Center and the Cooney Center at Rutgers University tell us that the main barriers that keeps these people, many of whom live in large metropolitan areas, is cost. They simply cannot afford this vital service and that high price point force families into a digital divide from which it is hard to escape.
About EveryoneOn
EveryoneOn is a national nonprofit that creates social and economic opportunity by connecting everyone to the internet. Since 2012, EveryoneOn has connected more than 500,000 people in the United States, with the goal of connecting one million people by 2020. For more information, visit EveryoneOn.org