You're invited to the Universal Access Conference! The event will take place on June 23 from 8:30 a.m.12 p.m. at the Ryder Room of the United Way Building. Learn about the Knight Foundation's exciting new $10-million Digital Opportunity Fund and the challenge grants that will tap into it to spur digital inclusion in Miami (as well as the 25 other Knight Communities). In addition, two new exciting projects will be featured. The first is OneCommunity, a non-profit internet service enabler for other non-profits and public sector agencies. The second is Florida 2.0, an interactive social-networking tool for health and human service practitioners, governments, and other civic experts. Both Initiatives revolve around innovative strategies to expand digital opportunities, promote social equity, and foster collaboration among agencies.

So come and learn about both new initiatives and see how your organization can be a part of the excitement!! There will be a complementary breakfast included; support for the event has been provided by the John S. & James L. Knight Foundation Donor-Advised Fund at Dade Community Foundation. For more information, look at the agenda below:

Universal Access Agenda

1. Networking/Breakfast (8:30 a.m.-9 a.m.)

2. Introduction (9:00 a.m.-9:15 a.m.)
Speaker: Victoria Edwards

• Introduce theme of conference as relating to access, define universal access

3. One Community: Universal Access and Infrastructure
Introduction: Lorenzo Lebrija (9:15 a.m.-9:30 a.m.)
Knight Foundation’s Program Director, Miami

• Introduce Knight’s $25 million Universal Access Initiative highlighting the $10 million Digital Opportunity Fund component

Speaker: Mark Ansboury (9:30 a.m.-10 a.m.)
Vice-President, OneCommunity

• What is Universal Access? What is the role of infrastructure in achieving it?
• What has been OneCommunity’s role in providing Universal Access in Ohio? What do they plan to do here? How can local organizations get involved? How might local nonprofits benefit?

4. Florida 2.0 Using Technology to Unite People via the web (10 a.m.-10:45 a.m.)
CEO QoS Labs, FL2i Executive Board member
Speaker: Alfredo Sanchez, IT Florida

• What is the Florida 2.0 model? And how has it been replicated in different third world countries to connect people and service providers, and bring about increased efficiency/access to the public?
• What are the goals of Florida 2.0 to connect via the web? Who are they reaching out to?

5. Future Steps (10:45 – 12:00 pm)
Panelists: Lorenzo Lebrija, Mark Ansboury, Alfredo Sanchez, Mark Needle Moderator: Mark Wyllie (COO Compuquip, Chair of InternetCoast), Representative from Alliance for Digital Equality (TBD)

• What steps do organizations take to benefit from initiatives?
• Questions and Answers Segment
• Feedback from audience, what excites you about the two initiatives and why? Do you want to get involved? Why or why not?