Craigslist Founder, Ning CEO Participate in Press Conference to Show How Technology is Supporting Troops and Veterans

MEDIA ADVISORY

Friday, June 26, 2009

Follow IAVA on Twitter at Twitter.org/IAVAPressroom [1]

NEW YORK - Today, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation’s first and largest non-partisan, nonprofit organization representing veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, announced it will host a press conference on Monday, June 29^th, 10:15AM EST with Craigslist Founder Craig Newmark and Ning CEO Gina Bianchini at the Personal Democracy Forum [2] (PdF). PdF is the world's largest and best known conference on the intersection of technology and politics, attracting the highest level of speakers and participants. The press conference will directly follow a keynote address from NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and it will highlight how the Ning social network model is transforming outreach to new veterans.

What: National Press Conference to introduce groundbreaking Veteran Support Campaign, www.CommunityOfVeterans.org [3].
When: Monday, June 29 2009 at 10:15 AM EST
Where: Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Breakout room A, Broadway at 60^th Street, Map here [4].  

Why: Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) is one of the leading non-profits utilizing technology and social media to reach its members and achieve its mission. Their recently launched Veterans Support Campaign, anchored by Ning-based CommunityofVeterans.org, is the first social network exclusively for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. In its short existence, the network is already transforming how the nations newest generation of veterans explore resources, interact with their peers, and cope with the transition from combat to civilian life.

***Press wishing to attend must RSVP to Justin Kazmark, Justin.Kazmark@Morris-King.com [5] or 646.483.3700. 

About The Personal Democracy Forum (PdF):

For the sixth year, more than 1,000 top opinion makers, political practitioners, technologists and journalists will come together to network, exchange ideas, and explore how technology and the Internet are changing politics, democracy, and society. Keynote speakers at the 2009 PdF include NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, White House CIO Vivek Kundra, Ning CEO Gina Bianchini, FiveThirtyEight.com Founder Nate Silver, USA.gov Director Bev Goodwin and more.

About Ning:

Founded in October 2004 by Gina Bianchini and Marc Andreessen, Ning offers an innovative and easy-to-use technology platform for people to join and create new social networks for their interests and passions and meet new people around the things they care about most in their life.

With over 1 million social networks created and more than 27 million registered members, millions of people everyday are coming together across Ning Networks to explore and express their interests, discover new passions, and meet new people around shared pursuits.

About Craigslist:

Founded in 1995 by Craig Newmark, Craigslist is a centralized network of online communities, featuring free online classified advertisements with sections devoted to jobs, housing, personals [6], for sale, services, community [7], gigs [8], résumés [9], and discussion forums [10].  Headquartered in San Franciso, CA Craigslist has established itself in approximately 570 cities in 50 countries.

About IAVA:

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.IAVA.org [11]) is the country's first and largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and has more than 125,000 veteran members and civilian supporters nationwide. Its mission is to improve the lives of this country's newest generation of veterans and their families.