Laura Forlano - Secretary

Laura Forlano is a Visiting Fellow at the Information Society Project at Yale Law School and a Ph.D. candidate in Communications at Columbia University where she is researching the socio-economic implications of the use of mobile and wireless technology. She is an Adjunct Faculty member in the Design and Management department at Parsons The New School for Design where she teaches Design in Everyday Experience, Introduction to Design and Management, and Sustainable Design. From 2002 to 2005, Forlano worked as Project Manager for the Information Technology and International Cooperation program at the Social Science Research Council. From 2000 to 2005, she wrote a monthly technology column for Gotham Gazette, a New York City news and policy Web site. She has also consulted for international organizations including the World Bank, International Telecommunication Union and United Nations. Forlano received her Master’s in Science and Technology Policy from the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs.

Areas of Interest
Laura’s main areas of interest are social research and policy. She conducted a survey of Wi-Fi hotspot users in 2006 with funding from Microsoft Research. Forlano represented NYCwireless on the FCC’s Consumer Advisory Committee from 2005-2006.

Dustin Goodwin

Dustin Goodwin has spent the last 15 years designing, building and running converged IP networks. Dustin found himself with some extra wireless gear after leaving a failing dotcom in 2001. He contacted Terry & Anthony because of a article he read about NYCw in the Village Voice. Next thing he knew there were 10 sweaty geeks in his tiny West Villaage apartment trying to figure out how to get the best wireless coverage on his street. From this first encounter he got the bug and became a regular presenter at NYCw monthly meeting and assisted in the build out of numerous public networks including the ground breaking network NYCwireless built in Bryant Park. When NYCwireless incorporated as non-profit Dustin became one of the founding board members. Currently he is a consulting engineer for Cisco Systems specializing in Voip and Wireless technology.

Areas of Interest
As director of the the NYCwireless NeedyNets program Dustin has been focusing on building wireless networks in low income housing around NYC. He has lead the build out of the Community Access wireless networks that now spans 3 buildings in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx. If you represent a organization that operates affordable housing NYC and are interested in discussing the possibility of installing free Internet access please contact us.

Rob Kelley

Rob Kelley has been a member of NYCwireless since December 2001 and a Member of the Board since September 2005. He was one of the first NYCwireless nodes in the Lower Manhattan, operating a community hotspot covering Rector Park. This node contributed to the formation of the Downtown Alliance’s hotspot network. Rob now maintains a neighborhood hotspot and blog at West 24th St and Ninth Avenue (http://sidewayzen.com/). Rob researched, evaluated, demonstrated, and advised on the upgrade of NYCwireless website to the dynamic TikiWiki platform. Most recently, Rob has led NYCwireless’ WifiDog deployment, a wide-scale upgrade of NYCwireless’ access points that provides better status reporting, traffic statistics, and community content.

Areas of Interest
Rob focuses on using wireless content and applications to improve local and online community. He studies how different sources — community websites, moblogging, GPS/GIS, and cellphone content — come together in new ways to help the person on the street.

Joe Plotkin

Joe Plotkin is Director, Marketing/DSL for Bway.net, the independent ISP in New York City. Bway.net has long championed the free public wireless Internet movement, and hosts the monthly meetings of NYCwireless. Plotkin is also Senior Strategist for TeleTruth.org, an alliance for customer rights in telecommunications. An outspoken advocate for broadband connectivity as well as regulatory fairness, Plotkin has lobbied on behalf of ISPs in Washington, D.C. and has been quoted frequently in the press. Plotkin received a Master’s degree from NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program.

Terry Schmidt

Terry Schmidt is a co-founder, board member, and former President of NYCwireless. Schmidt currently works as a Consulting Systems Engineer for Cisco Systems. Terry enjoys motorcycling around the world and new technologies. Terry got his start with public community wireless by running an Ethernet cable from the coffee shop in the adjoining building to his Manhattan apartment and setting up an Wireless AP offering free wireless.

Ben Serebin — Treasurer

Ben Serebin, the principal owner of REEF Solutions, a network & technology consulting firm in NYC. REEF Solutions has been serving financial, education, and small businesses for over 4 years. Ben founded and runs the first in NYC and only NY (Microsoft) Exchange User Group, and is heavily involved in other IT related user groups.

Areas of Interest
Ben is responsible for organizing our monthly meetings and special events. Please contact him if you are interested in presenting at a meeting.

Dana Spiegel - President and Executive Director

Dana Spiegel is an independent software consultant and founder of sociableDESIGN, a software and consulting firm that specializes in social software and wireless technology research and development. He has worked with industry leading companies and small start-ups including Yahoo!, Nike, Primedia, IBM, OnForce, and Bloostone to develop products and programs that utilize innovative social software and integrate new wireless technologies. He has also appeared as a speaker at Wireless and Media Industry conferences, and has guest lectured at NYU, SUNY Purchase, Parsons School of Design, and The New School University. Dana holds a Bachelors Degree in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from MIT and a Masters Degree in Media Arts and Sciences from the MIT Media Laboratory’s Sociable Media Group.

Areas of Interest
As Executive Director of NYCwireless, Dana created and produced Spectropolis: Mobile Media, Art and the City, a three-day event on October 1, 2, and 3 that highlights the diverse ways artists, technical innovators and activists are using communication technologies to generate new urban experience and public voice. Spectropolis was co-produced by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and the Alliance for Downtown New York.

Anthony Townsend

One of NYCwireless’ original founders, Anthony is a Research Director at the Institute for the Future in Palo Alto, California. For the last five years, Anthony dedicated lots of time to NYCwireless while teaching and doing research at New York University’s Interactive Telecommunications program and Wagner School of Public Service.

Areas of Interest
Anthony’s main areas of interest are municipal wireless policy, spectrum regulation, community organizing and unlicensed amateur emergency communications.