Connect Humanity was founded on the belief that closing the digital divide with urgency demands continuous learning, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to the communities we serve. These values were instilled by our founding CEO Jochai Ben-Avie who has made the decision to step down.

Since Jochai and Chris Worman launched Connect Humanity four years ago, our work has put more than 100,000 people on the path to connectivity in the United States and our investments have catalyzed $45 million for broadband in underserved communities. We’re showing that it’s not just possible but profitable to connect some of the lowest income and rural areas by supporting community-focused ISPs.

We’re grateful for Jochai’s years of leadership and appreciate his support as Senior Advisor in the coming months to ensure a seamless transition.

Going forward, Connect Humanity will be co-led by Erica Mesker (Chief Development and Operating Officer), Brian Vo (Chief Investment Officer), and Marco Girish (Chief Financial and Administrative Officer) who will build on the success of our work supporting communities to connect the unconnected across the US and beyond. Together Erica, Brian, and Marco bring significant experience across impact investing, program design, and community development that will serve the organization well in our next chapter of growth.

We’re in an exciting period as we scale our model to provide more financing, resources, and expertise to invest in underserved communities enabling access to the internet infrastructure and digital skills needed to succeed in today’s economy. Whether through impact investments, digital equity planning, or technical support, our commitment to promoting community-centric broadband remains at the core of our work.

More than ever, it’s clear that digital connectivity is the foundation on which people build better lives and create more prosperous communities. Grounded by our core values, we’ll be running hard at the barriers preventing 40 million Americans — and billions globally — from accessing the digital tools they need to to thrive in a digital economy. If you are interested in partnering towards our mission, please get in touch.