Profile - Brian R Mefford
Founder, Chairman & CEO, Connected Nation
Connected Nation founder Brian Mefford is sought after as a trusted resource amongst global corporations, policy makers, and community leaders interested in designing and implementing initiatives that fuel economic growth through accelerating the impact of technology. Mr. Mefford has been featured in numerous publications including The Economist and The Wall Street Journal and is quoted regularly in technology trade publications internationally.
As Chairman & CEO of Connected Nation, Mr. Mefford leads an organization known widely for its ability to accelerate technology availability, literacy, and use. Active in 32 states and territories across the United States, Connect Nation excels in assessing and identifying market dynamics and opportunities; promoting technology use across all sectors; expanding digital literacy programs in various settings; increasing computer ownership rates; and elevating the technology capacity of institutions such as schools, libraries, local government entities and hospitals.
Mr. Mefford was responsible for leading broadband expansion plans in Kentucky with ConnectKentucky – Connected Nation’s “proof of concept” project which received recognition as the top economic development initiative in 2006 by the U.S. Economic Development Administration and as Innovator of the Year by the Southern Growth Policies Board. ConnectKentucky successfully envisioned and implemented the plan to begin evolving an agriculture/mining/manufacturing-dependent economy to a technology-driven economy.
The resulting public-private partnership was featured in the Wall Street Journal in 2009 as one of the top five creative economic development initiatives globally.
Mr. Mefford has worked with leaders at the highest levels of U.S. industry and government and has advised a number of government leaders globally. At heart Mr. Mefford is an entrepreneur, having led a number of successful high-tech startups or early stage businesses in various parts of the United States. He received his International MBA from Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management, and an economics degree from Centre College.