From a Mark to a Movement: Takeaways from Net Inclusion 2024
By Russell Hartley, Digital Content Associate, EveryoneOn
The Net Inclusion 2024 conference in downtown Philadelphia stood as the largest gathering of digital inclusion practitioners worldwide, with over 1,300 attendees from diverse communities spanning Houston, TX; rural Vermont and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
This impressive turnout not only underscores the significance of the event but also highlights how much the field of digital inclusion has grown. Digital inclusion refers to the activities necessary to ensure all communities, including the most disadvantaged, have access to and can use information and communication technologies, from computers to the internet.
From left to right: Dave Berka, project manager for Techquity and Resource Equity at United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County; Thami Hastings, senior programs manager in Milwaukee at EveryoneOn; Diana Rodriguez, vice president of programs and strategy at EveryoneOn; and Shunda Leecost, partnership manager at Microsoft Airband Initiative, pictured at Net Inclusion 2024
Originating in 2016, the annual conference hosted by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance has undergone a remarkable transformation. What began at a library in El Paso, TX, with approximately 100 attendees—representing national nonprofits, internet service providers and local governments—has evolved into a movement. The conference serves as a crucial platform for discussing ideas and initiatives aimed at addressing the digital divide—the result of discriminatory practices such as digital redlining.
Fast forward to 2024 when the federal government has set aside an unprecedented $2.75 billion for digital inclusion practitioners to connect individuals and families to reliable high-speed internet and devices combined with trainings designed to build digital skills—three factors essential to get online.
EveryoneOn CEO Norma E. Fernandez accepting the Charles Benton Digital Equity Champion Award during Net Inclusion 2024
From left to right: Russell Hartley, digital content associate at EveryoneOn; Thami Hastings, senior program manager in Milwaukee at EveryoneOn; Norma E. Fernandez, CEO of EveryoneOn; and Diana Rodriguez, vice president of programs and strategy at EveryoneOn, pictured near City Hall in downtown Philadelphia
The annual conference created the space to share meaningful insights and hold workshops on topics like grant writing, and how to advocate for initiatives and laws at the state level. Attendees gained insights from a multitude of perspectives, including digital inclusion experts working in rural Black communities, tribal regions and historically Black colleges and universities.
We asked members of the EveryoneOn team who attended the conference to describe their favorite part. Here’s what they had to say:
Net Inclusion 2024 was not just a conference, it was proof of how committed people are to making sure everyone can be part of the digital world. With a record-breaking attendance amid a historic amount of federal funding, digital inclusion advocates have gone from making a mark to creating a movement to achieve equity in all digital spaces.