
Jacob Colker
Pioneer in the Field of Micro-Volunteering
Social entrepreneur Jacob Colker is Co-Founder and CEO of The Extraordinaries, a new community action and engagement platform that is working to jump-start the innovative concept of micro-volunteering. Described as volunteering ‘anytime and anywhere’, micro-volunteering helps people get involved with their spare time from a mobile phone or personal computer. During a free moment, people can share their skills and professional expertise with an NGO from around the world. Colker is a recognized leader in political activism and issue advocacy, and a leading voice in the use of technology for community engagement.
Social entrepreneur Jacob Colker is Co-Founder and CEO of The Extraordinaries, a new community action and engagement platform that is working to jump-start the innovative concept of micro-volunteering. Described as volunteering ‘anytime and anywhere’, micro-volunteering helps people get involved with their spare time from a mobile phone or personal computer. During a free moment, people can share their skills and professional expertise with an NGO from around the world.
Time Magazine praised Colker’s project saying, "The Extraordinaries offers ways to devote even just a few minutes of free time to something worthwhile," and National Public Radio declared that The Extraordinaries "has captured the imagination of the philanthropic world."
The Extraordinaries are recipients of a 2010 Rolex Young Laureates Award for Enterprise, a 2009 Echoing Green Fellowship, a 2009 United Nations World Youth Summit Award, and a 2009 Ashoka Changemaker's Award.
Colker is a recognized leader in political activism and issue advocacy, and a leading voice in the use of technology for community engagement. He has managed political campaigns in California, Illinois, and Maryland, and he was one of the first field directors in America to leverage Facebook® to win a statewide election for public office. Colker has also managed issue advocacy campaigns for The International Campaign for Tibet, The 1Sky Campaign, and other non-governmental organizations, both in the U.S. and around the world.
Colker holds a B.A. in Media Management from Columbia College Chicago, and is working part time on his M.A. in Communications from the Johns Hopkins University.
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3. Social Media & Web 2.0
Exploring how the latest tools are being used to have an impact.
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2. Youth Activism
Getting young people involved in the civic process.
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1. Social Entrepreneurship
Using business to solve the world's problems.
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Jacob Colker and his Extraordinaries are modern explorers in the uncharted seas of disruptive philanthropy. Jacob has the bold vision to experiment with new technologies, new forms of social organization, and new channels of communication – fusing them together to come up with new ways of doing social good. As CEO of KarmaKorn it was my joy to moderate a panel of eight leading social change CEOs at a recent global conference where Jacob was a most lively voice. If you want deep thinking combined with a broad view and sharp analysis, Jacob is your guy! The word “fresh” comes to mind.
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In his presentation to 60 urban youth, Jacob gave us exactly what we asked for and needed. He communicated the big ideas but also customized his talk on the power of social media toward a targeted audience of youth and youth media practitioners. The PowerPoint and visuals were spot on! Jacob is witty, personable, exuberant and engaging but most of all Jacob's presentation is truly inspiring and eye-opening. The youth who attended his lecture absorbed every word and couldn’t wait to apply his ideas to their own practice. Jacob definitely is a big reason that our Nuf-Said project succeeded so well.
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I invited Jacob Colker as a guest presenter at the MacArthur Foundation-funded Producers Institute for New Media Technologies. He struck just the right balance between a cutting edge tech vibe, with creative collaboration, and unbridled community activism - it was exactly the right tone. At the time he spoke, The Extraordinaries had not officially launched and Jacob gave our audience an exciting sneak peek into a new technology that inspired everyone.
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To be a good speaker you have to possess a mix of things: a sharp mind, solid experience and expertise in a relevant and timely subject, the ability to connect with people on a personal level -- even from a distance -- and of course, a solid stage presence. Jacob Colker possesses all of those things. And as a result, he's someone that audiences learn from and become inspired by. When I first saw Jacob speak, during the WeMedia Pitch It Competition nearly two years ago, his capacity for storytelling was immediately evident. He won the competition - in large part because of his ability to capture the hearts and minds of the judges, and conference attendees, and in the years since has become one of the most highly regarded speakers in the philanthropy, social change, and digital citizen engagement circuit. If you are putting on an event that is focused on how to change the world, in big or small ways, you want Jacob Colker at the top of your agenda. And it won't take you long once you have heard him address a crowd that you will know you made the right choice.
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