Jamie has been a volunteer worker and board member of May First since it's founding.
Since 2011, Jamie has worked as the Technology Systems Director for the Progressive Technology Project (PTP), a national organization providing technology support to grassroots organizing groups in the US. Through his position at PTP, he is an active contributor to CiviCRM, the widely used free software database for non-profit organizations. With PTP, he engages with the most active movement organizations to develop PowerBase, a version of CiviCRM tailored for community organization groups.
in 1999, Jamie co-founded Media Jumpstart, later renamed May First Technology Collective - a worker-run non-profit organization that provided technology services to non-profit organizations in New York. Media Jumpstart merged with People Link to form May First Movement Technology in 2005.
Prior to working at MFMT and PTP, Jamie worked at Libraries for the Future as network administrator, national Youth ACCESS coordinator, and Information and Technology Policy Specialist. Jamie was formerly on the Board of Directors of Paper Tiger TV where he was an active producer and activist between 1994 and 2004. Previously, Jamie worked as a video instructor for Sidewalks of New York, teaching basic production skills to homeless youth. He also worked as a community organizer for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and was an active member of ACT UP New Orleans.
When it comes to technology, the movement is in trouble.
We are stuck in a debate about tools and training while technology, in lock step with capitalism, is changing the fundamental nature of work, society and just about every aspect of our lives.
As a technology organization, May First Movement Technology cannot change the course of the movement by ourselves. However, since technology must be fundamental to any movement strategy for real change, we have a critical role to play.
We also have important resources - including a surge in membership in both the US and Mexico; a bi-national leadership that is only beginning to realize its potential for developing a bi-national strategy; a uniquely race, age and gender diverse leadership; and server infrastructure growing stronger and more sophisticated every day.
Over the next three years, I envision our organization engaging in dialog across the border and throughout the movement - not only the parts of the movement currently engaged in technology and design. I see MFMT combating the racism, sexism and other divisions in society that are acutely present in movement technology. And I see us bringing our members together to build technology into the broader left strategy for fundamental and lasting change.
