The Mobile Future coalition hosted a panel yesterday on mobile and elections at the National Press Club in D.C.  And, yes, it was live on CSPAN .

Michelle Mayorga from Rock The Vote’s Mobile Programs; Casey O’Shea, DCCC National Field Director; and Katie Harbath, former Deputy eCampaign Director, Giuliani for President and I discuss the present and future of mobile and campaigns. Click here to watch.

Thanks to my friend Jonathan Spalter -the Mobile Future coalition chair – for putting it together.

We’re thrilled to announce that Matt Wilson has joined Mobile Commons as our Director of Partnerships. Matt comes to us from Convio, a CRM powerhouse in the nonprofit sector, where he brought us in as their mobile partner. We’ve worked with Matt closely over the past year and are excited for all the great experience and enthusiasm he’s bringing with him (in addition to his time at Convio, Matt’s worked on five Presidential campaigns and one race for DNC chair). Matt’s also going to be opening our San Francisco office.

From Matt himself:

Nearly 18 months ago, I set out to learn more about how Convio could deliver services to our clients in the exploding mobile space. After a ton of research and evaluation, I was thrilled to form Convio’s mobile partnership with Mobile Commons. Throughout the entire project, the Mobile Commons team and product continued to impress me. And when they asked me to join them, I couldn’t say no.

What was so interesting to me? Mobile applications felt much more like having a conversation with an organization rather than a broadcast from them, something that is paramount to interactivity and capturing a constituent’s attention. 60-80% percent response rates and 99% open rates are just plain more fun when it is time for testing and benchmarking.

The most alluring mobile opportunities, however, are the things we haven’t done yet. What are some location-based applications that would be useful to an activist organization? How will iPhone Apps or Google’s Android OS affect nonprofits? How can we help nonprofits raise money with mobile? Will voice calls to Congress, driven by text messages, change our legislative process?

Here is a little about me:

I love politics and technology. Prior to joining Mobile Commons, I built partner programs at Convio and GetActive Software that introduced innovative technologies into Convio’s product suite and brought leading consulting firms devoted to political and nonprofit online strategy into the companies’ communities.

Building partnerships with other cool technologies and introducing our mobile suite to nonprofit marketing agencies will be my main focus here at Mobile Commons, and I am really excited to continue working in this vibrant nonprofit technology community.

If you want to learn more about becoming a Mobile Commons Partner, please shoot me an email at matt@mcommons.com or give me a buzz at 415.699.4474.

Cheers!
Matt

CREDO Mobile, using technology from Mobile Commons Paul Notzold and artwork by Tom Tomorrow, won a Cannes’ Cyber Lion for an amazing campaign in San Francisco. The campaign featured projections on the sides of buildings around the city with people interacting with them and changing them by text message.

Agencies involved: ss+k, neverstop

The Personal Democracy Forum is the leading event where professionals in the technology and political worlds interact in a meaningful way. The attendees are high level from campaigns and organizations. The speakers are first rate luminaries in their fields. Everyone interested in the intersection of technology and civic life should attend.

If you do attend please come to the panel: Mobile Politics: How to Unblock the Future which will include Becky Bond from Credo Mobile, Scott Goodstein from the Obama campaign, Catherine Geanuracos from Live Earth and me.

Credo Mobile has done some of the most innovative and effective mobile Get out the Vote programs. The Obama campaign has integrated mobile into their media strategy better than anyone else. I will be discussing various ways campaigns and organizations are using mobile as well as the policy issues that effect mobile innovation.