Using The Phone for Action
It’s been six months since Phone2Action launched in DC, and already the startup is helping nonprofits, advocacy groups, and trade associations like the Consumer Electronics Association reach elected officials. CEO Jeb Ory says the company’s civic engagement tools make it easy for people to communicate directly with elected officials at any level through e-mail, phone, and social media. Its other products make subscribing to state and federal services easier. For example, Phone2Action tools are helping over 100 people a day in Louisiana find and identify scholarship-eligible schools for their children.
Jeb says elected officials want feedback, but many constituents don’t know who they are, much less how to reach them. Phone2Action co-founder Ximena Hartsock realized the need for mobile engagement tools in previous roles when passionate advocates didn't have anything they could do the moment they were fired up. The first tool developed helped people take action the moment they were engaged—like at a rally or town hall or even over the radio. The products have since expanded to other grassroots needs. The venture capital-backed company is expanding its products and services across the US and planning for international expansion in '15. (We say go the other way and start lobbying middle school student councils. That's where the real influence is.)
