The Owlfred Chronicles

Austin – Our latest addition to the team.

I’m Austin Walne and I’ve just joined the fantastic OpenStudy team 2 days ago. They’ve put together an incredible learning platform; and I’m very humbled and excited to be able to contribute to the great work here.

Learning has been a passion of mine since I was young. I also grew up with a passion for computers and technology. I was lucky enough to use my first Mac (a Performa 637CD) in the third grade and immediately began learning as much as I could about it and this new thing called the world wide web.

Inter-connected networks have shown their immense power for collaboration to create amazing things. It’s revolutionized the way we communicate (Facebook, Twitter); find a place to stay while traveling (AirBnB); drive cars (ZipCar, Getaround); and the list goes on and on.

I’ve witnessed first hand how networks have changed the way politicians run for office and elected officials interact with their constituents. In 2007, I led digital campaign efforts for Fmr. Senator Fred Thompson’s Presidential Campaign. We were the first to allow volunteers to call potential voters anywhere they had an internet connection. That same election, then Senator Obama’s organizing platform my.barackobama.com, led by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, set the standard for future campaigns to follow.

These same network effects have the potential to change education in ways we’re only beginning to imagine. Many people are talking about the challenges facing education. OpenStudy is committed to helping solve some of these big issues. I believe OpenStudy is a trailblazer in education technology and I am very enthusiastic about helping to share our story and spread our message to students the world over. It’s quite the adventure we’re all embarking on together.

If you’d like to connect, you can find me on the Twitter @austinwalne.