Nick Maynard is Chief Operating Officer of US Ignite, where he is responsible for designing and executing the organization’s growth strategy. Prior to US Ignite, Nick was a Program Director at the National Science Foundation, where he launched a $450 million initiative on advanced wireless research. He was also the Assistant Director at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where he managed a federal IT R&D portfolio, launching both a $610 million photonics foundry as well as the President’s ConnectHome program to bring broadband to underserved students. Previously, Nick was a member of the National Broadband Taskforce at the FCC, where he created a public-private partnership to offer technology training to small businesses in low-income communities. Nick also spent six years in the telecom industry, consulting with leading global carriers and vendors on next-gen networks and services. Nick received his BA and MA from the University of Chicago and a Public Policy Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His dissertation research on national ICT adoption strategies was supported by a National Science Foundation grant.