About Meta Mesh

Who We Are

Meta Mesh Wireless Communities is a mission-driven nonprofit Wireless Internet Service Provider.

Since 2015, we’ve worked to bridge Southwest PA’s digital divide by providing Internet directly to those without access. We collaborate with local agencies and organizations that already work with underserved communities to cover the cost of our services. We also receive donations from partners and foundations who believe in our mission.

Our goal is to get broadband Internet to those who need it, without burdening them with a monthly bill. This approach is popular around the world, but has rarely been done on a large scale in the United States!

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In the City of Pittsburgh, nearly 23% of people do not have in-home Internet access. To live and work in today’s digital society, it is essential to have access to the Internet. In the 21st Century, reliable Internet access is no longer a luxury – it is a necessity, and a right.

Our Vision

A Southwest PA where everyone has fast, reliable, and private access to the Internet.

Our Values

  • Inclusion – We support people in under-served communities by addressing the critical need for affordable Internet access. We also created a glossary of terms and FAQ section to translate “tech talk” into concepts that everyone can understand.

  • Transparency – We ensure the public can view our progress and see metrics of our success.

  • Stewardship – We organize existing neighborhood resources to maintain and monitor good connectivity for the public benefit.

  • Equity – We embody equal opportunity through a not-for-profit model that requires low up-front investment from communities and low or no monthly fees for individual households. The income from these costs goes directly back into the operations of our organization to maintain and expand the network.

  • Sustainability – We develop and install a complete Internet connectivity solution for our neighbors’ needs. We gather grant funds for the initial build-out, and then we assist neighborhoods in creating sustainable community-oriented methods for covering any maintenance costs that arise after installation.

  • Empowerment – We share our knowledge by creating high-quality educational and administrative resources that can be used freely by anyone to build their own WiFi network.

Our Team

Sam Garfinkel – Executive Director

Sam transitioned to the role of Interim Executive Director in February 2021 as Meta Mesh scaled up capacity to address Pittsburgh’s growing Digital Divide. With deep roots in Pittsburgh, Sam graduated with her Master’s in Rhetoric from Carnegie Mellon University in 2020. Sam brings her commitment to transparency, her attention to detail, and her expertise in organizational workflow to the role.

Colby Hollabaugh – Operations Manager

As Operations Manager, Colby brings a diverse background to serve the organization’s mission goals and objectives. Colby focuses on optimizing organizational processes to help create long-term sustainability in both funding and operations. Outside of digital inclusion, Colby is a passionate environmentalist and outdoor enthusiast. During his off time, you will find Colby with his family exploring Pittsburgh’s local forests and rivers.

Evan McCann – Project Manager

Evan is our Project Manager and in-house Network Engineer. He designs and executes the technical elements of Meta Mesh’s WISP. While attending to the logistics of our project goals, he also provides network maintenance and upgrades to our infrastructure.

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Benjamin Bondy — Field Installer

As field installer, Ben brings with him a background in IT support and field operations to Meta Mesh Wireless Communities. With experience in a customer facing technical service as well as field technician training, Ben seeks to make technology both accessible to all and understandable by all regardless of prior experience level.

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Heidi Norman, President

Acting Director & CIO at City of Pittsburgh, Innovation & Performance

Stan Waddell, Vice President

Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, Carnegie Mellon University

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Beau Chapell, Secretary

Digital Navigator Program Architect, Computer Reach

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Laura Everhart, Treasurer

Associate Director, Development at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science

Mark D. Henderson

Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer, University of Pittsburgh

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Sascha Meinrath

Palmer Chair in Telecommunications at Penn State University

 
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Knowledge Build Hudson

Government Relations Liaison & Special Projects Coordinator, Housing Authority

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Colin Dean

Software Engineer, Target. Former President of MMWC Board of Directors.

 

Technical Advisory Board

 

Jacob Driggs – Network and Systems Designer

Jake is a Network and Systems Designer. He is a member of our Technical Advisory Board, a group of dedicated IT professionals who volunteer their time to refine and tune our networking capabilities. He graduated from Penn State University with a special interest in Industrial Management.

 

Interested in joining or volunteering? Contact us!