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Colin Rhinesmith
Associate Director and Director, Community Informatics Lab at Simmons University iSchool
Professional Background
Colin Rhinesmith is an esteemed academic and thought leader in the fields of media arts, library science, and information access. Currently serving as an Associate Professor at Simmons University, he has cultivated a robust academic and professional career that spans over several prestigious institutions and organizations. With a rich background in community media and technology, Colin has made significant contributions to the understanding of broadband access and its impact on society through his role as a Senior Faculty Research Fellow at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society.
Before his position at Simmons University, Colin honed his skills and expertise through various academic roles, including Assistant Professor at Simmons University and Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma, where he shared his vast knowledge with students and young professionals. Colin's engagement with the academic community continued at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, where he served as a Faculty Associate. It was here that he delved deep into the intersections of technology, society, and policy, helping shape discourse on critical digital issues.
With an impressive research background, Colin has also held pivotal roles such as Digital Media Producer at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School and Google Policy Fellow at New America. In these capacities, he has been at the forefront of discussions surrounding media policy, digital equity, and the importance of broadband access in an increasingly digital world.
Education and Achievements
Colin Rhinesmith's academic foundation is robust and dynamic, reflecting his commitment to understanding and researching the critical issues surrounding media arts and information access. He completed his Ph.D. in Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he explored themes related to community media, digital literacy, and the evolving landscape of information science. Prior to his doctoral studies, Colin obtained both his M.A. and B.A. in Media Arts from Emerson College, where his passion for media production and its societal implications began to take shape.
In addition to his academic qualifications, Colin's participation in various research projects and initiatives has further solidified his reputation as a leader in his field. His work emphasizes the importance of community engagement in technology initiatives, ensuring that diverse voices are heard in discussions around media access and policy. Colin’s supported research and teaching have earned both the respect of his peers and the admiration of students who value his insights into media literacy and technology policy.
Notable Achievements
Colin’s dedication to furthering the discourse on media access and education has led to numerous accomplishments throughout his career. As a Senior Faculty Research Fellow at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, he has taken significant strides in advocating for equitable broadband access, an essential service for contemporary society. His focus on education and community engagement within this space highlights his belief in technology as a fundamental right rather than a privilege.
As part of his commitment to academic excellence and public service, Colin has actively contributed to various committees and working groups aimed at improving information access and digital equity, driving essential conversations around the intersections of media, technology, and society. His multifaceted experience and nuanced understanding of these complex issues continue to inform his teaching and research, making him a respected authority in his areas of expertise.
In addition, Colin’s work has extended to engaging with various audiences through lectures, consultations, and community programs. His ability to translate complex ideas into accessible concepts allows him to connect with a broader community, fostering discussions that are crucial to understanding the role of technology in our lives. Colin Rhinesmith's commitment to education, research, and community engagement underscores his influential role in reshaping the contemporary landscape of media and technology.
tags':['Colin Rhinesmith','Associate Professor','Media Arts','Library and Information Science','Benton Institute','Digital Equity','Community Media','Technology Policy','Harvard University','Simmons University','Berkman Klein Center','Ph.D.','University of Illinois'],
:['How did Colin Rhinesmith develop his expertise in media arts and library science?','What are Colin Rhinesmith's views on the future of broadband access in society?','In what ways has Colin Rhinesmith contributed to discussions around digital equity and community engagement?','What motivated Colin Rhinesmith to pursue a Ph.D. in Library and Information Science?','How has Colin Rhinesmith’s academic background infl
Highlights
Online event with Bailey Hoffner next Tuesday at the Metropolitan New York Library Council: "Slowing Down For Metadata Justice: On Learning To Trust Our Bodies And Ourselves"
Tuesday, July 9th from 11:00am to 12:00pm
Indebted to the work of Black women writers Audre Lorde, Angela Davis, and Tricia Hersey, and the continued efforts of library workers from Sandy Berman to Emily Drabinski, this session from Bailey Hoffner will explore why slowing down is not only a viable approach to metadata justice work, but the only sustainable approach allowing us the restful space necessary to: see, understand, and subvert the structural discrimination built into our information systems; imagine and create new systems; truly trust ourselves.
Attendees can expect to:
Understand the necessary steps toward creating an individual and/or group framework for metadata justice, including the essential place of a non-punitive grievance process. Identify how the persistent fear of scrutiny can contribute to our inability to slow down, if we don’t take the essential first steps of grounding ourselves in our principles Assess if they have taken the time and the care to truly consider the impacts of their work
Register here:
📢 📢 📢 Calling all libraries that work with digital inclusion or equity coalitions!
Please share your experiences in this 5-10 minute survey (https://lnkd.in/epGvzQb9) about your library's experience working with a local, regional, or statewide coalition working to advance digital equity.
Findings from the study will be shared back with you (if you choose to include your name and email address), as well as in my book on Digital Equity Ecosystems for the University of California Press. Thank you!
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Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
- Comprehensive Contact Management: Automatically collects contact data and enriches profiles to keep them up-to-date
- Network Strength: Visualizes the strength of your relationships relative to others in your network
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
- Home Feed: Displays updates about your network including job changes, news mentions, and birthdays
- Groups: Organizes contacts into meaningful categories
- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Mesh is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Mesh as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Mesh offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Mesh takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Mesh encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Mesh work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Mesh is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Mesh offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Mesh offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Mesh for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Mesh accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Mesh offers extensive integration capabilities. Mesh introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Mesh supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Mesh also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
Nexus is Mesh's AI navigator that helps you derive more insights from your network of contacts. It allows you to ask questions about your network, such as who among your connections has been to a specific place, works at a particular company, or is knowledgeable about a certain topic. Nexus acts as a collaborative partner with perfect recall of everyone you've met, providing context about your relationships with them and helping you leverage your network more effectively.
Mesh makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Mesh's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
Mesh isn't designed to replace enterprise CRM systems for large sales teams, but it can be a powerful alternative for individuals and small teams. Many people use Mesh instead of Salesforce, Hubspot, and Pipedrive. Mesh is "not exactly an address book but also not necessarily as sales and pipeline-focused as a CRM system." The founders refer to their app as a "home for your people," carving out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. For solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small teams focused on relationship quality rather than sales pipelines, Mesh can absolutely serve as your primary relationship management tool.
Mesh is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
Mesh's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Mesh has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Mesh a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Mesh's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Mesh's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Mesh has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Mesh's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Mesh as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Mesh eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.