Gov 3.0: Collaboration of DC, Silicon Valley and Silicon Harlem
SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 28, 2015 - Today, leading chat-as-a-service company Frankly Inc. (TSX VENTURE: TLK) ("Frankly"), the office of Congressman Charles Rangel, and the organization Silicon Harlem will announce a technology partnership to introduce a new way for constituents to connect with their district's representatives. The announcement will take place at Silicon Harlem's May 28th event, Tech Talk with Charlie and His Friends. Additionally, Harrison Shih, Vice President of Product and Marketing at Frankly, will join Silicon Harlem's board as a technical advisor.
At the event, Congressman Rangel and Shih will introduce an initiative in which Frankly will power a mobile and web messaging experience to connect constituents of New York's 13th congressional district to one another and open a direct line of communication with Congressman Rangel. At that time, they will announce a beta version for the event attendees to participate in a digital dialogue around the tech talk's topics: the future of work, entrepreneurship, and technical innovation in the district. With the participation of Silicon Harlem's community, Frankly and the Congressman will expand programming and functionality to support various types of conversations, including digital town halls with the Congressman around key issues.
As the second most senior member of the U.S Congress, Congressman Rangel has a track record of being a first mover in politics since he began his first term in 1971. He is a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and made history as the first African-American to chair the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. Congressman Rangel is active on social media and in 2011 was the first legislator to use a mobile app, which allowed his constituents to review bills, check his voting record, and contact him directly.
A Harlem native and the dean of New York politics for over forty years, Congressman Rangel has supported efforts to foster local innovation in technology with initiatives like free wifi installation, app development competitions, and startup incubator spaces.
"I believe in the power of technology to reach my constituents, hear their needs, and share in their visions for the future. This bicoastal, private-public partnership with Silicon Harlem and Frankly is part of my efforts to usher in a new era of the Harlem renaissance. With Frankly's unique technology, we can empower our community by connecting stakeholders and facilitating innovative discussions with one another as well as with industry and elected leaders," says Congressman Rangel.
Frankly has partnered with top consumer brands, like Victoria's Secret PINK in retail and the Sacramento Kings NBA team in sports. These brands added Frankly's messaging technology to their mobile apps to create a space for fans to discuss similar interests. This partnership with Congressman Rangel will mark Frankly's entry into the political arena.
"We look forward to working with Congressman Rangel, one of the most respected and forward-thinking public officials, to show how mobile messaging can spark inclusive conversations to change the way people participate in democracy," says Steve Chung, founder and CEO of Frankly.
"Frankly shares the Congressman's staunch support of entrepreneurship and his passion for developing diverse voices in technology and communities at large. Together, we hope to uncover new ways to organize people and innovate in the public sector," says Shih.
This partnership includes early support from Silicon Harlem, an organization with a mission to galvanize upper Manhattan companies and residents to transform Harlem into America's next Silicon Valley. With Shih on their board of advisors, the organizations aim to build a bridge between coasts to connect the Harlem tech community with opportunities, resources, and ideas from Silicon Valley.
"Bringing Harrison Shih from Frankly onto our board will give us a unique edge and allow us to tap his experiences building and marketing products for a host of successful tech companies. We are excited to bridge the creative energy of our Uptown community to the entrepreneurial spirit and tech culture of the west coast," says Clayton Banks, co-founder and Executive Director of Silicon Harlem.
About Frankly: Frankly is a next-generation chat-as-a-service platform that lets consumer brands build fan communities, engage their users directly, and join the conversation--right in their mobile app experiences. With Frankly's Chat SDK, brands can quickly plug in powerful, customizable technology to unlock the power of mobile messaging on their own platform and access conversations that matter to their business and their users. Based in San Francisco, California, Frankly was founded in 2013 and is publicly traded under ticker TLK on Canada's TSX Venture Exchange. Partners include Victoria's Secret and the Sacramento Kings. To learn more, please visit www.franklyinc.com or email press@franklyinc.com.
About Silicon Harlem: Silicon Harlem is known as the uptown place to be, where people come together to network around technology, entrepreneurship, music, arts and culture, social innovation and urban environmentalism. Visit siliconharlem.net for more information.
About Congressman Charles B. Rangel: A veteran Member of Congress who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1971, Congressman Rangel currently represents New York's Thirteenth Congressional District, which includes Upper Manhattan and part of the Bronx. At age 85, Congressman Rangel is tech savvy; he texts with emoticons on his iPhone 6 Plus and carries his iPad everywhere to Google information about everyone and everything. Congressman Rangel recognizes the value of technology and has been recognized by the press as one of the most active Members of Congress in social media. He believes that with its prime location in New York City and dozens of colleges nearby, Harlem can become the next tech hub in America. Follow him at @cbrangel or visit Rangel.House.gov
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Notice regarding forward-looking statements:
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Congressman Rangel, Silicon Harlem and Frankly and their respective organizations. Forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release, such as user and community engagement, may not occur by certain specified dates or at all and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting the parties. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Frankly undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.
Contact Information:
Office of Congressman Charles B. Rangel
Hannah Kim
202-225-4365
Hannah.Kim@mail.house.gov
Silicon Harlem
Clayton Banks
Frankly Inc.
Erin Lumley
Frankly PR
925-899-1355
SOURCE: Frankly Inc.
