I’ve joined the board of trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation. This entity is the parent organization of all the “Wiki” projects such as Wikipedia and other free-knowledge projects.

The activities of the Wikimedia Foundation represent one of the most important projects in the history of civilization.

Having helped democratize computing with Apple and currently helping to democratize design with Canva, how could I resist the opportunity to democratize knowledge with Wikimedia?

The Wikimedia Board of trustees has ten members. Can it get much cooler than helping Wikimedia change the world?

“Guy grasps what really moves people,” said Lila Tretikov, Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director. “His passion for extraordinary experiences is a perfect fit for Wikipedia’s remarkable mission. I am confident this will be an incredible collaboration.”

Press Release

Guy Kawasaki joins Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees

San Francisco — March 24, 2015 — Today, the Wikimedia Foundation announced the newest member of its Board of Trustees, Guy Kawasaki. Guy is a noted entrepreneur, writer, and speaker. He currently serves as chief evangelist of Canva, an online, graphic-design service, and as an executive fellow of Haas Business School at the University of California, Berkeley.

“There are few projects in the history of the world that can have the long-term impact of Wikimedia.” said Guy. “The democratization of knowledge that Wikimedia stands for has been a long time in the coming, and I relish applying my passion and experience to this amazing mission.”

“Guy joins the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees at an exciting time,” said Jan-Bart de Vreede, Wikimedia Foundation board chair. “We have great opportunities ahead, and Guy brings a wealth of experience and perspective as we look to that future.”

Prior to joining Canva, Guy served as special advisor to the CEO of the Motorola business unit of Google. He is perhaps most widely known for his time at Apple, where he developed and popularized the concept of “secular evangelism” for Apple’s brand, culture, and products as the firm’s chief evangelist. Guy will continue in his full-time role as chief evangelist of Canva.

Guy is a New York Times bestselling author of books such as The Art of the Start 2.0, The Art of Social Media, Enchantment, and ten other books about change, innovation, marketing, and disruption. He gives more than fifty keynote speeches a year and is a frequent public commentator on subjects such as innovation, enchantment, social media, evangelism, and entrepreneurship.

“Guy grasps what really moves people,” said Lila Tretikov, Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director. “His passion for extraordinary experiences is a perfect fit for Wikipedia’s remarkable mission. I am confident this will be an incredible collaboration.”

Guy holds an MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a BA from Stanford University. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Guy is an American who resides with his family in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Please see the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees for a complete biography of Guy Kawasaki.

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