Internet Changemakers

In the seventh episode of Internet Changemakers, hosts Claire van Zwieten and Noha Ashraf AbdelBaky sit down with Alejandra Stolk to unpack one of the most tangible questions people have about the Internet: why is my connection so expensive—and is it worth the cost? Alejandra, an alumna of both the ISOC Mid-Career and Community Fellowships, is president of the Internet Society’s Venezuela Chapter and network connectivity manager at the University of the Andes. She guides listeners through how geography, infrastructure, policy, and market dynamics all shape what appears on the monthly Internet bill.​ Alejandra explains the Internet using the analogy of a highway built from routers, switches, and devices, where every segment—from global backbones to the “last mile” into homes—has a price tag attached. She outlines how costs vary depending on whether a community is served by fiber optics, wireless links, or satellite.  She also explains why areas with only one or two Internet Service Providers (ISPs) often face higher prices and poorer service due to limited competition and difficult terrain. From mountainous regions in the Andes to dense urban centers like London, she illustrates how physical geography and local economics intersect to raise or lower connectivity costs.​Looking ahead, she calls for future internet leaders who are more gender-diverse, grounded in both technical and policy awareness, and ready to defend encryption, openness, and resilience against attempts to fragment or weaken the network. 

In the sixth episode of Internet Changemakers, hosts Claire van Zwieten and Yug Desai sit down with Craig Newmark, the quietly influential founder of craigslist, a global classified advertisements website, and a major advocate for cybersecurity, journalism, and digital resilience. Known for his values-driven approach, Craig shares the story behind one of the Internet’s most enduring classified platforms, revealing how his vision was shaped by trust, community, and a commitment to the common good.Craig traces his journey from his first encounter with the ARPANET in the 1970s to the launch of craigslist as a simple, community-focused mailing list in the 1990s. He explains how the platform grew organically, rooted in the philosophy of treating people the way he wanted to be treated—a principle inspired by his early life and Sunday school values. Craigslist’s intentionally simple design, low barriers to access, and focus on user service over profit set it apart in an age increasingly dominated by dark patterns and aggressive monetization. Craig discusses his transition from running craigslist to leading major philanthropic efforts, including funding cybersecurity initiatives, supporting military families, and helping create the Cyber Resilience Corps. He also talks about the importance of building networks of networks—coalitions of goodwill that can fight back against cyber threats and strengthen the Internet’s social fabric.CONSIDER A DONATIONThe Internet is no longer optional — it’s vital to lives and livelihoods. Yet 2.6 billion people remain unconnected, and it’s being fragmented along national borders, threatening innovation and global progress. Online security fears are rising fast.The stakes are high. Help bridge the digital divide and defend a global, open Internet for everyone by donating today: https://donorportal.internetsociety.org/page/2025EOY

In the fifth episode of Internet Changemakers, hosts Noha Ashraf AbdelBaky and Claire van Zwieten sit down with Kim Ochs, PhD., an educator and researcher specializing in lifelong learning and education technology, and Isaac Carrasco Ortiz, a sociologist and digital literacy advocate, to explore how the Internet connects—and often divides—different generations. This episode, The Digital Age Divide, underscores that the nternet is a shared space across ages—one that thrives when everyone feels empowered to participate with curiosity, confidence, and care.Isaac shares how his journey into digital literacy work began unexpectedly through community teaching with older adults in Massachusetts. It’s one thing to work with older adults. It’s another thing to teach technology. But it’s a third thing entirely to teach olderadults about technology. Through that work, he discovered the importance of confidence, empathy, and cross-generational understanding in shaping how people connect online.Kim offers a framework for understanding digital literacy and draws on her experience teaching multigenerational classrooms to challenge the idea that digital literacy is tied to age. We often assume young people are skilled and older adults are not, but bothgroups are incredibly diverse. It has more to do with context, confidence, and motivationthan chronology.The conversation also takes on the urgent issue of trust and safety online, especially for older generations navigating scams, misinformation, and privacy threats. Both guests emphasize that security skills are an essential dimension of digital literacy and agreethat building digital confidence—through mentorship, community programs, and intergenerational collaboration—is key to a safer, more inclusive Internet. The guests call for stakeholders to engage together and work towards a new digital human synchronicity, where learning and adaptation are seen as lifelong processes, not bound by generational stereotypes. LINKS /RESOURCESAmeriCorpsBridging the Grey Digital Divide: Enhancing ICT Learning for Older Adults (UNESCO)Digitally Empowering Older Adults in Mexico (ISOC Mexico Chapter)Generation definitionsGeragogyLaura Breeden, Internet Hall of Fame Inductee 2023Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging and IndependenceNational Digital Inclusion AllianceWeb Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)CONSIDER A DONATIONThe Internet is no longer optional — it’s vital to lives and livelihoods. Yet 2.6 billion people remain unconnected, and it’s being fragmented along national borders, threatening innovation and global progress. Online security fears are rising fast.The stakes are high. Help bridge the digital divide and defend a global, open Internet for everyone by donating today: https://donorportal.internetsociety.org/page/2025EOY

In the fourth episode of Internet Changemakers, hosts Claire van Zwieten and Yug Desai explore the science and strategy behind Internet measurement—how we track outages, latency, and even hidden surveillance across the global Internet ecosystem. Joined by leading researchers Dr. Alexander Gamero-Garrido (Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Davis) and Anand Raje (Co-Founder and CTO, India Internet Foundation (IIFON)), the conversation uncovers how data and measurement are shaping a more open, resilient, and secure Internet for everyone. Both guests emphasize that data-driven storytelling is essential for the Internet’s future. Whether highlighting unstable local connections, revealing how certain regions are left digitally dependent on faraway servers, or equipping policymakers with evidence to craft and enforce regulations, measurement is the key to transparency and resilience. In summary, Episode 4 makes clear: the Internet’s true state is hidden in vast streams of data. Measurement is how we find the truth, tell the stories, and build a digital world fit for the future. CONSIDER A DONATIONThe Internet is no longer optional — it’s vital to lives and livelihoods. Yet 2.6 billion people remain unconnected, and it’s being fragmented along national borders, threatening innovation and global progress. Online security fears are rising fast.The stakes are high. Help bridge the digital divide and defend a global, open Internet for everyone by donating today: https://donorportal.internetsociety.org/page/2025EOY 

In the third episode of Internet Changemakers, hosts Claire van Zwieten and Noha Ashraf AbdelBaky explore the human stories and technical realities of Internet connectivity with guests Cedrick Mbeyet and Lito Ibarra, often called the “father of the Internet in El Salvador.” Together, they unpack what it really means to be connected—not just as a technological achievement, but as a social and cultural milestone. The discussion spotlights the persistent global challenge of unequal access. For millions, getting online remains a daily struggle—one shaped by geography, economics, and policy. Yet, as Cedrick reminds us, connectivity is more than infrastructure: “Moving from the source to the destination includes so many things that we don’t take into consideration.”This episode clearly shows how innovation, collaboration, and resilience are helping bridge the digital divide and why connectivity must be seen not only as a technical resource but also as a driver of inclusion, opportunity, and community empowerment.CONSIDER A DONATIONThe Internet is no longer optional — it’s vital to lives and livelihoods. Yet 2.6 billion people remain unconnected, and it’s being fragmented along national borders, threatening innovation and global progress. Online security fears are rising fast.The stakes are high. Help bridge the digital divide and defend a global, open Internet for everyone by donating today: https://donorportal.internetsociety.org/page/2025EOY