Nick Maynard serves as the Co-founder and CEO of US Ignite, where he leads the organization in its mission to accelerate technological innovation and strengthen regional economic development. In his previous role as COO, Maynard was instrumental in building out the US Ignite Communities program and in establishing the Smart Bases program. He also wrote a white paper on smart transportation that was incorporated into the Biden infrastructure plan, which is now a $500M DOT smart cities program funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Prior to US Ignite, Nick was a Program Director at the National Science Foundation, where he helped launch national advanced wireless research and technology accelerator programs. He was also the Assistant Director at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where he launched a Federal R&D portfolio that included more than $1B in new programs, including a photonics testbed foundry and President Obama’s ConnectHome program of free broadband for public housing students. Previously, Nick was a member of the National Broadband Taskforce at the FCC, where he created a public-private partnership to offer technology training to small businesses in low-income communities. Nick also spent ten years in the telecom industry, consulting with leading global carriers and vendors on next-gen networks and services. Nick received his BA and MA from the University of Chicago and a Public Policy PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.