The idea that a solopreneur who designs clothing or roasts coffee or builds custom bikes could give a bigger brand a run for its money is not just a possibility – it’s happening. That’s because technological innovations are making it easier than ever before for small businesses to compete in crowded markets. From creating full-service websites to accepting payments on their phones, engaging with customers via social media to completing tax paperwork in a snap, technology enables entrepreneurs to spend more time doing what they love and delighting their customers.
So we’re thrilled to announce that GoDaddy has joined the MIT Media Lab to explore technologies that will, in the future, provide small businesses with new and better ways to achieve success.
GoDaddy joins the Media Lab as a Consortia Lab Member and will also provide a gift to the Media Lab's Social Computing research group, led by Associate Professor Sep Kamvar. The Social Computing group develops computational tools to foster robust, decentralized, human-scale social systems. According to GoDaddy CEO Blake Irving:
“This collaboration with the MIT Media Lab will complement our current innovation efforts within the technology ecosystem. There are more than 230 million small businesses in the world right now, and we look forward to combining the power of big data with insights gained from the Social Computing team’s research in ways that will one day offer small businesses new and better ways to achieve success.”
GoDaddy is particularly interested in the myriad new ways small businesses and organizations — from local flower shops to schools — can leverage technology and each other to succeed. With nearly 13 million customers, we’re already empowering one of the biggest small business communities in the world.
"We are pleased to welcome GoDaddy into the Media Lab family," said Media Lab Director Joi Ito. "We look forward to the collaboration, and to expanding the ways we explore human-scale systems that help to empower people, communities and businesses."
Want to learn more? You can read the full press release here.
