# Ken Banks

Ken Banks (born 1966) is a British social entrepreneur and author. He is the creator FrontlineSMS, a mobile messaging platform that allows communication in areas with limited internet access worldwide. He is also the founder of Kiwanja.net, an NGO dedicated to the use of mobile technology for social and environmental change, with a particular focus on Africa.

## Early life and education

Banks was born in 1966 in Jersey, Channel Islands. Banks attended Hautlieu School and Highlands College. In 1995, he attended his undergraduate degree at the University of Sussex, studying social anthropology and development studies, graduating in 1999.

## Career

In 2001, Banks became a project manager at CERCOPAN in Nigeria. His time there was cut short by a traffic accident in Calabar in 2002, after which he returned to Jersey to recover. During this period, Banks was approached by Fauna and Flora International (FFI), an international conservation organization, and his work there lead to the launch of the Wildlive! Mobile Portal in December 2003. The initiative provided images, animal sounds, conservation-themed games, and live news to Vodafone subscribers.
In 2003, Banks founded kiwanja.net, an NGO dedicated to the use of mobile technology for social and environmental change, with a particularly focus on Africa. In 2004, Banks was approached by Kruger National Park officials in South Africa, asking for a solution to update Bushbuckridge community members on changes in the park using their mobile phones. This inspired him to develop FrontlineSMS, a platform that sends and receives text messages (SMS) via mobile phones without requiring internet access, in 2005.

## FrontlineSMS

FrontlineSMS was used by a Nigerian organization called Humanitarian Emancipation Lead Project (HELP) to assist Nigerians in reporting on their 2007 national elections. The BBC ran a story, Texts monitor Nigerian elections, mentioning FrontlineSMS. User downloads and global interest accelerated as a result. In 2009, Banks started a two-year FrontlineSMS Ambassadors Programme with the Clinton Foundation. FrontlineSMS received partnerships and supports from numerous international donors including the MacArthur Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, Open Society Initiative, Rockefeller Foundation, and Omidyar Network, among others.

## Additional career

In 2012, Banks launched Means of Exchange, a project aimed at rebuilding local communities through technology. One of the first initiatives was a "cash mob" during the London Olympics.
In 2012, Banks stepped down from the day-to-day running of FrontlineSMS, handing leadership to Laura Walker Hudson and Sean McDonald, respectively. He transitioned to the role of Chair of the Board, and in 2015, he took on new positions, including Entrepreneur in Residence at CARE International and Visiting Fellow at RMIT University in Melbourne.

## Other considerations

In 2011, Banks was invited to join the UK Prime Minister’s delegation to the Africa.

## Books

Banks has authored three books:
* The Rise of the Reluctant Innovator (2013).
* Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation (2016).
* The Pursuit of Purpose (2022).

## Impact

Banks's work with FrontlineSMS and kiwanja.net, has impact on the use of technology for development and social change, particularly in under-resourced regions.

## Recognitions

* 2011: The Antonio Pizzigati Prize for Software in the Public Interest Award by Tides Foundation.
* 2011: Frontline SMS awarded Curry Stone Design Prize by Curry Stone Foundation.
* 2016: The ACM Eugene L. Lawler Award by Association for Computing Machinery.