During the ceremony i2Coalition announced the award will also be named after recipient, referred to as “Ron Yokubaitis Award for Internet Community Leadership” in subsequent years
AUSTIN, Texas — June 15, 2016 — Data Foundry and Golden Frog Co-CEO Ron Yokubaitis received the i2Coalition’s first Internet Community Leadership Award at the Smarter Internet Forum yesterday in Philadelphia, PA. Due to his noteworthy advocacy for Internet privacy and open Internet legislation over the past decade, the i2Coaltion announced during the ceremony that the award will be known as the “Ron Yokubaitis Internet Community Leadership Award.” The Texas Internet entrepreneur and his wife Carolyn Yokubaitis have established several successful Internet and tech companies in Texas and around the world.
The award recognizes the groundbreaking work Ron has done for the Internet over the years. This work started back in 1994 when, after recognizing the lack of Internet access options for those who were not government employees or students, Ron and his wife Carolyn co-founded one of the first 50 ISPs in the United States – Texas.net. Focused on providing Internet services dedicated to customer privacy and security, Ron and Carolyn’s investments in Internet businesses have grown and expanded into multiple businesses since then. These businesses include Giganews, the world’s leading Usenet provider, Data Foundry, a global provider of data center colocation and disaster recovery services, and Golden Frog, a company that develops applications and servers that preserve an open and secure Internet experience while respecting user privacy.
“Ron Yokubaitis is a digital pioneer – an entrepreneur that has been fighting since the birth of the commercial Internet to make sure that it stays free and open. When i2Coalition was created to speak for the Internet’s infrastructure, we stepped into a field where one bold, strong voice already existed, and that was Ron. I am proud to make him the first recipient of i2Coalition’s award for Internet Community Leadership,” said i2Coalition Founder and Executive Director, Christian Dawson.
Ron Yokubaitis’ work is far from over, as he continues to advocate for a free and open Internet experience for all, both in the United States and around the world. Learn more about his vision for a free and open Internet by reading “Peace, Prosperity and the Case for the Open Internet” vision paper located at: www.goldenfrog.com/vision.
About Golden Frog
Golden Frog is a global service provider committed to developing applications and services that preserve an open and secure Internet, a mission that continues to grow in importance as users across the world face privacy threats. With users in over 195 countries, Golden Frog owns and operates server clusters in North America, Europe, South America, Asia and Oceania. Golden Frog owns and manages 100% of its own servers, hardware and global network to ensure the highest levels of security, privacy and service delivery. Golden Frog offers a comprehensive reseller program that provides the best VPN service and deals to resellers and their customers. The company also offers VyprVPN for Business to protect company communications, identity and data, and secure employees’ Internet connections in the office or on the road.