Localocracy, an online company launched by three former University of Massachusetts students that enables its users to become more involved with local issues, was acquired last week by the Huffington Post Media Group (HPMG), an organization that publishes news, blogs and other content on the Internet.
The company was founded in 2009 by Conor White-Sullivan, 23, and Aaron Soules, 25, who were at the time UMass students. They were then joined by lead engineer Jay Boice, 32, who also went to UMass..
“It’s very exciting,” said Soules of the acquisition. “[The Huffington Post] acquired the company, meaning they paid cash for it. The three of us are now employees of the Huffington Post. It’s a really unique place to be right now because the amount of traffic that they have.” Soules could not say how much they were paid.
According to its website, the basic premise of Localocracy is to give members of communities the ability to express and discuss their views on issues concerning their community, and communicate with local government.
The company strives to give citizens the chance to learn about what issues are pressing in their communities and find out their neighbors’ opinions and perspectives. Localocracy users are registered voters using their real names. They can ask questions aimed at their neighbors and at members of local government.
“Our methodology is simple: we believe that everyone is an expert about something, so we want to give voice to that expertise and allow an exchange of ideas for all to see and participate in,” said White-Sullivan and Soules in a joint statement in a press release issued by AOL – the parent company of HPMG – last week.
According to Soules, Localocracy, which was formed while he was still a student, was very well-received in the UMass community.
“What we have learned with Localocracy is that by harnessing user-generated content, we’re able to unleash a lot of people power,” White-Sullivan and Soules added in the statement.
HPMG announced on Oct. 3 that it was acquiring Localocracy, and that the three founding team members would be joining its group, working to help community members connect with one another and have an outlet in which to discuss important issues.
“I’m delighted to announce that Conor White-Sullivan, Aaron Soules and Jay Boice are joining our team,” said Arianna Huffington, the founder of the Huffington Post, in a press release. “They’re pioneers in using the Web to empower citizens to improve their towns, and their unique vision and talents will enable us to deepen our users’ engagement with our sites.”
On the subject of working with HPMG, White-Sullivan and Soules said in the release: “We’re excited to be teaming up with The Huffington Post Media Group, a leader in social news and user engagement, and look forward to pushing the boundaries of what can be done when combining journalism and technology for the common good.”
Steffi Porter can be reached at [email protected].
