Kimberly A. Bassett, Executive Director

Kimberly A. Bassett is the Executive Director of The Wireless Foundation. In this role, she is responsible for the Foundation’s charitable programs that enhance America’s communities through wireless technology.  Most recently, Ms. Bassett has helped to launch an unprecedented, public-private partnership, text4baby, a free mobile health service for expectant mothers. This award-winning initiative, involving stakeholders from the White House to community health workers across the country, demonstrates the wireless industry’s commitment to giving every child a chance at a healthy start and a safe and nurturing environment in which to grow.

Ms. Bassett joined The Wireless Foundation after having served as Director of External Affairs for Verizon Washington, DC, where she was responsible for community engagement, government relations, employee advocacy and management of the Verizon Foundation. She worked as the Director of Programs and Partnerships for The Stephen Case Foundation, an initiative to bridge the digital divide in underserved communities. Kimberly served as a presidential appointee in the Clinton Administration under U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley, in the America Reads Challenge, a four-year national campaign to promote the importance of all children reading well and independently by the end of the 3rd grade.  She has also worked in many other capacities within the Democratic Party.

In her spare time, Kimberly Bassett serves on the boards of the Family Online Safety Institute, Web Wise Kids, The Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering High School Foundation and the Step Afrika Dance Company.

Ms. Bassett holds a Bachelor of Arts from North Carolina Central University and a Master of Arts from North Carolina A&T State University.

Ben Burkhardt, Manager, Programs

Ben Burkhardt is The Wireless Foundation’s Manager of Programs. He coordinates Wireless AMBER Alerts, Call to Protect, and other programs. Ben joined the Foundation in 2007 , after working as Program Coordinator for the Eye Bank Association of America where he managed education and training programs for ophthalmologists and tissue donation technicians. Before that, Ben worked as Information Analyst at Abt Associates, a research and consulting firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Ben has a Bachelor of Science from Guilford College and graduated from the Hopkins-Nanjing Center of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Ben enjoys bicycling, camping, gardening, and being outdoors whenever possible. He is an active volunteer with Everybody Wins!, a literacy mentorship program as well as Miriam’s Kitchen, a homeless shelter in downtown DC.

Brandt Sherman, Manager, Programs

Brandt Sherman is the Manager of Programs for The Wireless Foundation. As manager, he is responsible for the day to day operations of the Foundation’s philanthropic programs. Before joining The Wireless Foundation in July of 2010, Brandt spent a year in Sydney, Australia working for Pickles Auctions, the largest auction house in Australia. Brandt was the National Operations Coordinator, where he was responsible for leadership of many special project teams, cost/benefit analysis of company procedures to improve productivity, and the development and implementation of a company-wide mentoring program.

Brandt graduated from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor’s degree in economics.