A digital champion is someone who acts as a catalyst for technology-enabled change. In an unofficial capacity they have been with us for a while: they are the person we turn to when we need help resetting our smartphone, the person who always seems to know the latest and best apps, the people for which technology just seems to ‘work’.

Without getting too dramatic they are the beacons of hope in a world where technology is everywhere.

More recently, the role of the digital champion has become increasingly formalised. The first official digital champion was Martha Lane Fox (the founder of LastMinute.com) who was engaged by the UK government in 2010 to drive efficiency of government services by encouraging people to go online. Now every member of the EU has there own digital champion and this has, in turn, created a movement of community based digital champion programs across Europe and the rest of the world.

Although each of these programs is unique, they all involve people helping other people increase efficiency and improve quality of life through the better use of digital technology.