Richard's passion for using technology to empower people has spanned more than 3 decades. In 2009, it took root in the social networking sphere with Democrasoft’s introduction of the cloud-based Collaborize platform, enabling groups with common purpose to come together online, in topic-based collaboration groups. Collaborize gave birth to Collaborize Classroom, a multi-award-winning “blended-learning” solution for students of all ages. The Collaborize Classroom Topic Library (www.CollaborizeClassroom.com), is the largest repository of structured, topic-based, collaborative lessons in the world, having server over 75,000 educators worldwide..Richard is a self-described “inventrapreneur,” whose multiple U.S. and international patents (and other intellectual property) have, over the course of more than 30 years, been the basis for far-reaching innovations in media delivery, education and effective online collaboration. One patented innovation, the WeJIT, has already revolutionizing the publishing world by enabling instant community and collaboration between authors, readers and potential readers, directly from within e-books. WeJITs can be embedded in almost any digital application or platform (see - http://bit.ly/1OvqjZV). Richard's long-time vision is focused on the evolution of education, civic engagement and the general empowerment of individuals and purposeful groups, world-wide, through the utilization of structured online collaboration solutions. In January 2018, Richard's timely first book was published. “Virtual Country: Strategy for 21st Century Democracy” describes an historic opportunity for citizens today to implement "Advisory Voting," a method of providing advisory citizen input to elected representatives, on any and all issues of common concern, without the need for any new laws or approvals. The book provides a blueprint for how citizens around the world can utilize existing Internet capabilities and innovative technology strategies to transcend political boundaries and entrenched positions, in order to create lasting, non-partisan, cooperative change and accomplishment. Virtual Country is available on Amazon: http://bit.ly/2rdz3zOVirtualCountrybook.