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General Meeting: Building Nevada's Mesh Network

· 3 min read
Ben Allfree
Ben Allfree
MeshEnvy Founder

On Tuesday, October 21st, MeshEnvy held a general meeting at Coffee n Comics in Reno, bringing together a diverse group of community members, students, emergency responders, and mesh networking enthusiasts to discuss our mission and next steps.

Meeting Attendees​

The meeting brought together an impressive cross-section of Nevada's community:

  • Ben Allfree - MeshEnvy Founder (@.noaxis)
  • Charlie Allfree - TMCC Student (@shinynachoz)
  • Kay Allfree - UNR Student (@rorozontor)
  • Leslie Allfree - Emergency/Disaster Response (@lka_em)
  • Ed Mitchell - SAR, DRI, NSHE (@tenacious_dolphin_46523)
  • Scott - Minnesota Mesh (@steepclimb)
  • Winston - Gardnerville Mesh
  • Derek - Casino/Firmware
  • Dan O'Day - Nonprofit (@danoday775)

Mission Statement Discussion​

The group engaged in a productive discussion about MeshEnvy's mission: "Stand anywhere in Nevada and reach another node." This simple yet powerful statement captures our vision of creating a resilient, statewide mesh network that ensures no one in Nevada is ever truly isolated from communications.

Strategic Partnerships and Value Propositions​

One of the meeting's key outcomes was identifying potential partner organizations and the value propositions for each:

Emergency/Disaster Response​

  • Value: Reliable communications when traditional infrastructure fails
  • Partners: Emergency services, disaster response teams, search and rescue

Ranching Communities​

  • Value: Off-grid communications for remote operations
  • Partners: Nevada ranching associations, rural communities

Mining Operations​

  • Value: Communications in remote mining locations
  • Partners: Mining companies, geological survey organizations

UNR Webcam Network​

  • Value: Integration with existing infrastructure
  • Partners: University of Nevada, Reno

Board of Directors Composition​

The group discussed the initial composition of MeshEnvy's Board of Directors, recognizing the need to balance different types of expertise:

  • Networkers: Those with connections and relationships in the community
  • Doers: Those with technical skills and hands-on experience

This balance ensures both strategic vision and practical execution capabilities.

Next Steps: Node Site Identification​

The meeting concluded with a concrete action item for all attendees: By Friday, October 24th, each person will identify a potential node site and determine who needs to give permission for deployment.

This collaborative approach to site identification leverages the group's diverse knowledge of Nevada's geography and community connections.

Looking Forward​

This meeting represents a significant step forward for MeshEnvy. The diverse group of attendees—from students to emergency responders to experienced mesh networkers—demonstrates the broad appeal and potential impact of our mission.

The combination of strategic partnership discussions and practical next steps shows that MeshEnvy is moving from vision to action. With each attendee identifying potential node sites, we're building the foundation for Nevada's first comprehensive mesh network.

Get Involved​

Interested in joining MeshEnvy's mission? Here's how you can help:

  • Identify a node site: Find a location in your area that could host a mesh node
  • Connect with partners: Help us reach out to emergency services, ranching communities, or other potential partners
  • Share your expertise: Whether you're technical, organizational, or community-focused, your skills are valuable
  • Stay informed: Follow our progress as we build Nevada's mesh network

Together, we're creating resilient communications infrastructure for all Nevadans. The meeting on October 21st was just the beginning—the real work of building Nevada's mesh network starts now.