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Ken Banks
Ken Banks at PopTech in 2012
Born	1966 (age 57–58) Jersey
Nationality	British
Alma mater	University of Sussex
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, mobile technologist
Years active	2002 - present
Known for	mobile technology
Title	Founder of kiwanja.net and FrontlineSMS

Ken Banks (born 1966) is a British tech entrepreneur. He is known as the founder of FrontlineSMS, a mobile messaging platform that allows communication in areas with limited internet access worldwide.

Ken Banks was born in 1966 in Jersey, Channel Islands. Banks attended Hautlieu School and Highlands College. In 1995, he pursued his undergraduate degree at the University of Sussex, studying social anthropology and development studies, and graduating in 1999.

Banks early career involved working at a local bank, where he gained experience in commercial computing, specifically working on Burroughs B1700 mainframe computers. After graduating, Banks worked at Cable & Wireless plc in the UK, until 2000.

In 2001, Banks became a project manager at CERCOPAN in Nigeria. His time there was cut short by a bike accident in Calabar in 2002, after which he returned to Jersey to recover. During this period, Banks began working with Fauna and Flora International (FFI), a conservation organization, leading to the launch of the wildlive! mobile portal in December 2003. The initiative provided images, animal sounds, conservation-themed games, and live news to subscribers.

In 2003, Banks founded kiwanja.net, an NGO dedicated to using mobile technology for social and environmental change, with a focus on Africa. In 2004, Banks was approached by Kruger National Park (South Africa) officials asking for a solution to update Bushbuckridge community members on changes in the park using their mobile phones. This inspired him to develop FrontlineSMS, a platform that sends and receives text messages (SMS) via mobile phones without requiring internet access, in 2005.

FrontlineSMS was used by a Nigerian organization called Humanitarian Emancipation Lead Project (HELP) to assist Nigerians in reporting on their 2007 national elections. The BBC ran a story, Texts monitor Nigerian elections, mentioning FrontlineSMS, the user downloads and global interest accelerated. In 2009, Banks started a two-year FrontlineSMS Ambassadors Programme with the Clinton Foundation. Banks received grants from the MacArthur Foundation, the Hewlett Foundation, Open Society Initiative, Rockefeller Foundation, and Omidyar Network, among others.

In 2012, Banks launched the Means of Exchange, a project aimed at rebuilding local communities through technology. One of the first initiatives was a "cash mob" during the London Olympics.

In 2012, Banks stepped down from the day-to-day running of FrontlineSMS and kiwanja.net , handing leadership to Laura Walker Hudson and Sean McDonald, respectively. He transitioned to the role of Chair of the Board, and in 2015, he took on new positions, including Entrepreneur in Residence at CARE International and Visiting Fellow at RMIT University in Melbourne. In 2018, he became a Visiting Fellow at Cambridge Judge Business School and took on the role of Head of Social Impact at Yoti, a digital identity platform.

In 2011, Banks was invited to join the UK Prime Minister’s delegation to Africa. In 2012, he received the Cambridge News Business Excellence Award for Corporate & Social Responsibility. In 2016, Banks was awarded the ACM Eugene L. Lawler Award for Humanitarian Contributions within Computer Science for his work with mobile technology.

Banks has authored two books:

• The Rise of the Reluctant Innovator (2013).
• Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation (2016).

Banks's work with FrontlineSMS and kiwanja.net, has an impact on the use of technology for development and social change, particularly in under-resourced regions.

• 2008: PopTech Social Innovation Fellowship

• 2009: The Tech Awards
• 2010: Ashoka Fellowship
• 2010: National Geographic Emerging Explorer
• 2011: Antonio Pizzigati Prize for Software in the Public Interest
• 2011: Curry Stone Design Prize
• 2012: Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts