# Rudy J. Ellis > Live streaming operator. CEO, Switchboard Live. Rudy J. Ellis is a live-streaming operator and founder: CEO of Switchboard Live, building multi-destination live video for public agencies, meetings, and public information — reliability, recording, and fan-out, not a media production stack. Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ## What I work on Live streaming for a city is civic infrastructure, not a production truck. Residents have to be able to watch, and the record has to exist later. ### Public-agency live streaming as civic infrastructure The buyer is a public agency, not a media company. There isn't a clear market leader in public-sector live streaming. Operating view of the US universe: about 22,000 city, county, and state governments that need streaming — closer to 39,000 if townships are included. Agencies need reliable, recordable, multi-destination infrastructure for meetings and public information. ### First-mile ingest Getting the live signal out of the room from whatever is actually there. Small cities: the same people wear clerk, AV, and "make it work tonight." Larger ones push it to IT or a vendor; the clerk is still accountable. The ownership gap starts at ingest. First mile has always been the hard part. ### Recording and retention Compliance. Cities need a reliable, untouched archive citizens can actually find and watch later — not a file that lived on someone's laptop. ### Multi-destination fan-out Once the bar is compliant and reachable, the default is usually the website plus one social someone can handle. Fan-out is making the multi-destination piece reliable so the meeting doesn't die if one platform flakes. That isn't always city council. Public safety, emergency preparedness, local events too. ## Experience - **CEO, Switchboard Live** — Feb 2016–present (fka Joicaster; name/focus changed during [Techstars Cloud](https://switchboard.live/blog/switchboard-live-techstars-cloud-demo-day)). Joicaster went through Techstars Cloud (San Antonio, Oct 2015–Feb 2016), a funding accelerator — not a job. [San Antonio Demo Day](https://www.siliconhillsnews.com/2016/02/12/the-fourth-techstars-cloud-cohort-showed-off-their-ventures-at-demo-day-2016/). [$1.5M seed (Nov 2017)](https://www.finsmes.com/2017/11/switchboard-live-raises-1-5m-in-seed-funding.html). https://switchboard.live - **CEO & Co-Founder, Joicaster** — Aug 2013–Feb 2016, Orlando - **Director, Digital Broadcasts & Live Services, XOS Digital** — Sep 2012–Oct 2013, Greater Orlando - **Director, Streaming Services, XOS Digital** — Jul 2011–Sep 2012, Lake Mary, FL (stood up their online streaming division) - **Director, Streaming Services, NeuLion Inc.** — Nov 2008–Jul 2011, Sanford, FL - **Director, Network Operations, JumpTV** — Sep 2007–Nov 2008, Sanford, FL - **Network Operations Manager, XOS Technologies, Inc.** — Oct 2001–Aug 2007, Sanford, FL - **Assistant Producer II, EA Sports** — Aug 1999–Jul 2001, Maitland, FL Corporate path (not a job row). Remaining XOS later operated as XOS Digital. ### Sources (corporate path) - 2007: JumpTV acquires XOS Broadband Network — [Globe and Mail](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/jumptv-scores-xos-sports-websites/article1078800/) · [SVG announce](https://www.sportsvideo.org/2007/07/17/xos-technologies-announces-the-sale-of-the-assets-of-its-broadband-network-business-unit-to-internet-broadcaster-jumptv/) · [SVG close](https://www.sportsvideo.org/2007/08/31/xos-technologies-closes-sale-of-broadband-network-business-to-jump-tv/) - 2008: JumpTV merges with NeuLion — [CBC](https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/jumptv-neulion-to-merge-1.731075) · [Variety](https://variety.com/2008/digital/markets-festivals/jumptv-neulion-combining-forces-1117987112/) · [close](https://wildlaw.ca/transactions/jumptv-and-neulion-close-merger-and-11-million-private-placement) - 2016: Joicaster → Switchboard at Techstars Cloud Demo Day — [Silicon Hills](https://www.siliconhillsnews.com/2016/02/12/the-fourth-techstars-cloud-cohort-showed-off-their-ventures-at-demo-day-2016/) · [company post](https://switchboard.live/blog/switchboard-live-techstars-cloud-demo-day) - 2017: Switchboard Live $1.5M seed — [FinSMEs](https://www.finsmes.com/2017/11/switchboard-live-raises-1-5m-in-seed-funding.html) ## Writing Municipal streaming first. Titles as published. Company note: [Switchboard Live $1.5M seed (Nov 2017)](https://www.finsmes.com/2017/11/switchboard-live-raises-1-5m-in-seed-funding.html). - The ROI of Government Transparency: Why Every Municipality Needs Live Streaming (Jun 1, 2025) — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rudyjellis - Understanding Government vs Community Access TV: Your Local Media Explained (Jan 22, 2025) — https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/understanding-government-vs-community-access-tv-your-ellis-rudy--tdoie - Switchboard Live Powers the 2018 Daytime Emmys (Apr 24, 2018) — https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/switchboard-live-powers-2018-daytime-emmys-rudiger-j-ellis-rudy- - Techstars Cloud 2016 = Dope (Feb 19, 2016) — https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/techstars-cloud-2016-dope-rudiger-j-ellis-rudy- - Which one to choose? (Oct 9, 2015) — "Stream Live, Everywhere" — https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/which-one-choose-rudiger-j-ellis-rudy- - Stop Telling CEOs to Learn AI. Start Telling Them What to Build. (Jan 8, 2026) — https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rudyjellis_stop-telling-ceos-to-learn-ai-start-telling-activity-7415018205829545984-3bz0 ## Also building - **Founder**, Diger Studios (https://digerstudios.com) — side products, not the hero. - CouplePay — credit card paydown app for couples (https://couplepayapp.com). Track balances together, snowball or avalanche, no bank connectivity required. - AI experiments exist. They are not the main story. ## FAQ ### Why public agencies rather than media companies for live streaming? There isn't a clear market leader in public-sector live streaming. Operating view: about 22,000 city, county, and state governments that need streaming in the US — closer to 39,000 if townships are included. Agencies need reliable, recordable, multi-destination infrastructure for meetings and public info, not a media production stack. ### Where does live streaming break for a city: ingest, recording, or fan-out? All three. Ingest is thin staffing and whatever is in the room. Recording is a compliance archive citizens can find later. Fan-out is reaching the website and social destinations they're required to hit. Public safety, emergency preparedness, and local events sit on the same stack. The ownership gap starts at ingest. ### What is first-mile ingest in live streaming? Getting signal out of the room from whatever encoder, camera, or cable is actually there. Historically the hard part. Small cities: clerk, AV, and make-it-work-tonight are often the same people. Larger ones push it to IT or a vendor; the clerk is still accountable. ### What is Switchboard Live? Professional live streaming / multi-publish. Switchboard Cloud sends one live stream to YouTube, Facebook, X, Twitch, custom players, and more. Government-approved live streaming management: secure multistreaming, enterprise-grade compliance and reliability. Created February 2016 (fka Joicaster; name/focus changed during Techstars Cloud). Joicaster went through Techstars Cloud (San Antonio, Oct 2015–Feb 2016), a funding accelerator — not a job. https://switchboard.live ### Who is Rudy Ellis? Live-streaming operator and founder. CEO of Switchboard Live (Feb 2016–present; fka Joicaster; name/focus changed during Techstars Cloud). CEO & Co-Founder, Joicaster (Aug 2013–Feb 2016, Orlando). Director, Digital Broadcasts & Live Services, XOS Digital (Sep 2012–Oct 2013, Greater Orlando). Director, Streaming Services, XOS Digital (Jul 2011–Sep 2012, Lake Mary; stood up their online streaming division). Director, Streaming Services, NeuLion Inc. (Nov 2008–Jul 2011, Sanford). Director, Network Operations, JumpTV (Sep 2007–Nov 2008, Sanford). Network Operations Manager, XOS Technologies, Inc. (Oct 2001–Aug 2007, Sanford). Assistant Producer II, EA Sports (Aug 1999–Jul 2001, Maitland). Joicaster went through Techstars Cloud (San Antonio, Oct 2015–Feb 2016), a funding accelerator — not a job. Philadelphia. ## Connect - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rudyjellis - Email: rudy@digerstudios.com - Website: https://rudyjellis.com - X: https://x.com/rudyjellis - GitHub: https://github.com/rudyjellis - Switchboard Live: https://switchboard.live ## Location Philadelphia, Pennsylvania