Tech for Good: Innovating Solutions to Social Challenges

Welcome to B The Way Forward: Interludes – a mini series of special episodes and conversations that stand apart from our regular season, but are just too good not to share.

These days, the headlines can sometimes mostly focus on the challenges in tech – issues  like AI ethics and data breaches. But in this special conversation, taped live at Grace Hopper Celebration 2024, Brenda wanted to shift gears!

Because Grace Hopper Celebration is about the belief that when used by the right people, for the right reasons, technology can be one of the greatest forces for good in the world. And that’s what this conversation is all about – the ways in which some of the best minds in tech are innovating, creating groundbreaking platforms and tech to address the most critical social issues of our time. 

 

In this episode, Brenda brings together three friends of the pod – Jimmy Chen (Propel), Dr. Fallon Wilson (VP, Tech Policy, Multicultural Media and Telecom Internet Council), and Devshi Mehrotra (CEO, JusticeText) – to talk about how to leverage technology for good and how you do that ethically, while balancing purpose and profit. And most importantly, to highlight real-world examples of how these solutions make a real difference. 

“I think we give for-profit businesses too much of a break and let them off easy and say ‘it’s just about making money’ as opposed to caring about what impact they create on the world. And so if you work at a for-profit, if you are starting a for-profit, if you think about for-profits, hold them accountable to think about what is the impact that they create on the world, not just how much money do they make.”  — Jimmy Chen

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At AnitaB.org, we envision a future where the people who imagine and build technology mirror the people and societies for whom they build it. Find out more about how we support women, non-binary individuals, and other underrepresented groups in computing, as well as the organizations that employ them and the academic institutions training the next generations.

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Our guests contribute to this podcast in their personal capacity. The views expressed in this interview are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology or its employees (“AnitaB.org”). AnitaB.org is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of the information provided in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute legal or other professional advice or services.

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B The Way Forward Is…

Hosted and Executive Produced by Brenda Darden Wilkerson.

Produced by Avi Glijansky

Associate Produced by Kelli Kyle

Sound design and editing by Ryan Hammond 

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Additional Producing help from Faith Krogulecki

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Photo of Brenda Darden Wilkerson by Mandisa Media Productions

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