Participants in the Aspen Tech Policy Hub’s Nonprofit and Public Interest Fellowship gain the tools to impact policy within their organizations and beyond.
Ben Berliner
The Aspen Institute
Ben.Berliner@aspeninstitute.org
San Francisco, August 24, 2023 – The Aspen Tech Policy Hub announces that 15 nonprofit and public interest groups from across the country have successfully completed the Hub’s inaugural Nonprofit and Public Interest Fellowship. This group of organizations, each with a focus on science, technology, cybersecurity, or social justice, are now equipped to drive policy impact and create a lasting difference within their organizations and communities.
From July 10 to July 28, 2023, the organizational representatives participated in an in-person policy bootcamp in San Francisco to learn problem identification, innovative solution development, stakeholder engagement, and effective communication strategies. Action-oriented exercises, grounded in real-world challenges, built their practical abilities and fostered collaboration among peers.
As part of the fellowship’s commitment to impact, participating organizations were given the option to pitch policy impact projects upon completion of the bootcamp. These projects, designed to drive positive change in their respective areas, showcase the fellows’ ability to craft innovative solutions and address pressing societal issues. The best project will receive up to $50,000 in support from the Aspen Tech Policy Hub.
Meet the Summer 2023 Cohort Organizations
Fellows represent organizations that focus on diverse issues. NPower, Urban Coders Guild, EduDream, Black Girls Code, and EveryoneOn promote equitable access to technology, education, and opportunities, particularly for individuals from marginalized and underrepresented backgrounds. Pacific Peering and DataKind use technology to enable effective social impact. With the policy skills learned in this boot camp, each organization is now positioned to push for effective policy initiatives that better realize their respective missions and goals.
Aspen Tech Policy Hub congratulates the 15 fellows of the inaugural Summer 2023 Nonprofit and Public Interest Fellowship cohort. The organizations and representatives include:
- Clinic to End Tech Abuse at Cornell Tech, a clinic providing digital privacy and security services to abuse survivors being harmed by technology. Represented by Lana Ramjit, Director of Operations and Computing Innovations Postdoctoral Fellow.
- DataKind, a global organization addressing challenges with data science and AI to improve the capabilities, reach, and scale of social impact organizations. Represented by Caitlin Augustin, Vice President, Product and Programs.
- EduDream, a consulting firm that partners with foundations, education agencies and nonprofits working to ensure educational equity for racially and economically diverse students. Represented by Sophia Velez, Project Manager.
- EveryoneOn, an organization helping to unlock social and economic opportunity by connecting people in under-resourced communities to affordable internet service and computers, and to digital skills trainings. Represented by Diana Rodriguez, Vice President of Programs and Strategy.
- G{Code}, a Boston-based organization that expands access to economic mobility for Black, Brown, and Indigenous women and non-binary people through technical training, affordable housing, and intentional community. Represented by Korene Stuart, Director of Programming.
- Integrity Institute, a nonprofit advancing the theory and practice of protecting the social internet, powered by their community of integrity professionals. Represented by Theodora Skeadas, 2023 Visiting Fellow, Research and Policy.
- Northwest Center, an organization improving the economic well-being and quality of life in Belmont Cragin, Chicago and the surrounding communities. Represented by Nancy Valentin, Director of Health Equity.
- NPower, a nonprofit with the mission to move people from poverty to the middle class through tech skills training and quality job placement. Represented by Binta Vann, Chief Marketing Officer.
- Pacific Peering, an environmental technology group focused on ocean health and protection from climate change through the deployment of SMART data cables between islands in the Pacific Ocean. Represented by Josh Richards, Vice President of North American Operations.
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, a nonprofit collaborating with immunotherapy researchers, cancer centers, and industry partners to accelerate the development of curative cancer therapies. Represented by Samantha Liang, Alliance and Collaboration Director.
- Global Cybersecurity Institute (GCI) at the Rochester Institute of Technology, a nexus of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence research and education. Represented by Nidhi Rastogi, Assistant Professor at Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences (GCCIS).
- U.S. Digital Response, an organization helping governments, nonprofits, and public entities respond quickly to critical public needs using technology. Represented by Saad Asad, Product Marketing Manager.
- Urban Coders Guild, a youth-serving program developing tech talent that champions underserved, underrepresented, and otherwise under-resourced communities. Represented by Mikeal Vaughn, Founder and Executive Director.
- Tidepool, a nonprofit committed to empowering the next generation of innovations in diabetes management. Represented by Saira Khan-Gallo, Content Marketing and Access & Equity Lead.
- The Land Institute, a science-based research organization working to develop perennial grain and oilseed agricultural systems. Represented by Kelsey Whiting, Perennial Grain Public Policy and Governmental Affairs Postdoctoral Researcher.
For more information about the Nonprofit and Public Interest Fellowship, see here. To learn more about these representatives, you can read their bios here.
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