For those who don’t know, tell us a little about your background.
I have the unique privilege to lead the new Burnes Center for Social Change @ Northeastern, which teaches individuals and institutions in over a hundred countries the skills needed to design and implement innovative and equitable solutions to our hardest problems using data, technology and community wisdom.
What particular expertise are you bringing to the Academy?
Almost 25 years of experience designing and implement technology projects in the public interest.
What emerging trend or technology are you most excited about in your industry?
I am very excited by how passionate people are using technology to tackle our most pressing public problems, especially the way that AI technologies can help foster community engagement and participation.
Do you think technology as a whole should have a “responsibility” to be responsible?
I think we need to go beyond “do no harm” and leverage technology to do good and improve people’s lives.
What do you believe is the most pressing issue that technology can help solve right now?
Reimagining and reinvigorating participatory democracy. If we can work together more effectively and equitably, there’s nothing we can’t solve!
What does it take for technology to create real-world impact for social good?
A clear, evidence-based and collaboratively crafted definition of the problem to solve and a willingness to collaborate with others to solve it.
