Agenda and Speakers

Welcome Reception (Copperleaf Patio)

Welcome Dinner and Fireside Chat (Tamarack Hall)

Speakers:
Charlton McIlwain, Vice Provost, New York University

Andreen Soley, Executive Director, Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN)

Opening Remarks (The Cedars)

Speaker: Andreen Soley, Executive Director, Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN)

Fireside Chat: Public Interest Tech: A Vision for the Next Decade

Speakers:
Jess Peake, Director, International and Comparative Law Program, UCLA School of Law

Andreen Soley, Director, Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN)

Ariana Soto, Co-Founder/CEO, Coding it Forward

Enduring Higher Education Leadership for Public Interest Tech

This fireside chat features leaders—presidents, provosts, and deans—who have championed PIT initiatives across disciplines, underscoring the crucial role of higher education in building this field. From interdisciplinary curricula and ethics in tech courses to research centers and student fellowships, they’ll highlight how higher education is foundational to building the talent pipeline for civic-minded technologists.

Panelists will offer candid insights on breaking down institutional silos, securing faculty support, and preparing future “civic-minded” tech and policy leaders. The session aims to inspire other academic institutions to lead in PIT and encourage funders to invest in their efforts, spotlighting successful models like joint degrees and tech clinics—while emphasizing the power of a networked approach through PIT-UN.

Speakers:
Ryan Calo, Professor, University of Washington

Don Daves-Rougeaux, Senior Advisor to the Chancellor – Workforces, Strategic Partnerships and Gen AI, CA Community Colleges Chancellors Office

Jasmine McNealy, Professor, University of Florida (moderator)

Aankit Patel, University Dean of Tech and Computing, City University of New York

Spark Talk

Speaker: Katie M. Cumiskey, Professor, College of Staten Island, CUNY and Director, CUNY PIT Lab

Public Interest Technology as a National Priority

In this cross-sector conversation, panelists from global and national think tanks, tech advisory groups, corporate accountability, and philanthropy will explore why PIT is essential to national security, global competitiveness, economic development, and public trust.

The discussion will focus on how embedding public interest values into technology development not only mitigates harm, but actively strengthens democratic institutions and prepares a more ethical, future-ready workforce.

Speakers:
Shanna Crumley, Chief of Staff for AI & Data, Mastercard

Jedidah Isler, Chief Science Officer, Federation of American Scientists

Deirdre K. Mulligan, Professor, School of Information UC Berkeley (moderator)

Angie Quirarte, Senior Fellow, Private Sector Network

Amy Sample Ward, CEO, NTEN

Networking Lunch (Tamarack Hall)

Strategic Breakouts: Co-Creating the Public Interest Tech Roadmap

Designed to reinforce cross-sector understanding, participants will have a direct voice in PIT-UN’s future. Each group will capture key ideas or commitments—such as launching a regional hub, forming a funding consortium, or creating a PIT internship program—and share highlights in a brief plenary report-back. By encouraging candid dialogue, networking, and creative thinking, the breakouts help build a collective vision and identify actionable opportunities.

Breakout Groups

• Framing and Field Identity: Strengthen shared language and PIT framing across disciplines
  
  Group Lead: Shruti Sehgal, Founder/CEO, The Moonshot Company
  
  
• Infrastructure for Community Collaboration: Build sustainable engagement models across semesters and leadership changes
  
  Group Lead: Hong Shen, Assistant Research Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University
  
  
• Institutional Incentives and Tenure Metrics: Align academic evaluation structures with PIT outputs
  
  Group Leads: Quincy Brown, Principal, Futures and Innovation and Ken Wright, Lead Strategist, Futures and Innovation
  
  
• Student Cohorts & Career Pipelines: Foster civic-minded student leadership and career development
  
  Group Lead: Casey Canfield, Associate Professor, Missouri University of Science & Technology

Investing in PIT: Philanthropy and Corporate Leadership (The Cedars)

This roundtable will explore innovative funding models—such as grant challenges, prizes, corporate-nonprofit partnerships, and government matching programs—that have the potential to scale impactful public interest technology (PIT) initiatives.

Participants will highlight new and emerging commitments from government and philanthropies aimed at institutionalizing PIT through research, curriculum, and career pipelines. This session offers a firsthand look at how funders and field leaders are working to unlock new collaboration models and catalyze the next wave of investment in technology for the public good.

Speakers:
Afua Bruce, Principal, ANB Advisors, LLC (moderator)

Joshua Elder, Vice President & Head of Grantmaking, Siegel Family Endowment

Autumn McDonald, Vice President, Community Investments & Partnerships, East Bay Community Foundation

Aaron Miller, Head of National Partnerships, Tulsa Community Foundation + George Kaiser Family Foundation

Jasmine Thomas, Recent Microsoft Alum and Independent Consultant

Spark Talk

Speaker: Maya Markovich, Executive Director, Justice Tech Association

Keynote: Collective Commitment: A Call to Action

The program concludes with a unifying call to action, turning the collective vision into concrete commitment and next steps. A PIT-UN leader will summarize key takeaways—shared goals, bold ideas, and emerging priorities—and outline a forward path for the network and the broader field.

This call to action affirms support for developing tech that serves the public interest. Rather than an end, this closing marks a launch: new partnerships formed, a stronger network built, and a clear mandate to grow and sustain public interest technology in the years ahead.

Speaker: Sylvester Johnson, CEO, Corporation for Public Interest Technology

Closing Remarks

Speaker: Andreen Soley, Executive Director, Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN)

Break (On Your Own)

Networking Dinner (Offsite)

Departures: Meet in the lobby at 7:00 pm.