Yesterday ABI delivered its first TechLeaders specific to Social Innovators in conjunction with the Grace Hopper Conference. 80 technologists from around the world came to hear and discuss the stories and inspirational words of social innovators including Mari Kuraishi from Global Giving, Jensine Larsen from WorldPulse Media, Paula Goldman from Imagining Ourselves, Bernardine Dias from TechBridge World, and Anuradha Vittachi from OneWorld.net.
Anuradha did not attend in person because of her commitment to avoiding air travel to help in the race to fight global warming. She attended nevertheless via Second Life, a real-time showcase of technology use for social change. Read about the experiment in Mari Kuraishi’s blog.
The panelists and attendees discussed their deep commitment for positive social change, and the central role of technology in creating a better world. We discussed and saw examples of:
- using social media to give women and children a voice around the world
- A robotics braille tutor teaching blind kids in developing countries braille literacy
- Web 2.0 communities to connect donors with development projects around the world
Women technologists in attendance had a wealth of ideas on how to apply their technical skills to the greater good, whether through their work in industry, in academia, in school or through forming their own social ventures. Stay tuned for more about the day – an article and a podcast are coming!