Keynote Panel: Public Interest Technology + Philanthropy

Top L to R: Jenny Toomey, Michelle Shevin, Tom Kalil, Travis Moore, Kumar Garg

Today we're happy to share the lineup for our keynote panel on careers in public interest tech via philanthropy on October 14.

Michelle Shevin will be in conversation with Jenny Toomey, Tom Kalil, Kumar Garg, and Travis Moore about what it looks like to build A BETTER TECH through careers in philanthropy.  

Michelle Shevin (moderator) and Jenny Toomey are on the Technology and Society team at the Ford Foundation as the respective Senior Program Manager and International Program Director. Tom Kalil is the Chief Innovation Officer at Schmidt Futures, leading initiatives to harness tech for societal challenges and improve science policy. Kumar Garg is also at Schmidt Futures as their Senior Managing Director and Head of Partnerships, working to help all major Schmidt Futures programs find successful leverage, as well as helping run the Technology and Society portfolio. Travis Moore is the Founder and Executive Director of TechCongress, which places computer scientists, engineers, and other technologists to serve with Members of Congress on tech policy matters through its Congressional Innovation Fellowships and the Congressional Digital Service Fellowship.

Their conversation will discuss the role of philanthropy in building the field of responsible and public interest technology, its current challenges in the field of public interest tech, and explore possible career paths via philanthropic tech projects.