The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and stand against injustice has and will forever reshape our world—from the way companies do business and leverage the strengths of their ecosystem, to the way governments and nonprofits reach and empower communities.
On October 7-8, Digital Empowers, a program led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Tata Consultancy Services, channels the changemaker spirit and harnesses the drive exhibited by cross-sector leaders to accelerate collective action and social innovation.
The 2020 Digital Empowers Summit will convene leading business and community leaders, technologists and entrepreneurs to set the tech-for-good agenda for the ‘next normal.’
We invite you to join our movement at 3rd annual Digital Empowers Summit.
Topics to be addressed include:
- Open innovation and industry frontiers
- Inclusive Innovation
- Digital Civility
- Civic Tech and the Digital Divide
- Technology Adoption and Digital Transformation
Speakers
Dalila Wilson Scott
Senior Vice President, Community Impact, Comcast Corporation; President, Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation
Day 01
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
- 11:30 AM EDT
COVID-19 didn’t change business’ viewpoint on innovation, digitization, and leadership, but it has accelerated transformation, the process of change, and the priority for decision-making that solves today’s issues and dictates the next generation of business.
During this session, we will meet the global business leaders who exemplify the changemaker spirit within the industries shaping our world.
- 12:30 PM EDT
Finding and applying government open data to the real world is hard—making an impact with it is even harder. That’s where the Census Open Innovation Labs (COIL) comes in. Through their work, they’ve developed innovation programs that use things like open briefs, data, and human centered design to solve problems and bring people together.
Through COIL’s open data technology accelerator, The Opportunity Project, the organization connects you with experts from the tech industry, communities, and government to help turn open data into life-changing tech in just 12 weeks. They provide access to subject-matter and data experts from across government and industry to accelerate the creation and adoption of digital tools to solve the nation’s greatest challenges by leveraging government open data. By applying human centered design, agile principles and methods, COIL makes virtual cross-sector collaboration easy and effective in the intersection of social impact and technology development.
Automation. A growing skills gap. Low wages. Crippling student debt. The enormous challenges we face related to the future of work have now been heightened by the global pandemic and rising inequities. How will we rebuild the economy and create a future of work that works for everyone?
Hear from Dr. Angela Jackson and experts on the Future of Work Grand Challenge — a new $6M initiative, powered by XPRIZE and MIT Solve, to accelerate solutions that train and place millions of workers into higher-skilled, higher-wage careers.
There is a long tradition of cooperative economics and conscious support in the Black community. From rent parties to Black Wall Street, the Black community has activated its time and resources to lift as we climb. With the advance of technology, that work can have even deeper impact. This panel discussion and working group brings together Black leaders of tech platforms who are working to build a tech-enabled Black ecosystem for change. Platforms like Nile, which connects online shoppers with Black-owned brands, or fundBlackfounders, which helps Black entrepreneurs raise capital for their businesses, have already changed the way that our community accesses resources and information by deploying technology to streamline age-old traditions of support within our community. Join us as we outline how to leverage these platforms to systematize your support of the Black community, and as we discuss how to further use technology to create a true Black ecosystem.
- 1:00 PM EDT
- 1:45 PM EDT
Opening: The Secret to Ethical Tech is to Treat it Like a Relationship
- Pamela Pavliscak - SoundingBox
Inclusion must be at the center of design, development, partnerships, culture, interaction, and participation in the new tech age. Through the lens of civic engagement, wellness, and workforce development, speakers will address the importance of creating for the user and providing for all—abilities, illnesses, races, sexes, ages and beyond. As part of this conversation, speakers will also address the responsible leadership measures taken to combat bias, as it relates to putting inclusion and ethics at the forefront of design and development.
- 3:00 PM EDT
Pitch for Purpose is a pitch competition recognizing mission-driven founders whose startups leverage emerging technology and innovation to address social and environmental challenges. Over 150 founders have been narrowed down to the top six. Now, these standout founders will compete for the $15,000 first place cash prize and attendees can cast their vote for Audience Fav, to accompany the resources and mentorship for these entrepreneurs to take their venture to the next level.
- 3:30 PM EDT
Day 02
Thursday, October 8, 2020
- 12:00 PM EDT
To innovate for impact, organizations—whether private, public, or nonprofit—cannot effectively operate within a silo.
During this session, Digital Empowers will recognize six exemplary organizations and partnerships for their achievements in accelerating impact for business and social good in the following categories: Connected Society, Future of Work, Industry Frontiers, Social and Cultural Impact, and Tech for Good in Emerging Economies.
Following the panel, Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic of ManpowerGroup will provide keynote remarks on how organizations are uniquely leveraging technology and market expertise to create more access for people to the jobs of the future.
- 12:00 PM EDT
- 1:00 PM EDT
Explore the ways corporations can meaningfully engage with their communities and relevant stakeholders post COVID-19. Through a case study of the Reimagining Community Health Systems program conducted by PYXERA Global and partners SAP, Medtronic Foundation, Celanese, and BD, learn more about this effort to improve telehealth nationwide. Participants can expect to gain a deeper understanding of the ways companies can engage on pressing issues and innovate during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How do you digitally empower people to apply and engage with your mission?
Discover how to create a digital ecosystem for meaningful and measurable engagement, activate practical application of social impact, and continuously empower users to do more. We will review Tribal Planet’s Social Impact platform use cases and discuss how this can be applied for corporations and government agencies. After the working session, attendees will be inspired and ready to transform their organization’s challenges into innovation that further build brand authenticity, relevance, and engagement.
The open-source and citizen science movements have tackled issues ranging from climate change, to human trafficking, and now preventing the spread of misinformation. With COVID-19 taking over the news cycle and the increase in civil unrest and the upcoming elections, the threat of misinformation is more apparent than ever. In this talk, Project Domino co-founders Sean Griffin, CEO of Disaster Tech, and Leo Meyerovich, CEO and founder of Graphistry, will discuss how open-source and citizen science are being leveraged to scale COVID-19 behavior changes and anti-misinformation.
Key takeaways include: Why open-source technologies and citizen science are equipped to tackle large social issues; where current misinformation practices are failing, and how communities can leverage digital tools to fight back; and the power of citizen science and how it’s enabled Sean and Leo to co-found Project Domino — and still lead their respective startups.
- 2:00 PM EDT
PITCH FOR PURPOSE - October 7
PITCH FOR PURPOSE is a startup competition celebrating social entrepreneurs and their ideas that will change the world.
Organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in collaboration with SEED SPOT— the competition recognizes mission-driven founders whose startups leverage technology and innovation to address social and environmental challenges.
175+ founders of inspiring social enterprises applied, and now, only to six finalists remain in the Pitch for Purpose competition.
Six finalists will pitch LIVE in front of global audience and a panel of judges for the opportunity to win a $15,000 cash prize, startup-oriented education and invaluable connections that will last a lifetime.
Finalists will have three minutes to pitch their startup to a panel judges with three additional minutes for Q&A. Scores will be determined by finalists’ pitch performance, presentation, business model, and aptitude. Finalilsts also look to YOU to cast your vote to earn the Audience Favorite title and a $1,000!