Los Angeles TECH + SOCIAL GOOD newsletter: February 2017

Hi colleagues & friends and welcome to the first edition of my curated TECH + SOCIAL GOOD newsletter. I hope you'll take a few minutes to discover some interesting happenings to join in.

     In this issue:
     Engaging Tech Talent through Pro Bono Service – Thursday Town Hall
     Secrets of Data Driven Nonprofits – Feb 15 webinar
     March for Science – April 22
     Annenberg Alchemy Tech
     Muslims in Tech coverage

Engaging Tech Talent through Pro Bono Service
Town Hall Thurs Feb 9 10am PT
The technology divide is growing between the for-profit and nonprofit sector. Nonprofits continue to struggle with technology challenges, while many technology experts don’t understand how best to contribute their skills. In this Town Hall, we’ll co-design new ways for moving forward. Register here.

Secrets of Data Driven Nonprofits — Feb 15 webinar $25
How do nonprofits find the real hidden treasure in their data?
Presenter Steve MacLaughlin is VP of Data & Analytics at Blackbaud, best-selling author of Data Driven Nonprofits, on the board of NTEN, the Nonprofit Technology Network.
Register here.

March for Science — April 22
Science, not silence. The March for Science is a celebration of our passion for science and a call to support and safeguard the scientific community. Recent policy changes have caused heightened worry among scientists, and the incredible and immediate outpouring of support has made clear that these concerns are also shared by hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Mischaracterization of science as a partisan issue... is a critical and urgent matter. It is time for people who support scientific research and evidence-based policies to take a public stand and be counted.
Donate, signup and read more here

Annenberg Alchemy Tech
The Annenberg Foundation is partnering with the growing LA tech sector to bring technology capacity-building to nonprofits in a new Alchemy pilot program, open to Annenberg Alchemy alumni based in LA.County. Read more about this exciting initiative!

Muslims in Tech coverage

Here are some goings-on that contribute to a landscape that now includes powerful airport #MuslimBan protests.

LA Tech4Good was inspired by Zaina Siyed, founder of the FemSTEM Robotics Scholarship Program, to host a January Muslims in Tech evening. This highschooler built and led a robotics team of Muslim middle-school aged girls to win a regional LEGO robotics tournament: Justin Mashouf repped Rafiq & Friends, a tool for Muslim families, as well. We felt this was a timely counterpoint to the new regime's anti-Muslim rhetoric and hope it sparks more conversation and action. Sharia, Zaina's mother, writes: I never thought my kids would lead me to a new enthusiasm about what I can do as a Muslim - thank you for being part of that process!

That same week, Dustin Craun, Global Impact Entrepreneur, published a perspecive Can Muslims in Tech Fight Rising Islamophobia in the United States – We'll answer a resounding yes! He also led Faith & Funding: Muslims in Tech at 500 Startups' Unity and Inclusion Summit.

And lastly, the Never Again Tech pledge made headlines in December when over 2500 people in the tech industry pledged their refusal to cooperate with Muslim databases collected for nefarious purposes. Way to go!

And ... Please let me know if this serves a purpose and if you have items of interest I can include going forward. Talk soon – Karen

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