Technology Salon

San Francisco

Sponsored by

a discussion at the intersection of technology and development

Technology Salon San Francisco is organized by Inveneo and alternates between meetings in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Be sure to sign up to get invited


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  • Effective Storytelling Media for High Impact Campaigns

    San Francisco | By on June 4, 2021 | Comments Off on Effective Storytelling Media for High Impact Campaigns

      On May 27, 2021 more than 50 people gathered virtually for a San Francisco Bay Area Technology Salon that investigated different forms of storytelling technology being used effectively in diverse international development environments. Which Storytelling Media are Most Effective for High Impact Campaigns? featured discussion leads based in the US, Israel, and Afghanistan, with…

  • ict4d domestic elections

    How New Outreach Tools Increased Public Participation in USA Elections

    San Francisco | By on December 3, 2020 | Comments Off on How New Outreach Tools Increased Public Participation in USA Elections

    Our recent virtual San Francisco Bay Area Technology Salon examined how recent efforts helped create the greatest ever voter turnout in the November US election. How Did New Outreach Tools Increase Public Participation and Combat Misinformation in USA Elections? featured insights from discussion leads leveraging technology in a variety of ways to increase the efficacy…

  • COVID-19 Challenges for Refugee Settings and Low-Income Countries

    COVID-19, San Francisco | By on April 30, 2020 | Comments Off on COVID-19 Challenges for Refugee Settings and Low-Income Countries

    To date, over 3 million people globally have coronavirus and the world is bracing for it to overwhelm low income countries. As the death toll rises, and health systems in developed countries struggle, health responders and activists around the world are racing to understand how best to prepare and protect refugee settlements. Where water, a…

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  • impact investing technology salon

    True Potential of Global Impact Investing on International Development

    San Francisco | By on August 11, 2019 | Comments Off on True Potential of Global Impact Investing on International Development

    TechSoup recently hosted a Technology Salon asking What is the True Potential of Global Impact Investing? with 30 social impact leaders from diverse backgrounds in the corporate, philanthropic, and nonprofit sectors. We discussed what impact investing means for nonprofits, philanthropists, and investors and for our ability to make change together. It was a unique chance…

  • Tech Journalism

    What We Can Do About Free Press Crackdowns and Online Censorship

    San Francisco | By on May 5, 2019 | Comments Off on What We Can Do About Free Press Crackdowns and Online Censorship

    At the SF Bay Area Technology Salon on “What Can We Do About Press Crackdowns and Online Censorship?” two questions were at the center of the discussion: Who care about press freedom? What are tactics and strategies that inspire more people to take action to defend free speech, information access, and truth online? The carefully…

  • mobile education

    Listening and Patience Leads to More People Learning Online and with Mobile Education

    San Francisco | By on June 20, 2018 | Comments Off on Listening and Patience Leads to More People Learning Online and with Mobile Education

    Practitioners, entrepreneurs, tech employees, and foundation representatives gathered at the Asia Foundation in San Francisco for a Tech Salon to explore the question of: How Can Silicon Valley Help Improve Online Learning in Emerging Economies? The Salon featured discussion leads Amy Ahearn of +Acumen, Jason Bigman of Philanthropy University, and Elizabeth Kountze of Tostan, and…

  • Refugees Use Technology

    How 22 Million Refugees Can Create Better Futures Through Technology

    San Francisco | By on December 17, 2017 | Comments Off on How 22 Million Refugees Can Create Better Futures Through Technology

    Recently, 35 professionals sought to understand what’s been called the greatest and most complicated crisis of our generation. They focused on exploring how refugees around the world are using tech to create more agency and better futures in the December SF Bay Area Technology Salon on How Can 22 Million Refugees Use Technology to Create…

  • Data-Infused Impact Storytelling Can Increase Development Outcomes

    San Francisco | By on November 16, 2017 | Comments Off on Data-Infused Impact Storytelling Can Increase Development Outcomes

    At the Technology Salon San Francisco on Data-Infused Impact Storytelling, a vibrant group of technologists and development experts gathered at the Vodafone Americas Foundation in Redwood City to explore how to be better storytellers in our efforts to change the world. The discussion featured a curated group of participants, and discussion leads including: Chantal Buard…

  • How Virtual Reality Activism Can Live Up to the Hype

    San Francisco | By on February 7, 2017 | Comments Off on How Virtual Reality Activism Can Live Up to the Hype

    Recently, 35 leaders in tech, international development, philanthropy and venture capital gathered at frog design in San Francisco for a Technology Salon debating the question, “Is Virtual Reality a New Paradigm for Humanitarianism or is it more Augmented Hype?” Participants experienced virtual reality with several HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and frog design headsets. Coined by…

  • radio-ivr-tanzania

    IVR and FM Radio: Low-Tech Ways to Reach Everyone on Earth

    San Francisco | By on July 6, 2016 | Comments Off on IVR and FM Radio: Low-Tech Ways to Reach Everyone on Earth

    The title for the recent San Francisco Technology Salon, “The Low-Tech Way to Reach Everyone on Earth” suggests an enormously powerful statement – does the right technology exist today to reach everyone on earth? And what exactly is that technology? Thirty-three people from the Bay Area and around California attended the event to discuss the…

  • How is the Asia-Pacific Region Moving Forward in ICT?

    San Francisco | By on April 21, 2016 | Comments Off on How is the Asia-Pacific Region Moving Forward in ICT?

    What does it mean to be “connected” in Asia, the world’s most populous region? From hyper-connected Hong Kong and Singapore to disconnected North Korea, several billion people have several billion difference Internet experiences. Hence the San Francisco Technology Salon question: Is the Asia-Pacific Region Leading in Internet Connectivity? The conversation mainly focused on regions that…

  • Technology for Women’s Empowerment: Failures, Solutions, and Strategies

    San Francisco | By on April 10, 2016 | Comments Off on Technology for Women’s Empowerment: Failures, Solutions, and Strategies

    The special focus of women’s use of technology has been a part of ICT projects for decades. Whether it’s focus groups, particular reports, or special training programs, the fact is that women are often a central point within ICT4D projects. But looking even further, what has all that work achieved for women’s empowerment? The San…

  • What Role Should Silicon Valley Play in International Development?

    San Francisco | By on January 6, 2016 | Comments Off on What Role Should Silicon Valley Play in International Development?

    December’s San Francisco Technology Salon focused on “How to connect stakeholders HERE with innovators and emerging leaders THERE?” We had an energizing conversation that covered questions like: What role should Silicon Valley be playing in international development? What can Silicon Valley learn from those on the ground? What works and when doesn’t it work? The…

  • New Technology To Improve Disaster Management

    San Francisco | By on April 28, 2015 | Comments Off on New Technology To Improve Disaster Management

    At the April Technology Salon San Francisco, the discussion moderator, Aaron Mason, welcomed everyone and quickly focused the thought leaders from across the technology and development fields on the issue at hand: How Can New Technologies Improve Disaster Response? At the heart of the initial conversation was the recent American Red Cross report: A Vision…

  • Using Open Standards Can Change Everything

    San Francisco | By on April 9, 2013 | Comments Off on Using Open Standards Can Change Everything

    February’s San Francisco Technology Salon centered around current technology challenges in the developing world. What are our current needs? What’s holding technology back? What should we be looking for in a “perfect” solution?

  • Electrical Power is No Longer a Problem in ICT4D

    San Francisco | By on March 4, 2013 | Comments Off on Electrical Power is No Longer a Problem in ICT4D

    It was not long ago that electrical power was the largest barrier to using ICTs in rural areas. Back when desktop computers had big CRT screens, each computer needed 150-200 watts of power. Just turning on a computer required a costly generator and an inverter.

  • Silicon Valley Technology Salon: How Can Every African Woman Have Access to Broadband?

    San Francisco | By on October 4, 2012 | Comments Off on Silicon Valley Technology Salon: How Can Every African Woman Have Access to Broadband?

    We all know that broadband connectivity is an accelerant for social and economic development. And we know that in the developing world, women are the key investors in family health and education. So shouldn’t we be working towards a world where every African woman can have access to broadband Internet?

  • Every African Woman Should Have Access to Broadband – But How?

    San Francisco | By on March 20, 2012 | Comments Off on Every African Woman Should Have Access to Broadband – But How?

    If we are serious about ICT as an accelerant for social and economic development, and we know that a) women are the key to investments in family health and education, and b) broadband connectivity is a major ICT catalyst for both, then we should be working towards a world where every African woman can have…

  • How Can Social Capital Expand ICT4D?

    San Francisco | By on August 11, 2011 | Comments Off on How Can Social Capital Expand ICT4D?

    A new form of capitalism is arising that recognizes our ability to direct the power and efficiency of market systems toward social impact, leading to a more balanced set of “returns”. This social capital market is real and growing, and has real impact on emerging economies. But does it impact ICT4D? How can technology companies…

  • Mobile Money’s Innovation and Impact Isn’t Targeted at Women… Yet

    San Francisco | By on February 15, 2011 | Comments Off on Mobile Money’s Innovation and Impact Isn’t Targeted at Women… Yet

    According to Women & Mobile: A Global Opportunity (PDF), authored by Vital Wave Consulting and sponsored by the GSMA Development Fund and the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, the 73% of women in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia who do not have a mobile phone represent $13 billion per year in incremental revenue for mobile…