Technology Salon NYC (TSNYC) was started by Linda Raftree in 2011. TSNYC brings together a diverse and experienced group of national and international NGO practitioners and managers, foundation representatives, academic researchers, evaluators, UN agencies, technology creators, design firms, media professionals and social entrepreneurs.
We tackle tough topics in a safe space that sparks opportunities for cross-sectoral learning and development of contacts and partnerships. Salons also serve as sounding board and focus group discussion opportunities for emerging topics in ICT4D and social media for social change.
Our sessions are always overbooked, so be sure to sign up to get invited and RSVP quickly to ensure you’ll have a spot! Contact Linda to suggest a topic or lead discussant for a future meeting, or if you’d like to support TSNYC.
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We’re witnessing the most rapid job displacement in human history, and the development community is dangerously unprepared for what’s coming next. At the Technology Salon NYC – UNGA Edition a participant wondered: “When someone quits, should we hire another? Or do you feel you can use AI enough now that you don’t need to replace…
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AI is no longer a futuristic tool; it’s a present-day force shaping our world, from predicting floods to optimizing energy grids. In 2025, AI-driven systems are intertwined with the urgency of climate change – and the opportunity to accelerate action. But they also bring a new set of risks and costs. And a much welcomed…
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping health worldwide. But for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where workforce shortages, fragile infrastructure, and inequities in access are everyday realities, AI’s impact has the potential to be transformative. As we explore both the promise and the risks, our focus is on governance, early lessons, and ethics that ensure…
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Our November 14th Tech Salon asked whether it’s safe to use AI to conduct research on Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Violence against Children (VAC). Tesmer Atsbeha, Senior Program Officer, Wellspring Philanthropic Fund; and Diane Chang, Safety Product Manager, Cohere were our lead discussants, and we also heard from a lively group of participants from…
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The governance of artificial intelligence—covering its design, deployment, and use—is rapidly emerging as one of the most critical social and political issues of our time. Our political landscape is marked by a polycrisis of rising violence, threats to democracy, escalating inequality, and climate collapse. Profit-driven AI solutions often worsen these issues, forcing communities to confront…
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Development and humanitarian agencies are in a strategic position to broker relationships around artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. They often have access to desirable data about un- or underrepresented communities, and they can facilitate the entry of tech and data companies into frontier markets. Without careful scrutiny and purposeful partnering, however, social sector organizations can serve…
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Our March 11 Technology Salon in New York City welcomed managers and directors from some 25 organizations for a discussion (therapy session?!) on how to manage the pain points of Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption at development, humanitarian, and other non-profit organizations. Kick-starting the discussion were Friederike Schüür, UNICEF’s Chief of Data Strategy and Data Governance;…
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Generative AI (GenAI) models like DALL-E and ChatGPT showcase the creativity and utility of AI. Yet these tools – which can generate realistic image, audio and video simulations at scale and then personalize this content – have serious implications for how much people trust the information they see and hear. Civil society organizations are highly…
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The release of ChatGPT and similar chatbots like Google’s Bard and Anthropic’s Claude has re-ignited the discussion around artificial intelligence (AI) in social, work, financial, health, education, law, and most other spheres. A common challenge with these and other AI and machine learning (ML) systems is their lack of transparency and accountability. Algorithms decide what we…
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Could an intersectional feminist approach to participation, equity and justice help to address the social and political nature of structural inequalities that are baked into every aspect of the AI supply chain? We drew together a roomful of smart folks to discuss this at our September 19th Technology Salon in NYC: Can Feminist Frameworks improve AI Governance?…
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Western perspectives on technology tend to dominate the media, despite the fact that technology impacts on people’s lives are nuanced, diverse and contextually specific. At our March 29 Technology Salon NYC (hosted by Thoughtworks) that asked How Can Tech Journalism Tell the Unheard Stories? we discussed how structural issues in journalism and technology lead to…
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As the world became more digital in the wake of COVID-19, the number of mobile applications and online services and support increased exponentially. Many of these apps offer important support to people who live and move in contexts where they are at risk. Digital apps for sensitive services (such as mental health, reproductive health, shelter…
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Our sixth virtual Salon in the “Tech in the Time of Coronavirus” series revolved around the role of funders in the COVID-19 digital response. The pandemic has laid bare the vulnerabilities in our economic models and systems. As we look to the future and strive to build a world that is more resilient, funders have…
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Demand for digital-skills based volunteering has surged as skilled workers search for ways to contribute to the response efforts to COVID-19. As a result, nonprofits are faced with an unprecedented opportunity to bring volunteers into their work and use new talent to advance their missions. However, many nonprofits don’t have a standing volunteer program. And…
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Data is top of mind during the COVID-19 response. Quality data can help to direct the response and to make decisions, but it’s not the silver bullet that everyone is hoping for. We need to remain aware of the power dynamics represented in how data is collected, treated, protected and interpreted. There needs to be…
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Since its emergence in late 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has reached almost every corner of the globe. By April 20, 2020, the number of recorded cases worldwide had reached 2.4 million with over 161,000 resulting deaths. As the virus spreads, so do the technological responses. Never before has a global crisis been so digital….
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Recently, we gathered at the OSF offices for the Technology Salon on “Automated Decision Making in Aid: What could possibly go wrong?” with lead discussants: Jon Truong, and Elyse Voegeli, two of the creators of Automating NYC; Genevieve Fried and Varoon Mathur, Fellows at the AI Now Institute at NYU. To start off, we asked participants whether they were optimistic…
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The New York City Technology Salon on “Will Digital Identities Support or Control Us” featured lead discussants Savita Bailur and Emrys Schoemaker from Caribou Digital and Aiden Slavin from ID2020. In general, Salon Participants noted the potential positives of digital ID, such as improved access to services, better service delivery, accountability, and better tracking of beneficiaries….
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The World Food Programme (WFP) recently announced a 45 million-dollar partnership with the data analytics firm Palantir, which sparked an IRIN’s article about it, an Open Letter from the Responsible Data Forum, and WFP’s resulting statement. The partnership raises serious issues that the WFP seems to be taking steps to address. But these issues are…
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For our Technology Salon on How Can Partnerships Improve the Digital Health Ecosystem?, we discussed partnerships and interoperability in global health systems. The room housed a wide range of perspectives, from small to large non-governmental organizations to donors and funders to software developers to designers to healthcare professionals to students. Our lead discussants were: Josh…