Community & Tech Leaders Initiative

The Challenge

The explosion of digital innovation, including rapid advancements in generative AI, over just the past few years promises to fundamentally reimagine our shared future. While emerging tech holds great promise, the lack of meaningful inclusion for underrepresented communities in the development and effects of new technology risks exacerbating longstanding biases and harms. Civil rights and social justice leaders know firsthand what challenges their communities face on the ground but are often ill-equipped to engage directly on these issues with tech companies and policy makers and can be unfairly dismissed for their lack of contextual knowledge.

Our Solution

Aspen Digital’s new Community & Tech Leaders Initiative seeks to level the playing field for those who work on behalf of communities and want to advance their tech knowledge and network. This innovative program will select an annual cohort of 10 diverse rising community leaders and provide both hands-on learning opportunities on the most pressing emerging tech issues of the day as well as unique access to tech leaders and key decision makers. Our mission is to build a network of civil rights and social justice leaders who both know their own communities and can hold their own with leaders in tech from a place of substance and understanding.

How to Get Involved With the Community & Tech Leaders Initiative

For the inaugural cohort, Aspen Digital is soliciting nominations from civil rights and community advocacy organizations for outstanding rising leaders. Organizations are welcome to nominate rising leaders from both within and outside of their organizations with the understanding that acceptance into the program is not guaranteed. Nominated leaders will then be asked to formally apply for the program by the end of June. To ensure prospective leaders have ample time to apply, please submit nominations no later than Monday, June 16th. Final selections will be announced in August.

We are seeking candidates who 

Have a track record of leadership and future potential

Mid-to-senior level professionals who have approximately 5-10 years of experience and who an established track record of community organizing, advocacy, and/or public service

Are community-focused

Ideal candidates will have demonstrated deep personal connection to and/or experience working with systemically marginalized communities 

Exemplify curiosity and a willingness to learn

Participants should have a clear interest in how technology impacts their community but do not yet have expertise or substantive experience working directly on tech issues

Program Outline

Participants in the Community & Tech Leaders Initiative will: 

• Attend an in-person 2-day emerging tech boot camp in September at the Aspen Institute offices in Washington D.C
• Participate in exclusive monthly virtual deep dives on related topics with top experts in the emerging technology field and examine the direct impact these issues have on Leaders’ respective communities
• Be matched with technology thought leaders and experts for 1:1 networking opportunities 
• Share experiences and build relationships with fellow leaders working with other communities
• Publish op-eds, blogs, and/or podcasts on learnings from the program and their relationship to the Leaders’ own work
• Develop real-world solutions at the intersection of emerging tech and their communities and have the opportunity to present to a wide group of philanthropists, tech leaders, policymakers, and more
• Have the opportunity to attend Aspen’s premiere high-level convenings around AI, cybersecurity, new media, mis/disinformation, product equity, and a range of other key issues
• Receive a monetary award for the successful completion of the program

Required Program Commitments

Aspen Digital strives to provide participants with a rich and immersive experience. We ask that those interested in the Community & Tech Leadership are able to commit to a minimum of 5 hours a month to the program which will include the following:

• Must live and be legally able to work in the United States
• Full attendance to and participation in a 2-day emerging tech boot camp September 17-18th, in Washington D.C. (Travel and lodging will be provided for those outside of the D.C area)
• Must attend and participate in at least 1 additional in-person Aspen Digital event (travel and lodging will be provided)
• Attendance to and participation in at least 75% of monthly virtual 90-minute deep dives
• Write and publish at least 1 op-ed, blog, podcast, or other form of thought leadership upon completion of 6 months of  the program (Spring 2026)
• Come into the program with a general idea of a problem or set of issues related to your work that can help guide your participation and inform the final proposal
• Develop and present either a resource or proposed solution addressing a real world issue at the conclusion of the program that addresses the initial general interest question and synthesizes learning from the duration of the program