Community & Tech Leaders Initiative

The Challenge

The explosion of digital innovation in recent years, including rapid advances in AI, promises to fundamentally reimagine our shared future. While emerging tech holds great promise, community leaders who know firsthand what challenges their constituents face on the ground are often overlooked and ill-equipped to engage due to lack of resources and perceived lack of expertise.

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.

The initiative will provide our inaugural cohort of 10 rising community leaders with hands-on learning opportunities on the most pressing emerging tech issues of the day. Participants will benefit from unique access to tech leaders and key decision makers, strategically bringing their perspectives and experiences to the table to reimagine an innovation ecosystem that is built by and serves all.

meet the Community & Tech leaders

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Soad Abbadi

Public Health Scientist (Health Equity), Food and Drug Administration

Cynthia Burrola

Director, Affiliate Engagement, UnidosUS

Malena Data Ernani

Strategic Partnerships Manager, El Timpano

Juliana Lozano

Executive Director, Despierta

Hillary Lyle

Director of Strategic Initiatives, SCPa Works

Deyane Moses

Director Programs and Partnerships, Afro Charities Inc, AFRO News, Blackives, LLC

Jaynie Parrish

Executive Director, Arizona Native Vote

Domenico Ruggerio

Executive Director, We Are Family

Sim Singh Attariwala

Director, Anti-Hate Program, Asian Americans Advancing Justice

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Final Projects and reflections

Explore some of the Community & Tech Leaders’ reflections and analysis on lessons learned during the last year.

Two hands coming out of web screens collaged shaking hands.

The Relational Stack: Beyond Product-Centered Tech

How can rethink our building of technology to work alongside human systems and increase our capacity to connect and act together? Community & Tech Leader Malena Data Ernani reflects on how we continue to develop a relational stack that squares technology as one layer within the human systems that make change possible.

Malena Data Ernani
Strategic Partnerships Manager, El Timpano

October 14, 2026

Collage of photos of body parts, such as an eye, ear, and a stick figure body with a phone on top.

Building Systems that serve in the age of AI

How do we build systems that protect communities from harm? Community & Tech Leader Soad Abbad reflects on her background in public health and the importance of building technology systems that serve communities.

Soad Abbadi
Public Health Scientist (Health Equity), Food and Drug Administration