Cassie Betts is the founder of District2.Co, a technology company that connects brands/designers with factories to streamline the manufacturing process, and Made In South LA (MISLA), a DevShop Academy. Hear how Cassie went from being homeless to being called “The Woman Turning South LA into Startup Land” by Forbes. You'll hear How she went from coding her first computer game at 9 to being homeless at 19, and how she turned that all around. How do you help protect the poor from being displaced through gentrification? Why more money should be spent on technology bootcamps instead of other diver ..read more

Paul Tasner, Co-founder and CEO of PulpWorks and more recently, Co-founder of Sort, has more than 40 years of operations experience. He has held leadership positions in ventures ranging from start-up to Fortune 100. For the past decade, his focus has been on sustainability. Paul’s corporate affiliations include The Clorox Company, Clif Bar, Method Products, and Hepagen Vaccines. He has authored numerous papers and presentations on supply chain sustainability and currently lectures on this subject in the MBA Programs at San Francisco State University and Golden Gate University as well as the Pa ..read more

Jimmy Chen is the Founder and CEO of Propel, a software company that aims to fight poverty through technology. They are the creators of the Fresh EBT mobile app, which enables EBT cardholders to manage their benefits, save money through grocery coupons, and find jobs. Fresh EBT is used by over 2 million low-income Americans across the country. In this episode of Innovation For All Podcast, Sheana learns why Jimmy decided to start Propel and use the tools of Silicon Valley to address social issues around poverty. In this episode you will learn: Why Jimmy Chen decided to focus on building tech ..read more

In this episode you will learn: How the civil rights movement impacted the growth of McDonald’s in black America How McDonald’s utilized black-centered marketing strategies to fuel advertisements The pros and cons to working in a franchise How the fast food industry was seen as a win for low-income communities initially How black-run McDonald’s franchises pooled resources to benefit the community The differences of how white and black America viewed McDonald’s and its impact on advertising How racist systems use black entrepreneurship as a way to avoid addressing racism COVID-19: Challenges t ..read more

In this episode you will learn: How the CEO started Amplio Recruiting and why? What were some of the challenges in starting the business? How are companies vetted to ensure that the refugees are protected? What are the assumptions about the refugee community and are they true? What are the challenges with finding opportunities for women refugees? What is Amplio Ventures? What are some of the success stories? How has this work in diversity and inclusion influenced his personal views? Learn more about Amplio Recruiting at https://ampliorecruiting.com/. Get shownotes for this and every episode ..read more

Two years after her revenge porn nightmare began, Darieth Chisolm won the case against her ex-boyfriend. Should tech companies make it harder to weaponize their platforms against women? In this episode you will learn: About Darieth's personal experience with revenge porn Her challenge of taking legal action outside of the U.S. The impact of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Examples of first steps on how victims can take legal action Obstacles to taking down nude content that is published online A brief history of policies like the SHIELD Act and Enough Act How Freedom of Speech sho ..read more

Can AI really change the world? Or are its developing algorithms formalizing social injustice? When these highly-technical systems derive patterns from existing datasets, their models can perpetuate past mistakes. In this episode of the Innovation For All Podcast, Sheana Ahlqvist discusses with David Robinson the threats of social bias and discrimination becoming embedded in Artificial Intelligence. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: What is the role of technological advances in shaping society? What is the difference between Machine Learning vs. Artificial Intelligence? Social Justice Implication ..read more

"Set the market and work when and how you like. You have complete control." At least that is what gig economy companies like Uber would have you believe. In this episode of the Innovation For All podcast, Sheana speaks with Marshall Steinbaum, Assistant Professor of Economics at University of Utah, to talk about the pitfalls of the gig economy. Find out how employers can have control over the workforce without being a monopoly and how gig workers may be getting the short end of the stick. You’ll learn: Why did Uber driver’s strike? What makes the gig economy examples more complex? What is the ..read more

You'll learn How contract workers are essential in aiding AIs and search engines Examples of a ghost work in everyday technology How the tech industry often devalues contract employees What data labeling is What a ghost worker's daily schedule looks like How the growing telehealth industry is a prime example of under-appreciated, yet essential contract work The three elements that undermine job happiness How business are benefiting from contract workers The growing challenges of moving towards more contract-driven business Why we should mind the gap rather than close the gap How the pandemic ..read more

Host Sheana Ahlqvist speaks with Hans Jørgen Wiberg, founder of Be My Eyes, a free mobile app that connects blind and visually impaired individuals with sighted volunteers through live video calls. Wiberg explains how Be My Eyes works, how he monetized an app while keeping it free for both sides of the marketplace, and how important it is to consider how blind people interact with the world around them when designing products and services. You’ll learn: What is microvolunteering? What is Be My Eyes and how does it work? How can we design products so that they are more accessible to the blind ..read more