Welcome back to The PIT Crew!
Recap of our first community call
Thank you to those who attended our first community call! Our conversation was centered around what PIT (public interest technology) means to us, the kind of impact we want to have, and what we’ve found helpful so far navigating early career paths and opportunities.
As we went around our virtual room and explored these questions, we uncovered some larger questions to dive deeper into, such as:
Can “tech for good” solutions exist within a capitalistic society?
Can we exploit the current capitalistic system for good?
When should technology be a part of the solution, and when should it not be?
What are your thoughts on capitalism and public interest technology working together (or not)? Let us know in the comments!
Resources discussed
Techno-Fix: Why Technology Won't Save Us Or the Environment
Cooperatives like the East Bay Permanent Real Estate Collective
Orgs like Upsolve and Bloc Power
Info
Look out for Rachel Stone, an inspiring young woman and Utah’s first-ever Chief Data Officer!
The GovLab released a new online course that “teaches how to use technology, data and innovation to improve our legal system. It showcases innovative open justice projects from around the world and explains how to create your own.” Enroll here.
Events
Thursday, Jul. 22, 2021 | 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM ET - PITUN - TechCongress Congressional Innovation Fellowship Webinar. RSVP and more info here.
Wednesday, Jul. 28, 2021 | 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM CT - In Conversation With Maya Schenwar & Victoria Law: Abolition, Restorative Justice & a New World. Available in English and Spanish! Register here!
Opportunities
Speaking of coops, The Drivers Cooperative is hiring a data engineer!
Ameelio is hiring! Help make communicating with incarcerated folks free.
Looking to build your app development skills? The Tongva Tah-rah’-hat Paxaavxa Conservancy is in need of a language app. Email Ben to get in touch!
Twitter is hiring fall interns for Rumman Chowdhury’s META (Machine Learning Ethics, Transparency and Accountability) team!
Policy Hackers Fellowship Application Now Open for 2021-2022! Applications are open from now until July 18, 2021 (in two days!).
Stay tuned for our next community call announcement for August and be sure to subscribe for future updates by The PIT Crew!
If you have anything you’d like to see us discuss in future calls, send us a reply with your topic of choice.