Innovation For All - Diversity in Tech and Business

Season 3 premiere! Dr. Marcia Chatelain, author of Franchise: The Golden Arches In Black America discusses the complex history of McDonald’s in black America with Sheana. She explains how the civil rights movement impacted black business ownership and how franchises, like McDonald’s, can be both an economic win and financially limiting for low-income communities.

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 to the food justice movement and what environmental racism is
• Corona virus: What are the limits of the private sector?
• Experience and complexities of black franchise owners
• How to reframe historical storytelling to highlight the community rather than the business

Caroline Criado Perez is a writer, journalist and feminist campaigner. She has written two books: Do It Like A Woman and Invisible Women. In her most recent book Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men she describes how very old data bias can affect women today. In this episode, Sheana learns about the different ways data bias is affecting women today, from trivial things such as phone size to not so trivial things such as seat belt safety. Caroline tells all this and more in this episode of Innovation For All Podcast.

In this episode you will learn:

• What is male default thinking?
  
• What are the consequences in tech?
  
• Why the market is so bad at providing for women?
  
• What is low hanging fruit for those of us who want to make money by providing solutions for women?
  
• A stove example of male default thinking.
  
• What can entrepreneurs and consumers do about these issues?
  

"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 difference between the gig economy labor and employment relationships?
• What should an independent contractor relationship look like?
• What are the markers of employer and employee relationships as opposed to independent contractor relationship?
• How does antitrust factor in to these issues?
• Proposed solutions to the gig economy and labor laws
• How these companies exercise control over their underrepresented workers

Do you know someone who is concerned about the rise of the gig economy? Text them a link to this episode. You are the reason our movement is growing.

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?
• How can one monetize and keep sustainable a product or service, especially one that is designed for a low-income population, without charging users?
• What are some challenges facing Be My Eyes and similar apps in their efforts to support specific populations worldwide?

Sally Hubbard is Director of Enforcement Strategy at Open Markets Institute. Learn whether giant tech companies are building monopolies (spoiler alert: they are) and why that unfair advantage matters. In this episode, you’ll learn: 

• What is Antitrust law? 
• Is fake news an antitrust problem? 
• How monopolies amplify inequality
• What would it look like to unmonopolize big tech companies? 

In the season finale of Innovation for All, Maggie Delano tells us how period-tracking apps exclude people who are not straight, cis-gendered women without medical conditions. She explains how user design could be more inclusive and introduces us to the benefits of Quantified Self.

You'll learn:

• The issues surrounding period-tracking apps
• How period-tracking apps can be more inclusive of people with medical conditions
• How user research can think about cases that fall outside of the set target audience
• Ways to increase inclusivity in the on-boarding process of app design
• Concerns of data privacy in period-tracking apps
• How self-tracking can be beneficial
• Ways that self-tracking is happening organically
• Ideas on tracking "subjective" experiences such as emotion and mood
• How to leverage user research to avoid stereotypes and generalizations
• Examples of queer-inclusive business ideas

Imagine a workplace where people of all colors and races are able to climb every rung of the corporate ladder -- and where the lessons we learn about diversity at work actually transform the things we do, think, and say outside the office. How do we get there?

Janet Stovall, head speechwriter for the CEO of UPS, tells us about her history fighting for inclusion since she was a student at Davidson College through present day. She discusses the complexities of being a woman of color in the workforce and how to address institutionalized racism.

In this episode you will learn:

• The history of Project 87 at Davidson College
• How measurable, quantifiable movements are successful
• What it's like to be a "stand-in director of diversity"
• Experiences of being an Executive Speech Writer for UPS's CEO
• How Janet left corporate America to start her own business
• The business case for diversity
• Challenges of corporate America
• Pros and cons of being self employed
• Overcoming discrimination against women of color in the workforce
• How not all forms of diversity are equal

In this special episode, our favorite experts on AI, product designers and more return to answer two key questions: What’s the biggest news in your field in 2019, since we recorded the podcast? What's something that's been missing from the conversation that you'd like to see gain more interest in 2020? You'll hear from

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 for low income families
• What is Propel and Fresh EBT
• Why start with the food stamp program to battle poverty
• How does Propel get the experience and empathy to solve problems they might not understand
• What is the process for getting usable information from users
• What are the logistical and general obstacles faced by Propel and how are they overcome
• What are some misconceptions about the food stamp program
• Where else can the private sector make a difference and what are the challenges

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.

• What is the role of technological advances in shaping society?
• What is the difference between Machine Learning vs. Artificial Intelligence?
• Social Justice Implications of Technology
• What are the limitations of finding patterns in previous data?
• How does should government regulate new, highly technical systems?
• The need for more resources and more thoughtfulness in regulating data
• Examples of data-driven issues in the private sector.
• Removing skepticism of regulatory agencies in examining data models.
• Authorities should remember that there are limits to what AI models can do.

David is the co-founder of Upturn and currently a Visiting Scientist at the AI Policy and Practice Initiative in Cornell’s College of Computing and Information Science. David touches on how government regulatory agencies should examine new AI models and systems, especially as the technology continues to creep its way into our day-to-day lives. David discusses the importance of “ground truthing.” David emphasizes looking at a technology’s capabilities and limits before deciding on whether decision makers should implement it.

Overview:

In this episode of Innovation for All, Jeff Temple, professor and licensed psychologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch will discuss his research that studies teenage sexting behaviors. Jeff explains the gender breakdown of teenage sexting, the factors that may lead to psychological consequences, and how it may be a safe way for LGBTQ youth to explore sexuality.

In this episode you will learn:

• How psychologists define what sexting is
• What sexting looks like in adults
• How sexting should be looked at in the context of universal prevention programs rather than as a bad behavior
• What Jeff’s longitudinal studies of teenage sexting involve
• The challenges of studying sexting in teenagers
• The breakdown of sexting in girls compared to boys
• What factors related to sexting could lead to psychological health consequences
• Why consensual sexting does not lead to psychological health issues
• How media headlines misrepresent today’s teenagers as “sex-crazed”
• If sexting can be used as a safe way explore sexuality
• If there are legal risks in having nude photos on your phone
• What makes people want to sext
• How sexuality plays into the research of teenage sexting
• Opportunity to talk to your teenager in an ongoing conversation
• How in the future psychology may be integrated into primary care
• Why college athletes should be paid

Erica Stone works at the intersection of writing, teaching, and community organizing. Through collaborative projects, she creates opportunities for scholars, students, and community members to engage in conversations and civic problem-solving with the hope of building a more equitable and participatory democracy. As a researcher, Erica is passionate about making academic scholarship free and accessible. In her 2016 TED talk, she critiques the academic publishing industry, urging academics to engage with popular media and include communities in their research. Erica is a doctoral candidate in the Technical Communication and Rhetoric program at Texas Tech University. Her research centers on public engagement in composition classrooms and academics’ role in their surrounding communities.

In this episode you will learn:

• The reality of who has access to academic research
• Erica’s experience during her TEDx audition process
• What engaging in academia means beyond teaching
• What the publication process looks like from start to finish for academic research
• The cost of academic subscriptions
• The concerns Erica has about popular culture publications translating academic research
• How different TED chapters and franchises operate
• How academics are trained to make things complicated and how that impacts public understanding
• The historical reasoning for tenure and complications of tenure today
• How to include open access publications to count toward tenure
• Resources for democratizing and translating research
• How for-profit companies are hopping on the idea of open access research

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 Packaging Engineering Department at San Jose State University. He holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Boston University.

In this episode you will learn:

• How PulpWorks manufactures packaging for consumer goods using fiber waste
• The story of Paul Tasner starting his first business at age 66
• The perks of being your own boss as an entrepreneur
• The specific challenges PulpWorks faces in securing new customers
• How to pursue investors in the competitive city of San Francisco
• Critical questions to consider for people nearing retirement that want to start a business
• How recycling is an answer but not the answer
• Why Paul is envious of the millennial mindset
• How rejecting plastic can make a difference
• What Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is and how EPR regulations could impact society
• Paul’s new tech-based recycling business

Caroline Criado Perez is a writer, journalist and feminist campaigner. She has written two books: Do It Like A Woman and Invisible Women. In her most recent book Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men she describes how very old data bias can affect women today. In this episode, Sheana learns about the different ways data bias is affecting women today, from trivial things such as phone size to not so trivial things such as seat belt safety. Caroline tells all this and more in this episode of Innovation For All Podcast. 

In this episode you will learn: 

• What is male default thinking? 
• What are the consequences in tech? 
• Why the market is so bad at providing for women? 
• What is low hanging fruit for those of us who want to make money by providing solutions for women? 
• A stove example of male default thinking. 
• What can entrepreneurs and consumers do about these issues? 

Egg freezing startups like Extend Fertility may be a democratizing force to give women more child-bearing options. CEO Anne Hogarty discusses how Extend Fertility is giving women more choice through affordable egg freezing. As with any business designed to give women more choice, controversy abounds! Critics have a lot of questions: Is it ethical? Manipulative? Safe? Gimmicky?

You’ll hear:

• Why are fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF) so expensive?
• What are the unique advantages of egg freezing? What are the limitations?
• Is egg freezing a “bandaid?” Should we, instead, make it easier for women to have children while having a career?
• Should we be concerned that egg freezing businesses prey on women’s concerns about having children? Or is it unfair to suggest that women can’t assess their situations for themselves?
• Why has there been pushback from making egg freezing more affordable?
• Why did Extend Fertility upset so many when they advertised their services on Instagram?
• What are typical success rates for egg freezing?

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 inclusive tech for low income families 
• What is Propel and Fresh EBT  
• Why start with the food stamp program to battle poverty 
• How does Propel get the diversity and empathy to solve problems they might not understand 
• What is the process for getting usable information from users 
• What are the logistical and general obstacles faced by Propel and how are they overcome 
• What are some misconceptions about the food stamp program 
• Where else can the private sector make a difference and what are the challenges 

Kara Dake is a social impact innovator who is using a combination of wellness practices, community, media and exponential technologies. Her goal is to bring emotional and collective intelligence to the forefront of business and society. In this episode of Innovation for All Podcast, Sheana learns what this feminine energy is and how it can look in the workplace. Kara takes us through the value of feminine intelligence and intuition in the workplace and explains how it fits in with our technology and advances.  

In this episode you will learn: 

• Are traditional workspaces really inclusive of “female energy?”
• How Kara brought her MBA finance experience into bringing intuition and emotional intelligence to the workplace.
• Is there value in having more emotion in our workspaces?
• Why Kara decided to pursue an MBA?
• How Kara ended up in the tech space.
• Kara’s current projects: FI and FeelTankTV and how you can use them.
• Skills that can be learned at FeelTankTV.
• What is Co-Creation and why is it important?
• What are some of the assumptions we make in business everyday?
• What could a middle manager do to bring these practices into a company or system today?

"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 difference between the gig economy labor and employment relationships? 
• What should an independent contractor relationship look like?
• What are the markers of employer and employee relationships as opposed to independent contractor relationship?
• How does antitrust factor in to these issues?
• Proposed solutions to the gig economy and labor laws
• How these companies exercise control over their underrepresented workers

Do you know someone who is concerned about the rise of the gig economy? Text them a link to this episode. You are the reason our movement is growing.

What’s really in online terms of service that we agree to? Nate Beard joins Sheana to talk about where these terms of service come from and what’s in them. Find out what rights we may be sacrificing while using social media platforms in this episode of the Innovation For All Podcast. 

In this episode you’ll learn:

• What’s in Terms of Service and do we really understand them?
• Problems that come with terms of service on social media
• Ethics of Terms of Service
• How restrictive are terms of service? 
• What rights are affected by TOS?
• Speech on social media platforms
• Privacy,  ownership, and due process on social media platforms
• Ways forward with Terms of Service

Do you know someone who doesn't trust the social media giants? Text them a link to this episode. You are the reason our movement is growing.

How can we build a more inclusive and productive workforce? In this episode of the Innovation For All podcast, Sheana speaks with Katherine Zaleski, one of the founders of Power To Fly. Katherine shares how Power To Fly is completely reinventing the traditional hiring process for companies to bring more women into the workplace and become more inclusive and diverse.  

In this episode you will learn: 

• How is traditional work limiting? 
• How is Power to Fly addressing the gender pipeline problem? 
• How can remote work play a key role in helping women?
• How can companies hire more diverse candidates?
• Can the hiring process signal a non-inclusive environment? 

Do you know someone who is working to build a more inclusive workplace? Text them a link to this episode. We can't grow without you!  

Josh Lovejoy believes that human-centered design thinking can change the world for the better; that by seeking to address the needs of people - especially those at the margins - in ways that respect, restore and augment their capabilities, we can invent forms of technological innovation that would have otherwise been invisible. 

• What is a design ethicist?
• How do autonomous AI systems take advantage of consumers?
• What is predictive policing and how does it relate to AI ethics?
• What is a deepfake?
• What happens when you give up personal data in exchange for a more personalized tech experience?
• Who should have the authority to make consequential decisions about AI?
• Should diversity be a design goal?
• How can designers avoid building uninclusive products?

How does Google make successful products when their users are infinitely diverse? Head of Product and Business Inclusion at Google, Reena Jana, shares the ways that this tech giant takes an inclusive approach to serve its users and be sensitive to different cultural norms. Reena shares how some of Google's best products were modified and improved through inclusive design and research practices. 

You'll learn:

• What is product inclusion?
• Best practices to overcome product inclusion challenges
• The benefits and challenges of handling inclusion on a global scale
• How Reena forged her role as the head of product and business inclusion
• Product Inclusion success stories and how the team develops these products
• How machine learning is helping Product Inclusion
• How the product development process prioritizes diversity at each level
• Why diversity is valuable
• Free tools Google offers to help product diversity and inclusion outside of their organization

Traditional approaches to business, design practices, and research can result in suboptimal or uninclusive systems. In this episode of Innovation for All, host Sheana Ahlqvist talks to Dr. Jutta Treviranus, Director of the Inclusive Design Research Centre at OCAD University in Toronto. They discuss what inclusive design is, why it is so important, and how we can design systems that accommodate the diversity of the world. Dr. Treviranus also reimagines the future of education. They cover her efforts to incorporate inclusivity into the current change-resistant educational system, her “Unlearning and Questioning” course, and her most recent project: developing a lab school for inclusive life-long learning.  (Original Airdate: 9/26/18) 

YOU’LL LEARN: 

• How to use AR to combine real data with simulated data to create and experience new, imagined futures 
• What is the Pareto Principle (80/20 Principle)? 
• What are the real world consequences of ignoring the “20%”? 
• What is the Cobra Effect?

Food delivery apps are putting mom and pop restaurants out of business. In this episode of Innovation For All, Chris Webb, CEO of ChowNow, shows the actual cost of meal delivery and how ChowNow is trying to mitigate those risks through an alternative business model. 

You’ll learn:

• How much food marketplaces charge the host restaurant, on top of the fees they charge the customer.
• Does the restaurant know who is buying their food when ordered through a delivery app? 
• Why are restaurants willing to use delivery apps even when they are unprofitable?
• What does a model that puts the restaurant first look like?

"Tech should be built for good" says Amanda McGlothlin, co-founder and Chief Design Officer at HQ Network, a Los Angeles space start-up providing digital security products and services for individuals and businesses. As a leader in tech, Amanda believes that privacy is a fundamental human right. Hear her tactical, realistic approach to product design that truly protects the user's privacy.

In this episode you'll learn:

• How ads and third-party trackers cost us money and make our technology less valuable.
• The future of an ad-free user experience.
• The new privacy laws that protect consumers from data breaches.
• How companies can exercise more responsibility around their data practices to both protect the user and create success for their business.
• What product managers and coders can do to support these companies who are willing to change their data practices for good. 
• What dark patterns are and how they apply to data and tracking.
• Why it’s possible to collect data in moderation and still experience the benefits of analytics.
• How consumers can protect their data and exercise safety while online.

Are you enjoying Innovation For All? Don't keep it to yourself! We want to share our message far and wide. You can help us by rating us and leaving a review on your favorite podcasting platform.

Learn how Khan Academy Kids provides digital educational resources to support kindergarten-readiness and help close early achievement gaps. In this episode of the Innovation For All Podcast, Sheana chats with Cyrena Chih, formerly the Director of Product & Business Development for Khan Academy Kids, a free educational program for children ages two to six.

YOU’LL LEARN:

·         How to design kid-friendly apps

·         What a well-executed adaptive learning program looks like

·         Why they chose to turn from a for-profit to a non-profit

·         How do we choose technology to alleviate early achievement gaps?

·         The importance of parents co-playing with their kids.

How can FinTech leverage behavioral economics to help people become more financially secure? Sheana Ahlqvist talks to Wendy De La Rosa, co-founder of Common Cents Lab, a research lab that launches and tests products to help low-to-moderate-income Americans.

• What kinds of Fintech products and apps effectively help people budget and save.
• How certain Fintech apps could be hurting more than helping those below the poverty line.
• Why lots of common features are ineffective and undermine our interest in savings.
• Tricks from behavioural economics that anyone can use to get their spending habits in order.
• How the needs of those in poverty are drastically different and what product managers can do to fit their unique needs.
• Specific ways to remove friction around SNAP benefits, tax refunds and loan repayments to help people in poverty get ahead.
• Frequency Budgets vs. Financial Budgets
• What dark patterns are and how they apply to Fintech products.
• How “round-ups” can help people save money in the long term.
• How temptation plays a major role in how people deal with their money.

In this special episode, Sheana asks some of her favorite guests two key questions: What is something you've changed your mind about in 2018? And what is something you'd like to see become a larger part of the conversation in 2019?

You don't want to miss this one. Want to hear more from these great guests? Check out their full episodes:

Dr. Amanda Lotz is a media studies professor at Queensland University of Technology.

Technology can better serve humanity. In this episode of the Innovation For All Podcast, Sheana Ahlqvist speaks with Jake Kahana, founder of Bettvr With Age and Caveday. Jake shares these two projects that look very different on the surface. In fact, they are united by a common goal, to demonstrate the social impact of technology. Discover how Virtual reality (VR) can be therapeutic for seniors, why the typical 9-5 work day is a complete fallacy, and how to manage remote teams effectively. You’ll enjoy this episode if you are interested in VR or modernizing the workplace. 

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL HEAR: 

• The difference between a social impact agency and cost marketing agency 
• The challenges in producing and distributing VR films 2 significant limitations for senior citizens: mobility and finances 
• The Impact of Bettvr With Age Physical and mental therapy using VR 
• What is Caveday? 
• How to improve your relationship to work 
• The dangers of overwork 
• How to communicate with a remote team 
• How important is establishing rules around communication, scheduling and productivity inside a team 
• 3 Things you need when you work – accountability, motivation, and support 
• Resources your team can use to increase productivity 

Undoubtedly, technology isn’t just for the young. It is for all ages – even seniors. This is what Jake is proving to exhibit in his Bettvr with Age project where he produces VR films for senior citizens. Seniors can still experience places and activities that their old age won’t permit them to do and visit through VR. We also discuss the science of productivity. 

Through Caveday, Jake and his team are able to organize pieces of training for individuals and companies on how to do deep work since no one taught us how to work. There are ways you can improve your relationship to work to be productive and also avoid overworking. Jake identifies specific resources you can use to support your team’s productivity and happiness.

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 Implications of Technology
• What are the limitations of finding patterns in previous data?
• How does should government regulate new, highly technical systems?
• The need for more resources and more thoughtfulness in regulating data
• Examples of data-driven issues in the private sector.
• Removing skepticism of regulatory agencies in examining data models.
• Authorities should remember that there are limits to what AI models can do.

David is the co-founder of Upturn and currently a Visiting Scientist at the AI Policy and Practice Initiative in Cornell's College of Computing and Information Science. David touches on how government regulatory agencies should examine new AI models and systems, especially as the technology continues to creep its way into our day-to-day lives. David discusses the importance of “ground truthing.” David emphasizes looking at a technology’s capabilities and limits before deciding on whether decision makers should implement it.

LINKS