A new research and action project to catalyze a conversation around capital infrastructure for prosocial technology from The Council on Tech and Social Cohesion, along with New_Public, supported by a grant from Porticus.
We have seen negative effects of platform social media on our communities, families, and democracies. We believe that much of what has led to the negative effects of social media has to do with economic incentives and structures that are engagement-driven, growth-obsessed, promote platform monopolies, and have little transparency.
It is unlikely that ‘healthy’ large-scale alternatives will emerge organically in the current system of data-extractive “free to use” business models, and exit-driven funding. But this does not mean we don’t have other options.
This project specifically seeks to understand the perspective of capital suppliers in the tech and social impact landscape and to open the door to innovation in capital distribution. We’ll be bringing together funders, social impact investors, angel investors, government grantmakers, equity crowdfunding and small business grantmakers, procurement professionals, policy experts, and technology entrepreneurs exploring new financial models such as co-ops, DAOs, and exit to community.
It’s clear we need to re-think the ways we create, fund, and own our social infrastructure. Without changes in capital approaches for technology, no alternatives can emerge, especially alternatives that consider and reflect a broader cultural tapestry.
We plan to host an in-person workshop in May that will lead to a virtual series of conversations intended to bring key perspectives together and stimulate innovation. To ensure impactful meetings, we will first conduct interviews, aggregate findings, and publish a number of articles before the workshop and after.
This project will be led by Laure X Cast, a board member at Prosocial Design Network, Fellow at the Integrity Institute, and Steward at Collaborative Technology Alliance. The project is supported by Porticus and hosted by the Council on Tech and Social Cohesion, along with New_Public.
& You!
<aside> 💡 We’d love your help to support this effort with sponsorship, key introductions, and amplification of our work. Send Laure an email.
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