A Prosocial Innovation Engine in the Heart of the South
Our Mission
The Atlanta HEARTH (Human, Ethical, and Responsible Technology Hub) will provide an engine of economic growth and social renewal for America by centering the wisdom of social scientists and those who have been historically marginalized in the development of new Prosocial technologies. The HEARTH Innovation Engine will engage and employ innovators across the South to create a new wave of Internet Communications, Distributed Ledger, and AI Technologies specifically created to improve society and social life.
Cross-disciplinary
Socially Responsible
Diverse
Self-Sustaining
Overcoming Harmful Social Dynamics
Humanity’s first wave of social technologies have too often polarized populations, degraded civic trust, exacerbated power inequalities, accelerated surveillance powers of centralizing authorities –– and promoted unhealthy priorities for technology users, contributing to epidemics of anxiety and depression.
Infowars
Bad actors use social media to spread disinformation through Infowars
Private social platforms prioritize their bottom lines; reinforcing unhealthy thinking and behavior.
Unhealthy priorities
Surveillance technology threatens the public’s safety to engage in civic discussion.
Surveillance Tech
Power imbalance
Those who design the systems and have the data will have the power
Technology has aggravated the incentives that result in worse journalism
Poor journalism
Lower Trust
Individual trust in institutions and each other is declining.
Prosocial Future
Prosocial technologies have broad-scale social impacts and rely on significant social data inputs. They can promote healthier social interactions, relationships, and collaborations, strengthen democracy, and meaningfully include more people in our information-technology economy. These new technologies will include prosocial applications and mass collaboration platforms that enrich societal and individual wellbeing, promote truth-seeking, surface diverse voices, scaffold meaningful connections, advance social scientific understandings, and encourage civic engagement and consensus. They will empower American individuals, families, communities, and organizations to collaboratively understand and engage in the improvement of society at multiple levels.
Encourages Consensus
Help people to see multiple sides to an issue and gain a big picture view of the issues
Surface Diverse Voices
Ensure that the inclusion of underrepresented groups is baked in
Help individuals to identify common ground and build lasting connections
Enable Connection
Promote Truth Seeking
Help people make informed decisions
Ensure that tech systems and society are not “gamed” by bots
Remove Bots
Engender Prosocial Emotions & Outcomes
Ensure that technology enriches individual and societal well-being.
Our Service Area
Our geographical region of service will extend out to communities and workforces in the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, with a coordinating center in Atlanta, Georgia. The region of service is home to many Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and includes 4 EPSCoR states (AL, LA, MS, and SC). This locale already includes many necessary ingredients for the successful generation of new innovations in technology, and efforts here will reduce the digital divide in the Southeastern states.
Atlanta is ideally positioned to coordinate movement-building for socially responsible technologies across the Southeast. Known as the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement, Atlanta is becoming a hub for companies searching for diverse tech workers, including Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Compared to more-established tech cities such as San Francisco/Silicon Valley, New York, and Boston, Atlanta has the greatest density of minority founders, with about 25% of its employees in the tech industry identifying as Black/African-American (compared with 6% in San Francisco).
Strategic Vision
Next Steps
01
Kickoff Meeting
We have pulled together some great partners for this coalition and will be bringing them together in Atlanta to start preparing our strategies.
02
Landscape Analysis
We are ready to start our landscape analysis today to assess the needs of the region and develop our strategy.
03
Committee Meetings
We have 12 committees ready to meet monthly to start moving forward our strategies for workforce development, use-inspired research, innovation, partnerships and more.
Be a Part of the Movement
Help us empower and position HBCUs, local government, industry, communities, civil society organizations, and the nonprofit sector to develop technology for a prosocial future that benefits the entire nation.
Donate today and help us take the next step in bringing this vision to life.
Get Involved
Interested in joining the coalition? Tell us about yourself!
Our Partners
HBCU
Private historically black men's liberal arts college
Workforce development
Atlanta agency supporting investment & tech talent
Tech Company/Nonprofit
Top technologists providing support & capacity building for the next generation of social technology builders
Socially Responsible Tech Community
Top academics, policy makers, and technologists developing diverse workforce
HBCU
One of the largest HBCUs in the United States
Data Science Education/Acceleration
Top academics, researchers, and technologists
Community of Practice
An Atlanta and national institution catalyzing progress for all
Tech Accelerator
Equipping and fostering top entrepreneurial talent in Atlanta and beyond
Global Community & Tech Company
Builds and designs Intentional Products, and Technologies for Peace, Love and Purpose.
Social Impact Lab
A social impact entertainment and storytelling lab.
Tech Accelerator, R&D lab, Public Education
Top academics, policy makers and technologists.
Non-profit, Social Science R&D
Top academics focused on emergent tech & democracy, health & society and Inclusion
Data Science Education/Acceleration
Top academics, collective intelligence technologists, and community builders
ProSocial R&D Lab, Nonprofit, Public Education/Engagement
Top academics, collective intelligence technologists, and community builders
Startup accelerator
Operates in Atlanta and is ranked as the top 11th startup accelerator
Community of Practice
the largest community of Black people in the technology industry
Non-profit
Exposes harmful practices that were made public through Frances Haugen's disclosures to the U.S. government
Community of Practice
Increases the representation of black professionals at senior levels in tech
City of Atlanta - Mayor’s Office
Chief administrator and official representative for the general management of the City
Entrepreneurship Center
Connects education with student entrepreneurship.
Non-profit, Accelerator
Funds and trains faculty and student innovators to create successful, socially beneficial businesses
Research University
The largest university in the Carolinas
Non-profit, Community of Service
Dedicated to research, education and training in the principles, philosophy and methods of Kingian nonviolence
Recruiting Agency
Operated for more than 20 years recruiting key leaders into senior level positions in the public, private and non profit sectors
Research University
Highly diverse university in Atlanta with 41% black students.
Black Business Generator
Creates and accelerates opportunities for Black business owners
Economic Development Authority for Atlanta
Government entity that strengthen Atlanta’s economy and global competitiveness
Non-profit, Education, Community
Increases accessibility and opportunities for those with disabilities
Civic and Social Organization
Design and develop systems for a healthier digital society. Co-creators of DSNP
Consultancy
Provides subject-matter expertise in program and product design for solutions that span technology, industry, education, and community