CENTRI TECH FOUNDATION

DIGITAL ADVANCEMENT INSTITUTETHE CENTRI TECH FOUNDATION SEEKS TO LEVERAGE INVESTMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY ACCESS AND ADOPTION TO BUILD AN INCLUSIVE DIGITAL ECONOMY. BY EXPANDING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, RELIABLE HIGH-SPEED INTERNET TO EVERY AMERICAN NOT ONLY WHERE THEY WORK AND LEARN, BUT ALSO WHERE THEY LIVE, LEADERS CAN IMPLEMENT BOLD STRATEGIES THAT DRIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ACHIEVE PROSPERITY FOR ALL. THIS APPROACH IS CALLED DIGITAL ADVANCEMENT, THE MOBILIZATION OF TECHNOLOGY'S POTENTIAL TO LIFT THE HUMAN CONDITION.THE DIGITAL ADVANCEMENT MUNICIPAL INDEX (MUNI INDEX) IS A TOOL DESIGNED TO MEASURE U.S. CITIES' PROGRESS TOWARD SHARED PROSPERITY. USING 16 INDICATORS FROM FOUR CATEGORIES TECHNOLOGY, SOCIOECONOMICS, EDUCATION, AND HOUSING, THE MUNI INDEX CAPTURES AND COMPARES A CITY'S OVERALL PROSPERITY AND DIGITAL EQUITY METRICS ACROSS NEARLY U.S. CITIES WITH POPULATIONS OVER 65,000. OUR REFRESHED INDEX INCLUDES UPDATED DATA FOR 540 CITIES, FRESH INSIGHTS, AND NEW VISUALIZATIONS.IN 2024, BUILDING OFF OF THE SUCCESSFUL RELEASE OF THE V2.0 OF THE MUNI INDEX, WE STRENGTHENED OUR COMMITMENT TO SHARING DATA INSIGHTS FOR A NATIONAL AUDIENCE. WE INITIATED THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW AND COMPLIMENTARY ADDITION TO THE INDEX: AN INTERACTIVE MAP. WE SEEK TO DESIGN A MORE ACCESSIBLE, COMPELLING, AND VISUALLY ENGAGING TOOL THAT PROVIDES CITIES AND OTHER PRACTITIONERS A CLEARER, MORE IMPACTFUL VIEW OF KEY LOCAL INFORMATION.WE COLLABORATED WITH EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS TO REFINE AND ENHANCE THE MUNICIPAL INDEX, ACTIVELY GATHERING THE INPUT AND INSIGHTS OF OUR PEERS. ENGAGING IN MEANINGFUL DISCUSSIONS WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS, NATIONAL NONPROFITS, AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR ALLOWED US TO GATHER VALUABLE FEEDBACK ON USER NEEDS, USABILITY, AND DATA RELEVANCE. THESE DIALOGUES ENABLED US TO MAKE INFORMED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TOOLS, ALIGNING WITH OUR END GOAL OF SUPPORTING DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING.WE PRESENTED AT THE NATIONAL DIGITAL INCLUSION ALLIANCE'S 2024 NET INCLUSION CONFERENCE, WHERE OVER 1300 POLICYMAKERS, INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS, ADVOCATES, RESEARCHERS, EVALUATORS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS GATHERED TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE AND DISCUSS BEST PRACTICES ON DIGITAL INCLUSION. WE ASSEMBLED A PANEL OF KEY STAKEHOLDERS WHO HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN DEVELOPING THE DIGITAL ADVANCEMENT INSTITUTE, INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF PHILADELPHIA, NEXT CENTURY CITIES, THE ILLINOIS BROADBAND LAB AND THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA. ALONGSIDE CTF PRESIDENT MARTA URQUILLA, WHO MODERATED THE PANEL, THE SPEAKERS DISCUSSED STRATEGIES FOR ACCESSING DATA AND LEVERAGING TOOLS LIKE THE MUNICIPAL INDEX TO MAKE STRIDES TOWARDS MEANINGFUL DIGITAL ADVANCEMENT.LOOK AHEAD: AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO USING DATA AS A POWERFUL RESOURCE TO SUPPORT DECISIONS IN PROGRESSING TOWARDS DIGITAL ADVANCEMENT. WE WILL UPDATE THE INDEX WITH NEW PUBLIC DATA AND ENGAGE WITH PARTNERS ACROSS GOVERNMENT, THE PRIVATE SECTOR, PHILANTHROPY AND NONPROFITS. A KEY PRIORITY WILL BE THE STRATEGIC PROMOTION AND AMPLIFICATION OF THE INDEX TO MAXIMIZE ITS REACH AND IMPACT, SUCH AS OPPORTUNITIES TO SHOWCASE THE TOOL AND ITS IMPACT TO NEW AND DIVERSE AUDIENCES. WE WILL SEEK STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS TO ENHANCE THE TOOL AND SECURE FUNDING TO FURTHER DEVELOP AND REFINE ITS CAPABILITIES, INCLUDING THE INTEGRATION OF COMMUNITY DATA.

SOCIAL JUSTICE INNOVATION AWARDS IN 2024, THE CENTRI TECH FOUNDATION, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MORGAN STANLEY, CONVENED AND PROVIDED LEADERSHIP COACHING AND MENTORING TO THE 2023 FELLOWS OF THE SOCIAL JUSTICE INNOVATION AWARDS (SJIA), A PROGRAM NOW IN ITS THIRD YEAR THAT AIMS TO IDENTIFY AND INVEST IN BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE. OVER 2022 AND 2023, CTF RE-GRANTED $2.75M ALONG WITH SUPPORT TO 11 INNOVATORS WHO ARE LEADING TECH-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR A VARIETY OF SOCIAL CHALLENGES FROM YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH TO ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY, EDUCATION, PUBLIC BENEFITS, SECOND CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES, AND INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE PRESERVATION. THE 2023 WINNERS OF THE SJIA EACH RECEIVED GRANTS AND BESPOKE SUPPORT TO DEVELOP THEIR INNOVATIONS. THEY JOINED A 9-MONTH FELLOWSHIP COHORT DESIGNED TO PROMOTE COLLABORATION, BUILD LEADERSHIP CAPACITY, AND INCREASE THEIR ACCESS TO NETWORKS. THE FELLOWSHIP COMMENCED WITH AN IN-PERSON CONVENING IN WASHINGTON, D.C., IN SEPTEMBER 2023. FROM OCTOBER 2023 - JUNE 2024, THE COHORT CONNECTED WITH LEADING EXPERTS FOR STRATEGIC SESSIONS FOCUSED ON TECHNOLOGY, LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATED IN ONE-ON-ONE COACHING SESSIONS WITH A TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT EXPERT. - CTF AND THE SJIA FELLOWS ATTENDED TWO LEADERSHIP SESSIONS WITH EXECUTIVES FROM MORGAN STANLEY TO DISCUSS GENERATIVE AI AND INCLUSIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP. CTF OPENED THE 2024 SOCIAL JUSTICE INNOVATION AWARDS, EXTENDING A CALL FOR NOMINATIONS TO A NATIONAL NETWORK OF SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE PRACTITIONERS. OVER 100 APPLICATIONS WERE RECEIVED, FEATURING AI MODELS AND OTHER APPROACHES TO CHALLENGES SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND HEALTH. APPLICATIONS WERE EVALUATED BY AN EXTERNAL REVIEW PANEL, FOLLOWED BY SEMI-FINALIST INTERVIEWS. LOOK AHEAD: IN 2025, WE WILL SELECT AND ANNOUNCE THE PROGRAM'S THIRD COHORT; IMPLEMENT THE COHORT EXPERIENCE; SECURE PARTNERSHIPS AND SUPPORT TO ENHANCE THE PROGRAM; MEASURE, DOCUMENT, AND SHARE PROGRAM OUTCOMES; AND PURSUE FUTURE FUNDING AND SUPPORT.