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Connecting California, Pt. 3
Philanthropy Post-COVID: Where Do We Go From Here?
Thursday, November 19th, 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. PDT
In August, the Michelson 20MM Foundation launched its Connecting California learning series convening the public, private and philanthropic sectors to strengthen our collective understanding of the history and root causes of the “digital divides” –– the economic and educational gaps created by inequitable access to high-speed internet, computing devices, and digital literacy resources. Connecting California features business leaders, digital equity practitioners, philanthropic investors and policymakers—all speaking to different facets of the complex landscape for building digital equity solutions at national, state and local levels.
Join Michelson 20MM on November 19th for the next Connecting California event. “Philanthropy Post-COVID: Where Do We Go From Here?” will spotlight philanthropic leaders and the digital equity investments they’ve made pre- and post-pandemic. Hear from grantmakers, public-private liaisons and venture investors as they share best practices, lessons learned, and how to build back better beyond COVID-19.
What: Philanthropy Post-COVID: Where Do We Go From Here?
When: Thursday November 19th, 9-10:30am PT
Where: Zoom
Who: Some of the brightest minds in our nation’s public, private and philanthropic sectors.
Speakers to Include:
Jarrett Tomás Barrios
SVP of Strategic Community & Programmatic Initiatives, California Community Foundation
Jarrett Barrios serves as the Senior Vice President of Strategic Community & Programmatic Initiatives for the California Community Foundation. At the Foundation, he oversees organizational strategy and leads all CCF programs, communications, policy and advocacy. Prior to CCF, Barrios served as CEO of American Red Cross of Los Angeles, of GLAAD and of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation. From 1999 to 2007, he served in the Massachusetts legislature with a focus on progressive policy issues including affordable housing, health access and consumer protection. Barrios is the immediate past president of the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission, and serves on the boards of the Nathan Cummings Foundation in New York City, the Center on Law and Social Policy in Washington, DC and the Online Progressive Engagement Network (OPEN) in Barcelona, Spain. He has previously served as vice-chair of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund in New York, and on the boards of Families USA, the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, and Preservation of Affordable Housing, Inc.
Adrianne B. Furniss
Executive Director, Board Member, and Trustee, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society
Adrianne B. Furniss is Executive Director, Board Member, and Trustee of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, a private operating foundation with offices in Evanston, Illinois. Since 1981, the Benton Institute has been committed to access, equity, and diversity to fulfill its mission: that everyone in the United States should have equal access to open, affordable, High-Performance Broadband as a means to deliver individual opportunity, strengthen communities, and ensure a thriving democracy.
Currently, Adrianne serves on the Board of Advisors for the Coalition for Local Internet Choice (CLIC) and as Secretary and Executive Committee member of the Board of Directors for PCs for People.
David Rattray
President & CEO, UNITE-LA
David Rattray is the President & CEO of UNITE-LA. Since 1998, he has led UNITE-LA in ensuring the continuous improvement of effective and aligned cradle-to-career public education and workforce development systems in Los Angeles, resulting in all children and youth having access to a high-quality education.
Previously Rattray spent more than 20 years in the foodservice distribution industry. Rattray serves on the L.A. City Workforce Development Board and Youth Council and was vice chair of the State Workforce Investment Board’s Lifelong Learning Committee. He is also the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Linked Learning Alliance. Rattray earned his M.B.A. from the University of Southern California.
Priyanka Sharma
Co-Director, Digital US
World Education, Inc.
Priyanka Sharma leads innovative projects for World Education, Inc. on college and career readiness, technology integration, digital transformation, and digital skills development. Priyanka co-leads Digital US, a national initiative with a cross-sector approach to design a learn and work ecosystem that fosters digital resilience for all learner workers in the U.S., and also directs the New England Literacy Resource Center (NELRC), leading projects that emerge from collaboration among the policy-makers, professional developers, and practitioners in the five member states. She is based in Boston, MA.
Leon Wilson
Chief of Digital Innovation & Chief Information Officer, Cleveland Foundation
Leon Wilson has over 25 years in Information Technology, currently as the Chief of Digital Innovation & Chief Information Officer at the Cleveland Foundation. In this dual role, Leon is part of the executive committee leading the foundation’s Information & Technology Services department, focusing on strategic and transformational use of technology and data within the foundation and the philanthropic sector. Additionally, as Chief of Digital Innovation, Leon oversees the foundation’s Digital Excellence grant-making strategy geared toward “building a stronger, more equitable and inclusive digital community” tackling Cleveland’s digital divide; along with elevating Greater Cleveland’s position as a intelligent / smart city and regional technology innovation hub.
Jory Wolf
VP of Digital Innovation, Magellan Advisors
Jory joined Magellan Advisors after 22 years as CIO of the City of Santa Monica, CA where he launched Santa Monica City Wi-Fi, which provides free internet services to the public through a network of 32 hot zones and wireless coverage in most major commercial and transit corridors throughout the city. He created Santa Monica City Net, a 100-gigabit broadband initiative to support an environment for local businesses to compete in the global economy with cutting edge network solutions. Jory has over 35 years of experience in Information Technology, including broadband, FTTH and Smart City initiatives. Jory and his teams have received over 50 awards for information technology projects during his career and in 2012 he received the CIO Lifetime Achievement Award from the Los Angeles Business Journal. Since joining Magellan Advisors in July 2016, Jory has led teams that have worked on 50+ government projects in broadband master planning, feasibility studies, wireless strategic planning, 5G small cell policies, dig once policies and smart city.
Connecting California is brought to you by the Michelson 20MM Foundation.
Special Thanks to Our Foundation Partners
