A panel conversation on data and technology as tools for liberation, and protecting our democracy.
Building Coalitions, Building Democracy
Join Rights x Tech (RxT) for a vital conversation on how data and technology can be tools for liberation, and what's at stake when the institutions meant to protect our democracy are under sustained attack.
Today voter data is being sold to the highest bidder and disinformation campaigns are eroding trust faster than communities can rebuild it. The tools we rely on to organize are all too often built to extract and divide, not to unite.
With the November midterms fast approaching, progressive movements need infrastructure built to last. This means addressing the real fears and harms of data surveillance, and reclaiming practices that use data as a tool for trust and accountability. Without it, organizing efforts will struggle to shift narratives, change minds, or move policy.
Now, a new generation of technologists and organizers are building coalitions rooted in shared power. From data literacy trainings to infrastructure built to outlast any single election cycle, this month we're asking: What does it mean to build tech and coalitions rooted in collective power?
Featured Speakers:
Kemi Oso-Johnson (she/her) – Data Engineer | Chief Program Officer of the Higher Ground Institute
Oluwakemi Oso has been working at the intersection of technology, data, and social justice since 2015. Her “Left Brain, Right Soul” philosophy blends technical expertise as a data engineer with training organizers and campaigners. She specializes in translating complex data and technology concepts into accessible, actionable insights.
Over her career, she has developed programs focused on cutting-edge technology, such as the groundbreaking 2023 generative AI cohort, whose insights laid the foundation for current political applications. She has trained thousands of organizers and is the Chief Program Officer of the Higher Ground Institute (HGI). HGI accelerates the next generation of progressive organizing by identifying breakthrough approaches, facilitating collaboration between technologists and practitioners, and accelerating the adoption of effective innovations across the movement.
Karla Monterroso (she/her) – Founder and Managing Partner of Brava Leaders | Author | Coalition Architect
Karla Monterroso is a writer, strategist, and leading voice on power, leadership, and institutional change. She is the founder of Brava, where she advises foundations, nonprofits, and coalitions on the hardest questions in organizational life: how power actually moves, who holds it, and what it takes to share it. She believes the future of American democracy will be decided not only in elections, but in institutions, and in the leaders willing to build them differently.
Host:
Sabrina Hersi Issa (she/her) – Sabrina Hersi Issa is an award-winning human rights technologist focused on global advocacy and media innovation. She leads projects leveraging technology and media to improve access to direct services and press freedom. She writes regularly about technology, culture and social issues and is a nonstop champion for women in technology.
What to Expect
- Data as Democracy: Discussions on how data, when owned and wielded by communities rather than corporations or campaigns, becomes a tool for accountability and autonomy.
- Naming Power to Build It: Exploring why understanding power dynamics is the first step toward building institutions and coalitions strong enough to create lasting change.
- Data Made Accessible: Unpacking how making data literacy accessible turns data into a tool for organizing rather than a barrier to entry.
- Sustainable Coalition Building: Examining what it takes to build cross-sector coalitions capable of withstanding institutional pressure and political division.
- Live Q&A & Shared Strategies: An interactive conversation for participants to share experiences, ask questions, and explore how tech and data can be built and used in service of collective power.
Why Attend?
- Explore What Builds Power: See how institution-building and data literacy work together to sustain movements beyond a single election cycle.
- Learn From the Builders: Hear directly from two leaders who've spent decades scaling social enterprises and training organizers to wield data and power with intention.
- Leave Ready to Build: Walk away with frameworks for navigating power dynamics, building durable coalitions, and using data as a tool for liberation heading into November and beyond.
Together, we'll explore how the fight for democracy is also a fight for who holds power, who's at the table, and what it means to build technology and coalitions that reflect the full humanity of the people they're meant to serve.
Who Should Attend?
- Technologists working at the intersection of data, organizing, and social justice
- Political organizers and campaign staff preparing for November
- Nonprofit leaders and funders building multiracial institutions
- Data scientists, engineers, and analysts working in progressive spaces
- Community organizers and coalition builders
- Anyone committed to building power and infrastructure for democracy
Space is limited, so register now to join the conversation.
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Our Code of Conduct applies to all RxT events.
