Online/Virtual Event

Thursday, November 16th 2023 from 4:00pm to 5:30pm

See a recording of this webinar here.

Session 3: Embracing the Future

See more information about the full three-part series here.

As U.S. states and territories prepare to receive and deploy a $65 billion federal investment in American broadband infrastructure and digital equity to ensure internet access for all,  how can communities prioritize funds to build models for digital equity that serve their long-term needs How might we begin to envision and talk about what the outcomes of this historic funding will look like now, with a focus on building for the future? This three-part convening,  hosted jointly by the Centri Tech Foundation, the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, and the Digital Equity Research Center at the Metropolitan New York Library Council will bring together emerging and longtime digital equity leaders and practitioners and a diverse set of stakeholders to discuss forward-looking approaches to sustainable broadband adoption and digital equity.

In this third and final webinar in our Built to Last series, we hear from emerging and longtime champions of digital equity who are adapting tools and strategies to help shape and inspire the future of digital equity work beyond this current investment of federal funding. We also share the ways frameworks and principles like the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society's Visions of Digital Equity principles, the Digital Equity Research Center at METRO’s Digital Equity Ecosystems Measurement Framework, and the Centri Tech Foundation’s Digital Advancement Principles can be used to build an inclusive digital economy and strong futures for communities.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about the work of emerging digital equity leaders
• Understand different frameworks for moving digital equity work forward
• Identify ways to apply lessons learned in state and local Digital Equity Plans

Keynote Speaker:

• Pamela Price, Deputy Director for The Balm In Gilead, Chief Technical Officer for Women in Reality FilmTV, Inc (WIRF Media), and President, From the Bottom Up Foundation 

Dr. Fallon Wilson, originally announced as keynote speaker, is unable to attend.

Moderator:

• Kate Rivera, Executive Director, Technology Learning Collaborative

Panelists:

• Reyda Taylor,  Strategic Advisor, Travis County (Texas), supporting the Broadband and Digital Equity Program
• Brittany Woods-Orrison, Broadband Specialist, Alaska Public Interest Research Group
• Lidia Flores, Early Childhood Program Manager, Long Beach Forward
• Matt Rantanen, Vice President Tribal Broadband, GoldenStateNet and Director of Technology, Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association and Tribal Digital Village

About Our Speakers:

Pamela Price currently serves as the Deputy Director for The Balm In Gilead managing the various faith and community-based initiatives of the organization. In addition to her role as Deputy Director, she also serves as the Chief Technical Officer for Women in Reality Film TV, Inc (WIRF Media) and President of From the Bottom Up Foundation based in Atlanta, GA.

Mrs. Price holds a B.S. in Public Health and has more than 20 years of experience working with national and government agencies to develop and implement multi-faceted programs to meet the societal and cultural needs of women and under-served communities. As an exemplary leader with an innovative mindset, Pamela provides strategic direction and support to multi-sector organizations in the areas of project design, implementation and evaluation, to strengthen their overall efficiency and capacity to deliver impactful and sustainable programs and services. She is a representative member of national committees, coalitions, and advisory boards, and excels in working with both public, and private sector institutions. Mrs. Price is a national speaker, advocate & educator, routinely participating in briefings, webinars, and conferences on issues ranging from mental health to genetic counseling to digital equity and workforce development. She has served as a member of the U.S. Army Nurse Corp and has excelled in both government and non-governmental agencies providing leadership and guidance on program management, quality improvement, and project development. Mrs. Price is adept at leveraging national, state, & local partnerships with leaders in pharmaceutical, academic, entertainment,financial and educational industries to create, pilot, and scale programs that improve the quality of life for our most vulnerable communities and future generations.

Kate Rivera is the Executive Director of the Technology Learning Collaborative in Philadelphia and serves as the principal consultant of Kate Rivera Solutions. The Technology Learning Collaborative (TLC) is a digital equity coalition in Philadelphia, and it has a mission to advance the digital literacy, access, and inclusion dialogue by fostering professional collaboration, training, and networking among organizations and institutions dedicated to advancing these domains. Kate Rivera is also an independent consultant who offers support to nonprofits and other mission-driven organizations in areas such as project management, program and strategic planning, grant writing, and more. Her areas of expertise encompass digital inclusion, youth workforce development, and civic engagement.

Reyda Taylor is a Strategic Advisor at Travis County, supporting the Broadband and Digital Equity Program. Reyda first began working with Travis County in 2022, as a Fuse Corps Executive Fellow. Prior to her work supporting Travis County, Reyda led and co-led data ecosystem and participatory evaluation initiatives, as the Senior Consultant for Data and Evaluation at Mission Capital, in Austin, TX. Reyda particularly loves the entrepreneurism of new initiatives, founding her own business PKE Insights, co-founding Capacity Catalyst, and co-founding the Texas Applied Anthropology Summit. For over ten years in the nonprofit and technology sectors, Reyda has been building and scaling innovative, collaborative research and data initiatives. Reyda is passionate about equity and knowledge-sharing and is on a mission to make research and evaluation more accessible and adaptable. Reyda has a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Florida and a BA in Psychology from Ouachita Baptist University. 

Brittany Woods-Orrison is a Koyukon Dené woman from Dleł Taaneets, an Alaskan village along the Yukon River. She grew up on her ancestral homelands learning how to harvest traditional foods and being taught her culture. Brittany attended Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka, Alaska, then continued her student-athlete career at Menlo College. Brittany traveled around the Western United States learning about the lands, the waters, and the Indigenous stewards for a couple of years before returning home to Alaska to be the broadband specialist for Alaska Public Interest Research Group and Native Movement. Brittany now works on digital equity, cultural revitalization, food sovereignty, reconnecting to the land, and deep community building.

Lidia Flores is the Early Childhood Program Manager at Long Beach Forward. Having begun community college with the goal of becoming a veterinarian and later learning about Child Development and Elementary School Teaching, Lidia has acquired a background in various helping professions. As a graduate of Cal State Long Beach with a major in Human Development, Lidia applies their passion of helping to their work with the Long Beach community. Lidia works directly with Long Beach parents of young children and plays a significant role in managing and guiding projects and activities within the Best Start Central Long Beach (BSCLB) network. 

Matt Rantanen has been the director of technology for the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association (SCTCA) and the director of SCTCA’s Tribal Digital Village initiative for 21 years, designing and deploying networking that supports the tribal communities of Southern California. A lineal descendent of Cree (First Nations, Canada), Finnish, and Norwegian ancestry, Rantanen has been described by his peers as a “cyber warrior for tribal community networking” and is considered an expert on community and tribal networking. Rantanen helps SCTCA’s 25 member tribes with technology development and strategy. Rantanen was appointed co-chair of the Technology and Telecom Subcommittee of the National Congress of American Indians. In this role, he works with tribes to draft telecom policy and promote better opportunities for tribes within the federal government. He also serves on the advisory board of Arizona State University’s American Indian Policy Institute.