Responsible Technology at SOCAP25
Authored in partnership with Siegel Family Endowment
Technology is no longer just a sector—it is both a driver of change and a product that shapes communication, economies, and social structures. At such a massive scale, its impact is inherently dual: the very tools that can accelerate medical breakthroughs can also erode livelihoods, depending on how they are designed, deployed, and governed.
Public conversation about technology often falls into two camps: techno-optimists, who see limitless potential, and techno-pessimists, who fear unchecked harm. Siegel Family Endowment positions itself outside of this binary, advancing a pragmatic approach they call techno-pragmatism. As Siegel’s President and Executive Director, Katy Knight, has emphasized, this perspective centers on building and investing in tools that address real problems, are designed with communities, and rest on sensible governance and safeguards. In practice, it means applying the same rigor of due diligence to technology as to any other investment—while also asking sharper, deeper questions about long-term implications for products, services, and communities.
“We have to build the muscle of interrogating and due diligence, just like any other investment. That’s why we’re partnering with SOCAP—to shed light on the practitioners doing just that,” said Laura Maher, Chief of Staff at Siegel. This mindset serves as both a public good and a competitive advantage, enabling better foresight into long-term impacts on products, services, and communities.
Based on Siegel’s expertise, SOCAP offered the organization the opportunity to strengthen the technology perspective in the SOCAP25 agenda. “By partnering with Siegel, we were able to apply an expert lens to curate a well-rounded SOCAP25 agenda that thoughtfully integrates technology discussions,” said Sarah Sterling, SOCAP’s Executive Director of Programming and Convenings.
When advising on how to spotlight technology within the SOCAP25 programming, Siegel and SOCAP’s content team concentrated on these three themes:
- Techno-Pragmatism: Sessions showcase how tech is used as a tool to solve real problems, designed with—not for—the people it affects. They ask not what we can build, but what we should build.
- Challenge Extractive Paradigms: Sessions offer alternatives to extractive platform models and showcase new, non-exploitative approaches to building and financing technology—examples that create shared value and prioritize long-term, community-led benefit over short-term profit.
- Purpose-Driven Innovation and Governance: These sessions interrogate broader due diligence around the social, economic, and environmental externalities of tech, and highlight stories that combine tangible metrics (e.g., cost savings, harm reduction) with human impact.
These topics challenge us to see technology not as an inevitability but as a set of choices with the potential for positive long-term social, economic, and environmental outcomes. By embedding responsible tech thinking into SOCAP’s programming, we aim to inspire investors and changemakers to direct capital toward solutions that are inclusive and future-ready.
Discover sessions that will explore these themes at SOCAP25 (and view the full event agenda here!):
Solve-It! Unlocking $10B for Responsible Tech, organized by Siegel Family Endowment
This session will examine how current capital structures—from traditional venture capital’s misaligned incentives to AI’s resource-intensive demands—prevent responsible tech from emerging and what we can do differently. Monday, October 27, at 11 a.m.
The AI Generation: A High-Impact Opportunity for Investors, organized by American Student Assistance (ASA)
This solutions-focused session explores how emerging edtech and workforce innovations can help young people thrive because of AI—not despite it. It will spotlight early-stage ventures enabling continuous reskilling, upskilling, and smarter career navigation. This conversation offers a hopeful, practical roadmap to a more resilient and equitable future of work. Tuesday, October 28, at 10:45 a.m.
The AI Paradox: Innovation or Ethical Dilemma?, organized by Village Capital
This interactive delegate-led session invites participants into intimate, facilitated conversations about the tensions between AI’s promise and its pitfalls. We’ll examine how to ensure ethical, inclusive AI use in climate tech, what investors and policymakers look for in responsible innovation, and how to scale these solutions with transparency, accountability, and impact. Tuesday, October 28, at 2:00 p.m.
From Impact Measurement to Management: Leveraging Impact Data for Smarter Investing, organized by GIIN
Despite growing access to data, investors still struggle to compare results across peers, align with global goals, and make informed decisions. This interactive workshop creates space to explore how IMM data is identified, contextualized, and used in practice. Wednesday, October 29, at 9:00 a.m.
Financing the Future of Nature: Biocultural Innovation at Scale, organized by C Minds
This session will introduce a new approach that blends ancestral knowledge, emerging technologies, and biocultural finance to drive long-term, inclusive impact. Learn how local stewards are using tools like AI for biodiversity monitoring, blockchain for conservation credits, and regenerative markets to build economic resilience. Wednesday, October 29, at 2:00 p.m.
Be a part of the responsible technology conversation at SOCAP25. Register today to join the impact community from October 27 to 29 in San Francisco!
