Tech for Good Bootcamp
On November 20, 2024, we held Tech for Good, a new half-day boot camp designed to equip leaders with the knowledge and skills to understand, analyze, and develop technology solutions that address social challenges.
Our lead presenter and speakers for the day were experts in technology from various backgrounds:
- Led by Brandolon Barnett, Head of Innovation and Philanthropy, Giving Compass
- Panel Moderator Ryan Paul, Director of Program Management, Salesforce and Baumhart Scholars MBA (’22)
- Deirdre Asnis, VP Client Success, Beyond the Horizon Technology
- Linton Myers, Director of Innovation, Blackbaud
- Pitch Judge Nick Bailey, VP of Product, Salesforce Checkout, Salesforce
- Pitch Judge Jill Miller, Founder and CEO, Lunum
“The dissemination of innovation to people using and experiencing technology in everyday life can dramatically transform society in fundamental ways.”
Brandolon Barnett, Head of Innovation and Philanthropy, Giving Compass
The day started with an overview of the social impact technology landscape. From the 1980’s to recent years, social impact technology has rapidly evolved, leading to more opportunities for companies and organizations to expand their philanthropy. Now, organizations are democratizing access to technology through incorporating them through platforms, such as buttons on social media and crowdfunding campaigns.
Participants also learned about the innovation mindset, including creative thinking, quickly failing and learning, and collaborating with others to solve problems.
“By starting with clear goals and unified view on data, organizations can align their architecture and technology to effectively support their objectives.”
Deirdre Asnis, VP Client Success, Beyond the Horizon Technology
“Funding is one of the biggest issues and it has to be at the forefront of most charities as they think about how they are collecting funds and how they're spending funds for innovation.”
Linton Myers, Director of Innovation, Blackbaud
The next part of the bootcamp was a panel conversation focused on social impact tech trends, challenges, innovation & implementation. One of the biggest trends is aligning the use of technology to the overall business strategy. Getting buy-in from leadership is easier if the technology helps make processes smoother, contributes to the bottom line, and avoids unnecessary complexity.
Some of the challenges included securing funding for technology, developing custom solutions, and ensuring organizations possess information technology expertise. By effectively managing data, fostering collaboration, and empowering staff to innovate, solutions to these problems can be achieved.
In the last half of the day, attendees participated in an agile tech solution design challenge, followed by a pitch. Each team had one hour to discuss a tech solution for a nonprofit, including the intended audience, function, and ways to fund it. Each team had one hour to discuss a tech solution for a social impact organization, including the intended audience, function, and ways to fund it.
Key Takeaways
- Focus on outcomes before selecting technology solutions.
- The idea of Tech for Good is built on a foundation of data.
- What drives innovation is what is monetizable and scalable for the company.
- Culture must be built into the system.
- Be intentional about creating a collaborative process at the beginning of the project.
- Perfection should not be an obstacle to ideation.
- Before you get to the solution, ask if you should build it, buy it, or partner on it.
- Ryan Paul used several tech tools to help him generate questions, take notes, and create a brief podcast during the panel discussion. AI is one of many helpful tools you can integrate into your workflow.
Interested in attending similar Baumhart events?
Sign up to stay informed about upcoming Baumhart events.
Join us at our upcoming event, Reboot Your Network for a Better World.
Register today.
Ready to increase your impact with the Baumhart Scholars MBA?
Join us at the next virtual info session on January 14.
On November 20, 2024, we held Tech for Good, a new half-day boot camp designed to equip leaders with the knowledge and skills to understand, analyze, and develop technology solutions that address social challenges.
Our lead presenter and speakers for the day were experts in technology from various backgrounds:
- Led by Brandolon Barnett, Head of Innovation and Philanthropy, Giving Compass
- Panel Moderator Ryan Paul, Director of Program Management, Salesforce and Baumhart Scholars MBA (’22)
- Deirdre Asnis, VP Client Success, Beyond the Horizon Technology
- Linton Myers, Director of Innovation, Blackbaud
- Pitch Judge Nick Bailey, VP of Product, Salesforce Checkout, Salesforce
- Pitch Judge Jill Miller, Founder and CEO, Lunum
The day started with an overview of the social impact technology landscape. From the 1980’s to recent years, social impact technology has rapidly evolved, leading to more opportunities for companies and organizations to expand their philanthropy. Now, organizations are democratizing access to technology through incorporating them through platforms, such as buttons on social media and crowdfunding campaigns.
Participants also learned about the innovation mindset, including creative thinking, quickly failing and learning, and collaborating with others to solve problems.
The next part of the bootcamp was a panel conversation focused on social impact tech trends, challenges, innovation & implementation. One of the biggest trends is aligning the use of technology to the overall business strategy. Getting buy-in from leadership is easier if the technology helps make processes smoother, contributes to the bottom line, and avoids unnecessary complexity.
Some of the challenges included securing funding for technology, developing custom solutions, and ensuring organizations possess information technology expertise. By effectively managing data, fostering collaboration, and empowering staff to innovate, solutions to these problems can be achieved.
In the last half of the day, attendees participated in an agile tech solution design challenge, followed by a pitch. Each team had one hour to discuss a tech solution for a nonprofit, including the intended audience, function, and ways to fund it. Each team had one hour to discuss a tech solution for a social impact organization, including the intended audience, function, and ways to fund it.
Key Takeaways
- Focus on outcomes before selecting technology solutions.
- The idea of Tech for Good is built on a foundation of data.
- What drives innovation is what is monetizable and scalable for the company.
- Culture must be built into the system.
- Be intentional about creating a collaborative process at the beginning of the project.
- Perfection should not be an obstacle to ideation.
- Before you get to the solution, ask if you should build it, buy it, or partner on it.
- Ryan Paul used several tech tools to help him generate questions, take notes, and create a brief podcast during the panel discussion. AI is one of many helpful tools you can integrate into your workflow.
Interested in attending similar Baumhart events?
Sign up to stay informed about upcoming Baumhart events.
Join us at our upcoming event, Reboot Your Network for a Better World.
Register today.
Ready to increase your impact with the Baumhart Scholars MBA?
Join us at the next virtual info session on January 14.