Building the Future of Responsible Tech: Insights from Our Mentorship Program

By Sarah Welsh

In the rapidly evolving field of technology, responsible practices are essential but often challenging to implement in isolation. This is where community and mentorship play pivotal roles. By fostering a network of like-minded people committed to responsible tech, we can create an ecosystem where shared values and support propel meaningful change. Community offers a space to discuss challenges, navigate new regulations, and share innovative approaches to trust, safety, and privacy.

Mentorship, meanwhile, serves as a powerful tool for passing down hard-earned insights from seasoned professionals to those just beginning their careers. It not only provides guidance on technical and ethical complexities but also inspires a sense of responsibility and accountability. Many mentors who work with us come to the program because they had a hard time finding mentorship themselves. So many of our mentors say that they wish a program like this had existed for them.

This is why we have run the Responsible Tech Mentorship Program since 2021, which has now served over 1000 mentees, many of whom have gone on to build careers in responsible tech. Through our mentorship program, we aim to bridge all kinds of gaps including knowledge gaps, economic gaps, status gaps. We want to empower participants to feel confident in tackling real-world challenges. This collective approach—built on shared experiences and collaborative learning—is essential for driving the responsible tech movement forward.

What follows is a little bit of insight into what we did in the 2024 program.

2024 Responsible Tech Mentorship Program Recap

This year we accepted 319 mentees led by 102 mentors. About 50% of participants were US-based, and the other half came to us from other locations around the globe including Western Europe, India, China, and Southeast Asia. 

Most mentees applied to the program because they were trying to pivot to Responsible Tech (32.8%), followed by people who were actively looking for a new role in responsible tech (18.6%). The most popular area of focus was Responsible AI (21% of participants), followed by Trust & Safety (10% of participants). All of these breakdowns of mentees also reflect mentor availability, location, and interest. 

Groups met six times over the course of six months. Most met virtually, but some groups who lived in the same metro area were able to meet once or multiple times in person. Mentees applied to the program with a range of projects, and some were presented at the end of the program in a showcase. 

Most projects in the program fell along the lines of drafts for op-eds on responsible technology, or personal websites, portfolios, and linkedin profiles. However, there were so many other unique things mentees were working towards. One mentee worked with her mentor to develop a comic series on tech policy, while others wanted to think through how to relay messaging on responsible technology use in their home countries. One mentee was starting their own non-profit and presented on the messaging they were developing, which is about community-building through empathy in virtual spaces. Another mentee was launching a monthly tech discussion in Sri Lanka. 

These projects are more than individual achievements; they represent a growing wave of innovation that diversifies the responsible tech pipeline and propels us toward a more thoughtful, inclusive future. By addressing local and global challenges in creative ways—like a comic series on tech policy, empathy-driven virtual communities, and grassroots discussions in Sri Lanka—our mentees are shaping the discourse and making responsible technology more accessible and relevant to diverse audiences.

The mentorship program not only equips individuals with the tools and support they need to succeed but also fosters a community that champions ethical practices and forward-thinking solutions. These initiatives signal a future where responsible tech is not just a niche concern but a foundational element of how we build and interact with technology worldwide.

By empowering mentees to pursue their visions, we’re actively broadening the perspectives and skills that define this field. Whether it’s inspiring others through creative storytelling, amplifying local voices in global conversations, or crafting frameworks for ethical tech adoption, the work of these mentees lays the groundwork for a tech future that prioritizes equity, empathy, and trust. This is the next generation of responsible tech leaders—and their impact is only just beginning.

2024 Mentors

Mentors came from all over the world, and in addition to leading groups, many participated in our Getting Started in Responsible Tech speaker series, which was exclusive to program participants.

Sarah Welsh, Program Director, organized and led four speaker sessions in May 2024 for mentees in the program, where mentors from diverse fields shared career insights with mentees. where she asked the panelists about early career decisions they valued or would change in hindsight. The speakers emphasized staying informed through a broad approach, gathering information from industry resources, academic insights, news cycles, and thought leaders. Following the discussion, mentees joined breakout rooms for smaller group conversations, encouraging deeper engagement.

Speakers included: 

• Beverley Hatcher-Mbu, Lawyer

• Rebecca Razavi, Tech Policy

• David Bill, UX Design 

• Shannon Hong, Product

• Jonathon Purcell, Trust & Safety

• Jill Heinze, Research Director

• Monika Viktorova, Product Manager

• Maria Laws, Responsible AI

• Boxi Wu, Responsible AI Manager

• Siddhant Chatterjee, Policy & Governance Strategist

Key Takeaways and Reflections

This year’s mentorship program stood out for its scale, depth, and adaptability, shaping a truly transformative experience for both mentors and mentees. With an expanded reach across 50+ countries, the program fostered a remarkably diverse learning environment, bringing together perspectives from a wide array of cultural and professional backgrounds. This diversity deepened discussions and enriched the collaborative projects, as participants tackled real-world issues through a global lens.

A major challenge is always coordinating sessions across multiple time zones, ensuring that everyone has access to mentorship and discussions. To address this, we tried to encourage flexible meeting formats, asynchronous resources, and regional groupings to facilitate engagement no matter where participants were located. While it required logistical adjustments, these efforts paid off—feedback showed that participants felt supported and connected despite geographical distances.

Another highlight was the program’s strengthened focus on hands-on learning. Through group projects, mentees had the chance to develop real-world solutions to pressing tech challenges, from ethical AI to digital accessibility. This practical experience allowed them to apply theoretical knowledge in meaningful ways, building skills that will serve them well beyond the program. Meanwhile, mentors reported a profound sense of fulfillment as they guided mentees in tackling these complex topics and saw firsthand the impact of their mentorship on emerging leaders.

Despite time constraints, varying experience levels, and logistical hurdles, mentors and mentees alike showed an unwavering dedication to learning, collaboration, and creating a responsible tech ecosystem. This spirit of shared purpose is what made this year’s program uniquely impactful and what will continue to drive its success.

Conclusion

This year’s mentorship program has shown the power of connection, learning, and commitment in advancing responsible technology on a global scale. With over 300 participants from 50+ countries, our community of mentors and mentees has explored the critical issues shaping our digital future—ranging from data privacy and AI ethics to accessibility and bias mitigation. Through insightful group discussions, collaborative and individual projects, and real-world problem-solving, participants have developed the skills, perspectives, and networks essential to building a more ethical and inclusive tech landscape.

By participating in this program, mentors share invaluable knowledge and experience, helping guide the next generation of responsible tech leaders. Mentees, in turn, bring fresh perspectives and passion, driving innovative solutions that align with our mission for a more accountable tech industry. The result is a unique ecosystem that continues to foster meaningful, lasting change.