Executive Summary

In 2019, the University of Michigan (U-M) received a Network Challenge grant from New America through their Public Interest Technology–University Network (PIT-UN). The network is a partnership that fosters collaboration among universities and colleges committed to building the nascent field of public interest technology and growing a new generation of civic-minded technologists. Our study utilized a mixed-methods approach to analyze the landscape of PIT entrepreneurs in the United States with the objective of:

• Gaining a better understanding of the socio-demographic landscape of Public Interest Technology (PIT) entrepreneurs in the United States.
• Identifying and documenting the career paths of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and persons of color) PIT entrepreneurs and developing an understanding of the constraints they face.
• Developing and implementing an effective experiential learning course that provides an understanding of PIT and career pathway into the field.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) are key values and the primary motivation for this project. Our project sought input from BIPOC PIT entrepreneurs in understanding how race, class, and gender create friction on the pathways towards growth and sustainability for underrepresented practitioners in the field. We found that PIT entrepreneurs in our study wanted to address various social issues such as providing equitable healthcare access to Black communities, increase voter engagement, promote economic and social mobility through job placement, create innovative ways to reduce police violence, and reduce the barriers to entry for communities wanting to grow their own food.

We found that their approaches, unique experiences, and stories navigating social issues were intersected with their identities–providing these practitioners with a unique problem-solving lens. This report suggests that marginalized communities possess crucial knowledge necessary to illuminate blind spots within the field of PIT. We explore how expanding knowledge networks can begin to address the lack of representation within public interest technology and create meaningful collaborations with people of color at the intersection of technology and policy in order to develop comprehensive, equitable, and innovative solutions.

We used a dual-pronged strategy that consisted of both a top-down and a bottom-up approach to deliver on our first two research objectives. This strategy afforded us a macro understanding of the landscape (top-down approach), while also providing a deeper understanding of the experiences of PIT entrepreneurs (bottom-up approach). For the top-down approach, we examined population estimates generated from the US Census 2018 Public Use Microdata Sample files (PUMS),¹ restricting our analysis to individuals from the population records that were defined as tech entrepreneurs because data were not available to identify activities that fall under “social entrepreneurship”.

We found that there are an estimated 2.52 million tech entrepreneurs across the United States and found proportionate representation of BIPOC tech entrepreneurs relative to the overall population. Given this proportionate representation, the issue is less about the availability of BIPOC individuals with characteristics similar to PIT entrepreneurs but more of these individuals self-selecting into the PIT field. While still in the infancy stage, PIT must be intentional about building the field with diverse individuals, ensuring that these practitioners feel comfortable self-selecting into the field.

Using the bottom-up approach, we conducted ten virtual, semi-structured interviews with PIT entrepreneurs who were recruited by the project team. Interviews lasted between 30 to 60 minutes, and the interview protocol emphasized a narrative inquiry which allowed for the appreciation of participants' lived experiences and lessons learned. The virtual interviews were recorded and transcribed, transcriptions were coded, and a thematic analysis was conducted.

Another element of the bottom-up approach which comprises the third component of our project was a semester-long experiential learning class for Ford School of Public Policy and the School of Information graduate students at U-M. The class was held in winter 2020 and was designed to facilitate project collaboration and group learning through classroom discussions. Participants in the class included seven students across five projects, paired with five PIT entrepreneurs. The experiential learning class focused on:

1. developing an understanding of Public Interest Technology as a career field
2. building and catalyzing policy and data science/technology solutions
3. examining the role of racial equity, technology, and data in each entrepreneur's area of social impact
4. developing solutions or programmatic interventions that address problems within entrepreneurs’ areas of impact
5. strengthening the social capital for all participants through meaningful collaboration and working relationships.

A summative evaluation was carried out to assess the class’s effectiveness and focused on ascertaining the extent to which the class has been able to identify and address the factors that negatively impact social entrepreneurship from Black and Brown communities. A total of four surveys—one pre-, one post-, and two during the class—were completed by participating students and entrepreneurs to document changes that came about as a result of the program.

Overall–across the three components itemized for our project, the salient findings include the following:

1. Data that is representative of the population of BIPOC PIT entrepreneurs in our study are limited. This is due in part to how the secondary dataset used in our study was collected.
2. Current funding structures are not serving BIPOC tech social entrepreneurs well. Participants expressed significant difficulties in navigating funding structures and gaining access to capital
3. BIPOC PIT entrepreneurs face challenges finding supportive and values-aligned ecosystems to recruit talent, raise funding, develop research, and experiment with social innovations and these challenges are particularly onerous for BIPOC female PIT entrepreneurs.
4. The lived experiences of PIT entrepreneurs bring a vital lens to the field when trying to make a positive impact in their communities—an acknowledgement of the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in the field of PIT.
5. University collaboration with PIT entrepreneurs generated positive results for students and PIT entrepreneurs alike.