Young Futures Org

SXSW never disappoints! From thought-provoking conversations to unexpected reunions (and, of course, breakfast tacos ??), I was in and out for a fast weekend packed with energy, ideas and incredible people working to build a better tech future. Here are some of my standout moments: Young Futures Breakfast Roundtable ?? One of the weekend’s highlights was our breakfast roundtable, made possible with the leadership of our partners, Sarah Marshall and Abigail Baker. The room buzzed with energy as we tackled the future of tech and how to better serve young people. Standout moments included Alex Edgar sharing his journey as a youth leader, Baratunde Thurston reminding us that interdependence is a strength, and Josh Thompson highlighting the power of thousands of young people shaping their civic lives. The Power of Collaboration at THE LIGHTHOUSE ?? We were thrilled to be part of THE LIGHTHOUSE’s third year at #SXSW2025! ?? Consistently one of the best activations at SXSW, this event—hosted by Omidyar Network, Siegel Family Endowment, and Stanford d.school—brings together a lot of good people who are passionate about designing tech that serves the public good. I was honored to join an incredible panel on collaborative funding, where we explored philanthropy’s evolving role in public interest tech and how we have to work together to amplify impact. Shout out to my fellow panelists—Katy Knight, Katarina Czarniak of P150, and Anamitra Deb for a great discussion. Not even a surprise windstorm could stop us. ??? Community First ?? From sweaty yoga sessions, to dancing at the Bluesky Social/The Onion “Good Party for Bad Times” (iconic), and deep strategy sessions, nothing beats in-person time with my co-founder Dr. Kristine G.. We also got to spend some time IRL with our Young Futures Innovators Tony Weaver from Weird Enough Productions and Josh Thompson from Civics Unplugged, who reminded us that no matter where we go, we have community. That is pretty cool. AI Everywhere ?? From Shwen Gwee Health Disruptors activation on AI for drug discovery (and a much-needed IRL catch-up with the one and only Lee Shapiro) to conversations at THE LIGHTHOUSE on public interest tech and supporting young people, AI was a recurring theme this year. Excited to keep youth wellbeing at the forefront—stay tuned for our upcoming Youth + AI funding challenge later this year! A huge thank you to everyone who made this experience so special, especially our partners and collaborators at TheTechWeWant. Our work at Young Futures Org is all about driving change by building ecosystems, and events like SXSW fuel our thinking, deepen our partnerships, and help us pull the best ideas into action. A great way to spend a weekend! Pivotal Ventures Kelsey Noonan Noah Cole Michele Lawrence Jawando Kevin Connors Susan Crown Exchange Laura Maher Celine Coggins Ph.D. #YoungFutures #TheLightHouse2025

Let's talk about play. When you hear “play,” you probably think of little kids. But play is just as developmentally critical for preteens and teens—especially in a world where they’re under immense pressure (see our Under Pressure Challenge) and have so little unstructured time. Gaming can be an outlet. As our friends at Center for Digital Thriving and Common Sense Media have found in their important report on Grind Culture (https://lnkd.in/gRtfi2Fj), digital play can help alleviate stress. Sometimes gaming is a teen's only chance to unwind and just be. Yet through our Youth Listening Tour, we heard teens say repeatedly, “I don’t have time for play. It isn’t productive.” Despite the fact that play is so important, they feel it isn't recognized by adults as a priority once they hit adolescence. Something is broken, and it’s time to flip the script. This is a sneak peek into our next funding challenge… Here Comes the Fun! Coming Soon ? We’re partnering with Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop (experts in designing healthy play) and Niantic, Inc. (creators of Pokemon Go and more) to reimagine digital play and gaming for young people. This week, we kicked off the conversation at Niantic HQ during Game Developers Conference, bringing gaming industry leaders into our world of listening to young people and building solutions with them. ?? Yes, there can be a dark side to gaming. About 8% of young players develop gaming addiction, toxic online cultures and bullying are a problem, and gaming companies must do more to design with youth wellbeing in mind. ?? BUT digital play and gaming can also strengthen real social connection, spark creativity, build resilience, and relieve PRESSURE. It’s time to empower young people and families to navigate toward the positive side of gaming. #findyourway Here Comes the Fun launches in late April—stay tuned! Huge thanks to Niantic for hosting, Yennie Solheim for being our gracious host and moderator, and Michael Preston for bringing his deep expertise to our panel. Digital play is play, and it's an important a piece in the youth wellbeing puzzle. This is going to be a fun one! #YoungFutures #HereComesTheFunChallenge Young Futures Org Sierra Malia F. Dr. Kristine G. Cassie Archdeacon Brooke Messaye Sarah Jacobstein Kelsey Noonan Pivotal Ventures Kevin Connors Susan Crown Exchange Kathy Gu Jaspal Sandhu Margaret Laws Hopelab Pinterest Celine Coggins Ph.D. The Goodness Web (TGW) Emily Weinstein Carrie James Beck Tench Amanda Lenhart In Tandem Dave Hersh David Torres, PhD

?? $500K for Schools & Nonprofits—a new Young Futures Funding Challenge Launches Next Week!! Phones in schools are one of the most debated topics in education today. Some schools ban them outright, others have restrictive policies, and some fully integrate them into their schools—because of a pro-tech philosophy or a lack of funding for resources like chrome books. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution—the realities are varied and complex. What’s clear is that educators are on the frontlines of enforcement, no matter the policy—and they need support. And just as importantly, young people must lead the way. Their voices and experiences need to be at the center of these decisions, starting with the Youth Listening Tour that shaped this challenge, thanks to our partners at In Tandem. Here’s what we know: ??Students crave agency—when they help shape phone policies, buy-in and outcomes improve. ?? Policies and/or bans aren’t enough—without education on healthy tech habits, many young people struggle to self-regulate once phones are back in hand.? ?? We’re at a tipping point—schools are scrambling to set policies, and we have a rare window to make sure youth voices and real-world experiences shape those decisions. That’s why we’re launching The Call Me Maybe Challenge, a funding initiative seeded by Pinterest and supported by Pivotal Ventures and Susan Crown Exchange. ?? ??We’re deploying $500K in rapid-response funding for up to 10 nonprofits (including schools!) scaling solutions that: ? Balance tech’s benefits with distraction-free learning ? Rebuild in-person social connection ? Give students a real voice in shaping school phone policies ?? Applications open Wednesday, March 19! Check out the full RFP here: [https://lnkd.in/gVKY-DSM] and help us spread the word. Know a nonprofit school or that should apply? Send this their way! ?? Dr. Kristine G. Sierra Malia F. Cassie Archdeacon Brooke Messaye Kathy Gu Kelsey Noonan Pivotal Ventures Kevin Connors Susan Crown Exchange Alise Marshall The Goodness Web (TGW) Celine Coggins Ph.D. Lisa Damour, PhD Jenna Bigham Ishea B. Abigail Baker Sarah Marshall Young Futures Org #YoungFutures #CallMeMaybeChallenge

?? $500K for Schools & Nonprofits—a new Young Futures Funding Challenge Launches Next Week!! Phones in schools are one of the most debated topics in education today. Some schools ban them outright, others have restrictive policies, and some fully integrate them into their schools—because of a pro-tech philosophy or a lack of funding for resources like chrome books. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution—the realities are varied and complex. What’s clear is that educators are on the frontlines of enforcement, no matter the policy—and they need support. And just as importantly, young people must lead the way. Their voices and experiences need to be at the center of these decisions, starting with the Youth Listening Tour that shaped this challenge, thanks to our partners at In Tandem. Here’s what we know: ??Students crave agency—when they help shape phone policies, buy-in and outcomes improve. ?? Policies and/or bans aren’t enough—without education on healthy tech habits, many young people struggle to self-regulate once phones are back in hand.? ?? We’re at a tipping point—schools are scrambling to set policies, and we have a rare window to make sure youth voices and real-world experiences shape those decisions. That’s why we’re launching The Call Me Maybe Challenge, a funding initiative seeded by Pinterest and supported by Pivotal Ventures and Susan Crown Exchange. ?? ??We’re deploying $500K in rapid-response funding for up to 10 nonprofits (including schools!) scaling solutions that: ? Balance tech’s benefits with distraction-free learning ? Rebuild in-person social connection ? Give students a real voice in shaping school phone policies ?? Applications open Wednesday, March 19! Check out the full RFP here: [https://lnkd.in/gVKY-DSM] and help us spread the word. Know a nonprofit school or that should apply? Send this their way! ?? Dr. Kristine G. Sierra Malia F. Cassie Archdeacon Brooke Messaye Kathy Gu Kelsey Noonan Pivotal Ventures Kevin Connors Susan Crown Exchange Alise Marshall The Goodness Web (TGW) Celine Coggins Ph.D. Lisa Damour, PhD Jenna Bigham Ishea B. Abigail Baker Sarah Marshall Young Futures Org #YoungFutures #CallMeMaybeChallenge

Phones in schools present a complex challenge—distractions during class, disruptions to IRL social connection, and the difficulty of balancing safety with policy enforcement. Our friends at #YoungFutures are launching the #CallMeMaybeChallenge to fund and scale youth-led solutions that can help navigate the thorny issue of phones in schools. Their application period is opening in a matter of days on March 19, 2025! If you’re part of a nonprofit organization or school, working on this issue, Young Futures wants to hear from you! They are offering grants ranging from $25K to $100K to support innovative solutions.?Check out the RFP to learn more. https://lnkd.in/gfXhf3tX

Our hearts are so full after THE LIGHT HOUSE 2025! ?? We are deeply grateful for the incredible speakers, engaging sessions, and genuine connections that lit up our event. Your commitment to a more inclusive, responsible tech future has set the stage for many more breakthroughs. Stay tuned for insights and reflections soon! #TheLightHouse #TheTechWeWant #TeamHuman #SXSW