The Annenberg Foundation helped host three panels at this year’s Social Innovation Summit in Los Angeles. The annual event brings together leaders in philanthropy, technology, investing, and social impact to discuss policy and collaboration across industries.
This year’s event at the Beverly Hilton was packed with Annenberg Foundation initiatives.
AnnenbergTech and PledgeLA‘s session titled “Investing in Success” featured a keynote conversation between PledgeLA Advisory Committee Chair and M13 Partner, Anna Barber and entrepreneur, founder, and investor will.i.am. He spoke about the value of expanding access to capital to under-represented founders and why he’s so committed to investing in his community.
They finished the conversation by announcing PledgeLA’s unprecedented goal: to have 50% of all LA venture dollars go toward Black, Latinx, and women founders in the next five years.
The session also included an insightful panel about unlocking the power of the Latino community as a strategy for economic growth – led by the PledgeLA Advisory Committee’s Beatriz Acevedo – followed by a talk on innovations in cleantech by ChargerHelp’s Kameale Terry.
Annenberg Learner Program Director Nati Rodriguez spoke on the panel titled “Innovative Approaches to Educating & Empowering the Next Generation.” She was joined by panelists from the Redstone Family Foundation, Amgen, and others to talk about how to address silos in education, close gaps, and strengthen accessibility for some of the most vulnerable students. Nati emphasized the importance of better collaboration between schools and afterschool programs to ensure a more holistic approach for students.
Dr. Jennifer Wong, Director of Wallis Annenberg GenSpace, spoke on the panel “From Barriers to Opportunities: Promoting Gender Equity & Inclusion for All Ages.” The panel was moderated by AARP and included panelists from Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and the Writers Guild of America.
Panelists talked about the importance of changing how older adults are portrayed in the media. Dr. Wong highlighted the value of intergenerational relationships in helping tell more authentic stories and emphasized the invaluable economic force older adults provide. She closed with pointed remarks about the fact that most young people would not want the future that older adults currently have and called on the audience to act.
We’re proud to be a part of the dialogue surrounding the critical issues of our time. Many thanks to #SocialInnovationSummit2023 for facilitating these important conversations!
