MozFest 2022

Venture Capital, Digital Rights, and the Future of Responsible Tech Investing: A Dialogues & Debates Panel
Language: English (mozilla)

How can technology founders, civil society and policy makers engage traditional VC investors to actively foster a responsible and intersectional tech ecosystem that disrupts for good, and seeks to build rather than break? Is it fair to say that traditional VC is fundamentally at odds with a vision of tech that is healthier for all?

Decisions made by major US-based VC funds have ripple effects felt around the world, not only because they invest across global markets, but also because many entrepreneurs worldwide seek to replicate the models US VC investors drive to scale. Ownership and promotion of responsible tech among the most influential VCs has the potential to change the entire future tech landscape for the better. This solutions-oriented session seeks to foster collaborative discussion among advocates working towards public good and tech executives that sometimes straddle the divide between doing what is right for their broader community of stakeholders and doing what will maximize returns for their VC investors.

Read these articles to learn more: [Venture Capital Undermines Human Rights] (https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/04/venture-capital-undermines-human-rights/%5D), [Managing the Unintended Consequences of Your Innovations] (https://hbr.org/2021/01/managing-the-unintended-consequences-of-your-innovations), the [Amnesty Report Risky Business: How Leading VC Firms Ignore Human Rights When Investing in Tech] (https://www.amnestyusa.org/reports/risky-business-top-10-leading-venture-capital-firms-failing-in-their-responsibility-to-respect-human-rights/, and the book Intended Consequences [https://intendedconsequences.com/).

This session is being livestreamed and can be viewed from the main page of the MozFest Plaza.


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What happens after MozFest? We're hoping that many efforts and discussions will continue after MozFest. Share any ideas you already have for how to continue the work from your session.:

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English