The Digital Equity Laboratory uncovers and addresses structural inequities that persist and evolve as technology transforms our cultural, social, and political systems.
The Laboratory
- Practices applied research, technical support, and national, state and local policy strategy to advance digital equity
- Brings together practitioners, scholars, organizers, and policymakers to create cross-sector leadership on key digital equity issues
- Creates career and practical opportunity ladders for students, graduates, companies, and communities interested in exploring and building equitable technology ecosystems
Key Issue Areas
- Equitable models of digital access, including holistic and accountable broadband infrastructure systems
- "Digital Sanctuary" and other digital equity frameworks for online privacy, safety, and cyber-security
- Smart city and edge tech innovations and their potential benefits and risks for underrepresented and vulnerable communities
Leadership
Maya Wiley, Founder and Co-Director
Maya Wiley is a nationally renowned expert on racial justice and equity. She has litigated, lobbied the U.S. Congress, and developed programs to transform structural racism in the United States and South Africa. Ms. Wiley is the Henry Cohen Professor of Urban Policy and Management at The New School's Milano School of Environment, Management, and Policy. Prior to working with The New School, Ms. Wiley served
as counsel to the Mayor of the City of New York from 2014 to 2016. As Mayor Bill de Blasio's chief legal advisor and a member of his Senior Cabinet, Wiley led the mayor's efforts to expand affordable broadband access across New York City, advancing
civil and human rights and gender equity and increasing the effectiveness of the city's support for minority- and women-owned business enterprises. Before serving in the administration, Ms. Wiley was the founder and president of the Center for Social
Inclusion.
Greta Byrum, Co-Director
Greta Byrum reimagines the way we design, build, control, and govern communications systems. As Co-Director of the Digital Equity Laboratory at The New School in New York City, she builds digital justice through applied research, community projects, and
policy strategy. Previously Byrum founded the Resilient Communities program at New America, where she developed and led Resilient Networks NYC, an initiative bringing training, tools, and equipment for storm-hardened mesh WiFi to five neighborhoods
in NYC's flood plains. Byrum was a 2017 Harvard Loeb Fellow and currently serves on the boards of the New Harmony Earth Sanctuary and the METRO New York Libraries Council.