About
The Ethical Tech Digest is a new independent publication launched by a group of members of the Fall 2023 course community of Stanford University's Ethics, Technology + Public Policy for Practitioners course. Led by Sudeshna Mukherjee, we are a nimble team of tech ethicists dedicated to bringing you insightful interviews, opinions, news, and analyses on the ethical use of emerging technology in our fast-evolving world. We will use this platform to spotlight our community members for their novel contributions to technology and aim to publish quarterly. Thank you for joining us on our mission!
Editorial Team*: The Ethical Tech Digest
Ava Sazanami, Editor, Seattle, USA
Ava Sazanami is a researcher and designer with a focus on accessibility, ethical AI, and design within an evolving regulatory landscape. She has held research and design roles across big tech, healthcare, and academia. She holds a Master’s in Human Centered Design and Engineering from the University of Washington, where she also serves as a mentor. LinkedIn
Curtis Mitchell, Technical Advisor, San Francisco Bay Area, USA
Curtis Mitchell is a software engineer currently serving as an emerging technology fellow on the xD team at the US Census Bureau, where he works on a variety of projects related to privacy-enhancing technologies and responsible artificial intelligence. He has worked at several Silicon Valley startups, and prior to joining the Census Bureau he worked at NASA’s Ames Research Center. LinkedIn
Estelle Joanna Ciesla, Editor, San Francisco Bay Area, USA
Estelle Ciesla is a research Assistant at the Stanford Deliberative Democracy Lab. She specializes in the regulation of new technologies through citizen deliberations. She has a background in researching digital authoritarianism, and civil society. LinkedIn
Lee Howard, Editor, San Francisco Bay Area, USA
Lee Howard is a tech product manager in Silicon Valley, delivering products in a range of industries, including 2D design, business productivity, mobility, HR Tech, and advanced hardware technologies at companies like Google, Shell Digital Ventures, AAA, and Fair Trade USA. After years of strict focus on operating and building, she has now expanded her focus to researching, explaining, and implementing the policies and laws that are critical for a responsible and successful tech ecosystem. LinkedIn
Marit Brademann, Co-Founder and Website Manager, Berlin, Germany
Marit Brademann is a process designer, social scientist, and product lead in Berlin, Germany. She has worked extensively with Software Engineering, Design, and Product Teams both on the explorative and the operational side. She is now transitioning to roles with a stronger emphasis on ethics and human rights. LinkedIn
Meghan Cochran, Editor, San Francisco Bay Area, USA
Meghan Cochran is a product and engineering leader with a focus on user experience, organizational innovation, and consumer strategy. LinkedIn
Sudeshna Mukherjee, Founder and Managing Editor, New York, USA
Sudeshna Mukherjee is a development communication and partnership professional. A passionate advocate for human rights and responsible innovation, her research interests span gender justice, violence prevention, child rights, and AI governance focusing on technology ethics, fairness, and social impact. Her scholarship uses an intersectional, global majority lens. LinkedIN
Vance Ricks, Editor, Boston, USA
Vance Ricks is a professor at Northeastern University, where he holds joint appointments in the departments of Philosophy and Computer Science. Vance has a doctorate in philosophy from Stanford University. His teaching and research focus on moral philosophy, ranging from the ethics of digital technologies to the works of John Stuart Mill. He has published works on the implications of social networks for friendship and gossip, and on ethics pedagogy in computer science courses. He also helped edit and contribute chapters to, the Mozilla Foundation’s Responsible Computer Science Playbook, a guide for both computer science instructors and others who want to incorporate ethical reasoning into their curricula. LinkedIN
*In Alphabetical Order