Debates over effective voting policies have recently come into the spotlight, but it's been an issue for many elections now. America has a notorious history of low voter turnout, and with Covid-19 altering how and when Americans will be voting, the threat to democracy is ever-present. Engaging voters typically neglected and providing alternative voting methods can help combat the uncertainty.

It is hardly news that women—particularly women of color—are chronically underrepresented in the US tech sector. Perhaps more alarming is that the trend is headed in the wrong direction. The percentage of computing roles women hold has largely declined in the United States over the past 25 years.

Higher education institutions must evolve to anchor community-based approaches to solving complex social issues in an evolving democracy. This transformation challenge relates to the reimagining and organizing of liberal arts universities as leading delivery channels to social innovation in their communities, enabling stakeholders (students, alumni, faculty, community) to become change agents.

There is a widespread concern that automated decision-making systems, as they have become increasingly ubiquitous, can widen social inequalities and systematize discrimination. Thus, defining, measuring, and optimizing algorithmic fairness is on the rise in recent years.

In the developing world and underserved communities access to renewable energy is limited. Although low cost solutions do exist, they are often flimsy and break, creating a lack of trust in communities about renewable energy source in general. Additionally, new communities face the challenge of updating old systems efficiently.

Nonprofits and charitable organizations can’t employ expensive software developers to design, build, or maintain their websites. Thus, these organizations find it hard to establish a professional online presence and miss out on simple opportunities to interest volunteers or donors like blog posts or event updates.

Thousand of buildings in the US, and globally, are operated with outdated or complex management systems that require significant time and resources to ensure building is running at optimal performance. The advances in Artificial Intelligence can automate and improve building performance reducing energy and carbon emissions while improving comfort and impacting the bottom line.

Union membership in the US has dropped by two-thirds in the last 50 years. At the same time, our perceptions of a career and our overwhelmingly more mobile and agile workforce are changing the definitions of employment. Combined, we’ve all lost some of the collective bargaining power that protects workers from unfair labour practices.

People leaving the military face particular challenges in re-entering the job market: lack of confidence and experience on the 'outside' can see them unemployed, or in a job not commensurate with their abilities.

Right now all eyes are on the need to put an end to COVID-19, but the experience can also teach us a lot when it comes to reducing the chances of something like this happening again. Recognizing the shortfalls of the pandemic response will help us prepare for the next inevitable outbreak.