In the heart of Silicon Valley, tech visionaries and emerging Asian American professionals converged for the 2023 Silicon Valley Social Entrepreneur Basecamp. Hosted by Yidi Zhang, Ying Wang, Maggie Yuan, and Lu Han, this three-day non-profit intensive program was a melting pot of diverse talents and minds. Participants ranged from software engineers and UX designers to data scientists and venture capitalists, all with a common goal: to brainstorm innovative tech solutions that empower various nonprofit organizations through technology.
Organizing team: Yidi (organizer), Ying Wang (co-organizer), Lu Han (co-organizer), Maggie Yuan (co-organizer)]
The mission of the Basecamp was clear - to empower and connect aspiring Asian American tech leaders, fostering positive change through social impact, entrepreneurship, and innovation. By collaborating with local nonprofit organizations, the participants sought to create a more inclusive and compassionate community, embodying the spirit of philanthropy that defines the Bay Area.
From September 15 to 17, over 60 enthusiastic participants gathered in the city of Santa Clara to embark on this impactful journey. The event was made possible through a partnership with five local non-profit organizations: Animal Assisted Happiness Smile Farm, Code Tenderloin, Magical Bridge Foundation, Mindful Life Project, and LightHouse SF. Each nonprofit presented unique challenges for the participants to tackle, and teams were formed to develop tailored technology solutions for their respective challenges. Each nonprofit organization collaborated with two teams -- one of them will be selected for their innovative solution.
The event unfolded over three productive days of training and collaboration, guided by a meticulously crafted schedule that consists of interactive workshops and hands-on sessions. The program kicked off on September 15th with a range of activities, including team formation, team building, and an intro to empathy interview session.
Basecamp kick-off event
Participants listen attentively
The first day set the stage with an intense design thinking workshop, led by Susie Chang, an experienced nonprofit professional and a Design Impact Lead from Stanford d.School (Hasso Plattner Institute of Design). During the workshop, Susie introduced core concepts of design thinking and familiarize participants with interview techniques through a live demonstration with Lu, one of the co-organizer. Susie was playing a role of HR, asking Lu regarding her experience of relocating to a new city, to better prepare a welcome pack for new hires. Susie began her interview with general questions and followed up on Lu's emotions and feelings at specific moments, emphasizing the importance of empathy and understanding in human-centered design.
Susie were teaching interview techniques through demonstration with Lu
Day two focused on ideation, prototype development, and feedback sessions. All teams engaged in ideation sessions, utilizing low-fi prototypes like post-its and hand-drawing on papers. Nonprofit partners were invited to review the first-round prototypes by each team and give feedback on their initial prototype, helping teams refine their solutions to better suit the needs of the organizations. Sean, the project manager at Lighthouse, offered suggestions on accessible color schemes that ease the discomfort for low vision users. Stella Li, a participant working with Lighthouse, shared the concern recalling her experience working as a product manager, “people sometimes forget about accessibility until the very last step when we are about to ship the product.”
Participants got feedback from NPO
Group ideation, prototype discussion
Public speaking guru, CEO and founder of GK Training Michael Hoeppner, joined the event online to give a training session on presenting your ideas in public. Day 2 concluded with another coaching session on idea pitching and effective communication by Yen-Hsiang Wang, VP of Strategy and Partnerships, Head of Finance at Antheia. He shared a conceptual framework with participants to scaffold the essential components in a presentation, as well as approaches to addressing a business problem.
Guest speaker Yen-Hsiang Wang shared idea pitching tips
On the final day, adding depth to the event, Fei Fang, an Associate Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, delivered a keynote. Specializing in artificial intelligence, multi-agent systems, and the application of machine learning in game theory, Professor Fang's insights resonated with the theme of AI for Social Good. Her talk not only emphasized the potential of AI in addressing societal challenges but also inspired the participants to incorporate AI in designing their solutions.
In the afternoon, every team showcased a culmination of their efforts—an insightful presentation encapsulating their findings from interviews with NPO leaders, a deep dive into the pain points, and their crafted tech-driven solutions. Many teams went the extra mile by offering live demonstrations of their mobile applications and websites, which were a testament to the tremendous collaborative effort and intensive teamwork poured into the digital product development over the course of the past two days.
Pitch competition
Hung Wei, Mayor of Cupertino and a panel judge at the event, highlighted in an interview that this marked her first encounter with the transformative potential of "tech for good." She emphasized the common perception of technology as a harbinger of future innovation, yet it can play a pivotal role in addressing current challenges encountered by Non-Profit Organizations. Wei also expressed her hopes and optimism about the prospects of NPOs expanding their innovative solutions, underlining the importance of leveraging technology to drive positive change and create a better present for our communities.
The 2023 Silicon Valley Social Entrepreneur Basecamp not only exemplified the power of collaboration and innovation but also demonstrated a collective commitment to social impact and community empowerment. It showcased the potential of harnessing technology for the greater good and marked a significant step towards a more inclusive and compassionate local society in Silicon Valley. As the sun set on this year's gathering, vibrant discussions buzzed about potential next steps and follow-ups, along with how the impact of this gathering could continue to resonate in the tech community and beyond.
Group Photo - Conclusion of the Basecamp