Innovate Pasadena and LA Tech4Good are convening a virtual “Equity + Ethics in Data” workshop at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, in which data practitioners will collaborate to work toward solutions to issues of equity and ethics in data analytics, data science, machine learning, algorithms, artificial intelligence, and technology tools.
Intended for Southern California-based professionals working in a data-related role or field, Tuesday’s “Equity + Ethics in Data” is the first in a series, with a March workshop already in the works.
Each week of the series, participants read or watch a resource related to the topic ahead of time, and during the workshop discuss key takeaways from the resource, conduct group exercises to apply those frameworks, and discuss their broader implications for the data and technology field.
Sessions facilitated by LA Tech4Good will deal on three main topics: Equity in Data Projects, Data Ethics and Impact of Algorithms, LA Tech4Good announced.
Guest speakers include Patricia Garcia, assistant professor in the School of Information at the University of Michigan, and Ali Alkhatib, a research fellow at the Center for Applied Data Ethics at the University of San Francisco.
Participants should have two to 10 years of experience with data projects, which can include professional, academic, and/or volunteer-based experience in any field; actively working on a data project; are interested in applying new learnings to their current project; and are open to sharing their experiences and insights in a cohort-based participatory learning setting, the announcement said.
The sessions will cover introductions to all participants and their projects, approaches for defining fairness in a project, and how equity impacts the creation and use of data through collection and categorization.
For participants, the workshops could enhance professional development via actionable learnings that can be immediately applied to increasing equity and promoting ethics in your data/tech projects. They will also offer networking opportunities with other equity-minded data professionals in Southern California. Participants who complete all three workshop sessions will be invited to write a guest post for the LA Tech4Good blog on a topic related to the workshop.
For March, Equity + Ethics in Data will have one evening session per week over three weeks: March 4, 11 and 18, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Participants are advised to plan to complete an hour of pre-work prior to each session. Sessions are held virtually.
Participants will pay $150 for registration, which will include all sessions and materials. Your fee will support LA Tech4Good’s continued work.
A reduced rate of $75 and full scholarships are available to participants from small nonprofits and others who need them.
If you are interested in being considered for a scholarship, please check the appropriate box on the online application form.
The form is available on this link: www.meetup.com/AI-LA-Meetup/
