Mike: It’s great to be here, Spiffy! Strada supports programs, policies, and organizations that strengthen connections between postsecondary education and opportunity, with a focus on helping people who face the greatest challenges. We advance our mission through impact investments, grantmaking, research, and policy solutions. I am part of the strategic investments team, where we invest in companies and fund managers seeking to remove barriers to postsecondary education and workforce pathways, thus improving socioeconomic mobility for Americans.
Alex: Thanks for having me, Spiffy. Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, brings the best of Google to help solve some of humanity’s biggest challenges by combining funding, product donations, and technical expertise to support underserved communities and provide opportunities for everyone. I lead our team’s efforts around artificial intelligence (AI) for social good, where we focus on empowering nonprofits to develop and deploy AI solutions that enable them to better achieve their missions and ensure nonprofits and those they serve have access to the benefits of AI.
Natalia: It’s great to be here, Spiffy! At a time when diversity and inclusion are hot topics, the 15 percent in the world who have a disability want effective change to remove the inequality, discrimination, and inactivity they face. The International Paralympic Committee wants to change attitudes about disability, improve accessibility, and increase opportunities for people with a disability through the power of sport. By using the platform of the Paralympic Games, we are raising awareness of the barriers and discrimination people with disabilities face on a daily basis at all levels of society. Paralympic athletes can act as a catalyst to break down these barriers, so all persons with disabilities can fulfill their potential and be active and visible members of an inclusive society.
