Giving Compass' Take:

• This Ford Foundation post examines the role technology influencers play in the nonprofit world and why we need to create more inclusive pathways to such positions.

• To make sure that new tech and innovation benefits everyone, we must hear from all voices, especially those that have been traditionally marginalized. Which practices can help us forge a better path forward?

• Here's more on how we can build more equitable smart cities.

Sometimes a word gets stretched and appropriated to fit so many uses that it loses its meaning. “Innovation” is one such word. (Is a washing machine that connects to the internet actually “innovative”? Well, it says so right in the marketing copy!) But when it comes to the word “technologist,” there’s an argument to be made that the opposite is true — that at this pivotal moment, a broader definition is good for the field.

Simply put, in this still burgeoning field, we need all the help we can get. If technology is going to work for the millions of people who fall outside of Silicon Valley’s most familiar territory (which arguably includes people who aren't white, or don't speak English, or have limited literacy skills, or have a disability, or are low-income, or need technology that can do things besides get them a ride or do their laundry or deliver them a pizza) then we need people who understand what it is to live those realities. We need an inclusive definition for who we turn to as experts in building, adapting, and deploying technology, in terms of both demographics and skills.

Read the full article about why we need a broader definition of "technologist" at Ford Foundation.