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Introducing the First Cohort of Ethics and Technology Practitioner Fellows

Headshots of 7 tech ethics practitioner fellows stacked in 2 rows

Inaugural Ethics and Technology Practitioner Fellows

The McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society is excited to welcome its first-ever cohort of Ethics and Technology Practitioner fellows. The program, which runs for one year starting in January 2025, includes a diverse group of mid-career technology professionals who will develop and lead projects in key areas, such as online safety, privacy, equity, and responsible AI. 

The non-residential fellowship, made possible by Frank McCourt in association with the Project Liberty Institute, builds on the success of the Tech Ethics & Policy Summer Fellowship for undergraduates and aims to give tech professionals the opportunity to create real-world change in their fields. Seven practitioners from technology companies, government agencies, nonprofits, and research organizations will receive project funding, support from an undergraduate research assistant, faculty mentorship, and opportunities to learn and collaborate across Stanford.

We will welcome them at Fellows Week from February 10-13 where participants will present their project ideas and build community with peers and mentors. The program culminates with a showcase in the fall, celebrating the fellows' contributions and impact.

The inaugural cohort includes professionals from across the United States, as well as Brazil and Mexico.


Valeria Tafoya

Valeria is a passionate advocate for digital transformation and responsible AI, with expertise in developing AI-driven solutions for education and workforce challenges. She is dedicated to advancing ethical and inclusive technology for sustainable development. Valeria is the Head of Data at Endeavor Mexico, where she drives innovation and strategic insights through data to support entrepreneurial growth. She plans to reimagine job creation using AI for regions where innovation is typically tied to industrialization. Valeria has spearheaded internationally-recognized ed-tech initiatives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Her extensive experience in AI policy includes consulting for Spain, Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil, as well as contributions to global initiatives like the International Telecommunication Union’s "Gov Stack". In 2024, Valeria was recognized by WIRED as a leading voice in responsible AI.


Michael R. Swenson

Headshot of Omar Swenson in front of the Golden Gate Bridge with short, dark hair, glasses, and a red checkered shirt

Michael serves as the senior community manager for Strategic Response at Reddit, supporting countless Reddit communities and moderator teams by developing the strategic response pillar and driving preventative crisis management initiatives. They plan to capture the global expertise of community moderators and share their critical work in online safety through co-created resources and a community of practice. Prior to Reddit, Michael was a community lead at the Integrity Institute and safety policy manager for child safety and wellbeing at Meta. They also previously led a team of program managers at Discord, where they managed the moderator ecosystem. This work connected community moderators with product teams, academic researchers, and civil society organizations focused on fostering safety and belonging within online communities. Michael holds an M.S. in computer science with a focus on human-computer interaction from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Master of Divinity with a focus on ethics and society from Duke University Divinity School.


Omar Solis

Headshot of Omar Solis with black hair reaching to his neck wearing a tan blazer

Omar is a software engineer and privacy advocate with a passion for ethical technology and public accountability, particularly in the realm of algorithmic transparency. He has over six years of experience in software development and data science, having contributed to initiatives at the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Innovation, seed to late-stage startups, and large tech companies. He plans to develop an open data portal to help communities track and analyze the impact of surveillance technologies, like ALPRs, to empower communities to understand and challenge AI-driven surveillance, particularly its impact on marginalized communities. Omar holds a degree in computer science from Stanford University.


Katherine Ortiz

Headshot of Katherine Ortiz with red hair in a bun wearing a black blazer

Katherine is currently a technical program manager at a major technology company working in Cloud enterprise data governance and compliance. She is also a major in the United States Army Reserves, where she has been serving as an intelligence officer and an information operations planner for over 18 years. She seeks to identify and apply new consent frameworks for technology through community insight and engagement, aiming to define alternative ways to obtain and interact with consent in technology based on different human values and expectations. She is a proud alumna of the Stanford Online Ethics, Technology + Public Policy for Practitioners course, which kick-started her passion to dig deep into grappling with and exploring new ways of interacting with technology as it continues to shape and transform our daily lives. She has a B.A. in history from Barnard College and an M.S. in computer science from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.


Sabrina Lin

Headshot of Sabrina Lin with black shoulder-length hair, glasses, and a red shirt

Sabrina is a user experience practitioner passionate about design justice and ethical innovation. She leads design initiatives to solve complex problems in the human capital management space at Oracle. She plans to focus on developing solutions that protect artists from exploitative AI art tools, promoting a more equitable technology landscape. Previously, she worked at the intersection of human-centered research, strategy, and design, launching products with MIT-based early-stage startups. Beyond her professional work, Sabrina is an artist and organizer who has raised thousands of dollars in aid for displaced families and community organizations. Sabrina graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in media arts and sciences.


Lalitha Jonnalagadda

Headshot of Lalitha Jonnalagadda with black hair past her shoulders wearing a beige blazer

With experience in the nonprofit, private, and public sectors, Lalitha combines a deep commitment to ethical, user-focused product development with a proven ability to align innovation, business goals, and policy. Currently, she leads product and service delivery at the General Services Administration (GSA), where she champions user-centered approaches to serve the public. She is passionate about using technology as a force for public good, ensuring that solutions are not only effective but also equitable and impactful for the people they serve. She plans to develop tools integrating ethics, privacy, and equity into practical day-to-day application for product teams, ensuring user safety and trust without trade-offs in corporate profitability or reputation. She is a seasoned product leader and consultant with over 15 years of experience driving digital innovation and delivering impactful solutions, including the development and launch of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Reporting Portal and spearheading Login.gov’s In-Person Proofing pilot and nationwide expansion in partnership with USPS.


João Paulo Gomes

Headshot of Joao Paulo Gomes with salt and pepper hair wearing a dark shirt

JP is a researcher and strategist with a background in human-centered design, civic tech, and government. As a UX Researcher, he has collaborated with teams at Google and Meta to shape product, design, and policy decisions rooted in a deep understanding of user needs, behaviors, and local contexts. His work covers civic participation, authoritative information, election integrity, and the role of AI in enhancing developer experiences. He aims to develop a public red-teaming playbook tailored to civil society in Brazil, empowering local organizations to assess vulnerabilities in AI systems and build capacity for independent oversight. In his previous role on Meta’s Civic Action & Elections team, JP conducted research aimed at driving equitable, informed, and safe participation in global elections. Before transitioning to tech, JP spent a decade as a strategist in the public sector with the Presidency of Brazil, the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), designing strategies and campaigns that addressed climate change, poverty eradication, and innovation. JP holds a master’s degree in strategic design from The New School and a bachelor’s in journalism and communications from the University of Brasília.