Ria Murali, one of the lead organizers of the Tech4Good Conference, said that many USC students pursue careers in tech or the defense industry because they believe those paths offer opportunities. However, she hopes to broaden that perspective.

Shift SC, a student-led organization that brings together students passionate about the intersection of technology and social impact, hosted Tech4Good Monday at Ginsburg Hall. Students heard from a panel of industry leaders on how technology can be used for positive change and for social good.

“At USC specifically, a lot of students gear their career goals toward big tech or the defense industry, because USC has a lot of partnerships with a lot of these companies,” said Murali, a junior majoring in computer science as well as business administration. “Showing the students that there is another route and another field that really positively impacts people is really meaningful work, and that’s what we really strive to do here. We really care about the impact that we make through technology.” 

The panel was composed of four leaders in the tech industry. Murali said the process of selecting speakers began in June, when the team identified potential panelists by reviewing their prior work in socially responsible technology and their ability to develop projects that aligned with Tech4Good’s mission.

Beatrice Prayscha, a graduate student studying business administration, said she attended the event hoping to expand her professional network and connect with industry mentors.

“Although I think [the panelists] are very successful people, they are still human,” Prayscha said. “They bring up a lot about collaboration and then how to manage relationships with peers, colleagues, investors, anybody.”

During the panel, the speakers said technology can be used to drive meaningful social change. Nuna Atadja, a public affairs manager at Waymo, said the company offers opportunities for people with disabilities, such as vision impairment or epilepsy, the ability to transport themselves independently.  

“Our first ever rider … had never been in a car by himself ever in his life,” Atadja said. “It’s really powerful and important as a company to continue to invest in the marginalized communities, to really partner alongside them and create opportunities for growth and create opportunities for access.”

Josh Sackman, president and co-founder of AppliedVR — a firm that uses virtual reality to help patients manage pain — said it was important for students who wanted to help people via tech to consider the business and profit strategy as well as the technology itself. 

“Profit [and] impact are not mutually exclusive, you don’t have to run through a nonprofit to do good,” Sackman said. “It took me a long time to resolve those two, that I want to help people, but I also want to build a business that’s sustainable and profitable. Those two were not at odds with each other.”

Murali said her team of nine undergraduate students had been working since June to bring Tech4Good to life and that she looks forward to expanding the organization’s impact through future events. Beyond the conference, she shared that the team is also planning a virtual reality hackathon that applies Tech4Good principles to immersive technology. Furthermore they do outreach programs to local communities, teaching elementary and middle schoolers about AI and technology education. 

“Shift [SC] isn’t just about the conference; we do a lot more than that.”