The SingularityU San Francisco Chapter had the unique ability to tap into the resources of the nearby Singularity University (SU) headquarters and connect with the deep pool of talented minds in San Francisco and beyond. Constanza Gomez-Mont, who was one of the Chapter's five tenacious leaders, says her Chapter focused on creating a ripple effect of social impact that benefits the broader Silicon Valley community.Gomez-Mont worked closely with her co-leaders, Inna Semenyuk, Solange Massa, Anitha Vadavatha, and Van Duesterberg to bring their ideas to life and share responsibilities. "Our rotating Chapter leadership role let every team member take the lead and make a contribution to the Chapter’s development,” shared Semenyuk.Gomez-Mont added, "As a team, we worked to help spread the mission and objectives of Singularity University—particularly getting more people interested in the global grand challenges and exploring how technology can positively impact both society and the environment, and what that means specifically for the Bay Area."
One collaboration with SU headquarters led to an opportunity to work together on the Chapter’s Global Impact Challenge (GIC) focused on climate change. Ten finalists were invited to present a pitch on technology-driven climate change solutions leveraging exponential technology to a panel of experts, with the winner receiving a scholarship to attend SU’s Global Startup Program (GSP).Both Gomez-Mont and Semenyuk agree that the GIC was one of their most memorable and personally rewarding events to work on. The Challenge was designed to award a single winner, but the quality of the pitches was so impressive that SU decided to award two scholarships. Gomez-Mont is especially proud that the Chapter directly brought those individuals into a larger international community, noting, "Part of our job was to open the doors for talented people to get new opportunities. Being able to support two people to attend the GSP was huge. They now have the possibility of getting involved in a project that will last a lifetime. It was also a beautiful experience for the Chapter to be part of the story of creating impact and supporting people to fulfill their desire to be part of a bigger international community."
While the appetite for social innovation in Silicon Valley is clear, there is an opportunity to continue the path of the San Francisco Chapter and offer more opportunities for community members to share their stories and create a ripple effect of peers inspiring peers towards social impact. The license is available now for the San Francisco Chapter. Consider applying to become the next leadership team!Are you interested in engaging members of your local community in thoughtful conversations about exponential technologies? If so, learn more about our growing global network of Singularity UChapters. Explore the current Chapter locations, and if you don’t see your city or country represented, apply to lead one!In the Spotlight: Singularity University ChaptersSU launched the SingularityU Chapters program in 2015, and the SingularityU Global network has grown rapidly ever since. In this “SingularityU: Chapter in the Spotlight” blog series, we interview Chapter leaders to learn what led them to establish their SingularityU Chapters, what their Chapter experiences entail, and what makes their cities an important part of a global ecosystem.