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Digital Progress Association

Strategic pillars

Four pillars. One mission. Many ways in.

DPA works across four parallel domains — each a clear function, each a clear way to join. Read it like a deck: one pillar per slide, with how to get involved at the bottom of every one.

We don't work alone.

DPA is built on relationships — with communities, institutions, and partners across sectors and continents.

A diverse community group co-designing on paper together in a sunlit room

Community-first

  • Start with those most affected by technological change
  • Local communities anchor every initiative
  • Co-design, not consultation
A cross-sector roundtable conversation between leaders from civic, public, and community backgrounds

Stakeholder bridge

  • Connect public, private, and civic leaders
  • Align incentives across sectors
  • Shared accountability for outcomes
A vocational training classroom with diverse learners at laptops

Partner network

  • Vetted training providers and research institutions
  • Convening bodies and advocacy networks
  • Never duplicate — always add value
A bustling local market street at golden hour, locally grounded yet globally connected

Operating principle

  • Locally grounded, globally connected
  • Evidence-informed, not evidence-limited
  • Build infrastructure, not dependency
01At a glance

What we do, in four moves

Three pillars launch together. A fourth — the advisory marketplace — comes online once the ecosystem has the depth and trust to sustain it.

01Pillar 1 of 4

Talent Pipeline & Applied Learning

Pathways into the digital economy — built for those left out.

We connect individuals to vetted training, skilling, and career pathways, with deliberate emphasis on communities historically excluded from access and opportunity.

Who this is for

  • Learners & early-career talent
  • Educators & training partners
  • Employers seeking inclusive pipelines

Focus areas

  • Equitable access to tech careers
  • Applied and lifelong learning
  • Community-anchored skilling

How it shows up

  • Vetted partner pathways
  • Co-produced learning experiences
  • Mentorship and cohort programs

What success looks like

  • More people enter and advance in the digital economy
  • Stronger local talent ecosystems
  • Reduced friction between learners and employers

Interested in joining this pillar?

Join as a learner or partner
02Pillar 2 of 4

Strategic Research & Insight Lab

Independent insight where technology meets society.

We produce timely, actionable research and policy insight to help communities and organizations understand how technology reshapes systems, institutions, and societal norms.

Who this is for

  • Policymakers & civic leaders
  • Researchers & academics
  • Mission-driven organizations

Focus areas

  • AI governance
  • Digital public infrastructure
  • Equity, access, and civic life

How it shows up

  • Briefs and insight reports
  • Open ecosystem maps
  • Co-produced knowledge assets

What success looks like

  • More informed decisions across sectors
  • Stronger preparedness for change
  • Shared evidence base for public-interest tech

Interested in joining this pillar?

Collaborate on research
03Pillar 3 of 4

Collaborative Convenings & Ecosystem Building

The places where the field comes together.

We bring stakeholders and communities together through events and forums that deepen collaboration, knowledge exchange, and collective action — locally grounded and globally connected.

Who this is for

  • Civic, public, and private sector leaders
  • Community organizers & advocates
  • Global peer networks

Focus areas

  • Community-centered forums
  • Regional roundtables
  • Global Tech & Society Summit

How it shows up

  • Cross-sector dialogues
  • Working groups and coalitions
  • Public lectures and exchanges

What success looks like

  • Coalitions that endure beyond a single moment
  • Public-interest voices shaping decisions
  • A more connected, more honest field

Interested in joining this pillar?

Attend or co-host a convening
04Pillar 4 of 4
Phase 2

Advisory & Innovation Support

A trusted marketplace for public-interest technology.

A marketplace connecting organizations seeking technology strategy with vetted experts and service providers — launched once the ecosystem has the depth and trust to sustain it.

Who this is for

  • Nonprofits & civic institutions
  • Public sector teams
  • Vetted advisors & providers

Focus areas

  • Vetted expert network
  • Public-interest tech strategy
  • Responsible adoption support

How it shows up

  • Curated advisor matching
  • Reference architectures
  • Implementation guidance

What success looks like

  • Mission-driven adoption with accountability
  • Reduced risk in high-stakes deployments
  • A healthier supply side for public-interest tech

Interested in joining this pillar?

Express interest in the network
05Bring it together

Different doors. Same building.

Whether you join us as a learner, a researcher, a convener, or an advisor, you become part of a single ecosystem working to make technology serve society — locally grounded, globally connected.

Get involved Talk to the team