Digital Innovation Summit 2025
EVENT RECAP
The Digital Innovation Summit brought together leaders from across sectors to explore how emerging technologies are reshaping the role that Hispanics play in the American economy and workforce. Against the backdrop of major policy changes, this year’s summit focused on practical strategies for expanding digital access, strengthening small businesses, and preparing the Hispanic community for the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence (“AI”). Panel discussions examined the challenges of sustaining digital infrastructure, the potential for AI to transform career opportunities, and the need for privacy. As technology continues to play an increasingly important role in our society, the Digital Innovation Summit highlights the importance of equipping Hispanics with the skills, infrastructure, and protections needed to succeed in a digital world.
Panel 1 - Beyond ACP: Expanding and Building Digital Pathways for the Future
Moderator: Brent Wilkes; Senior Vice President, Hispanic Federation
Brent Wilkes is a seasoned advocate for Latino communities and serves as the Senior Vice President of the Hispanic Federation. He opened this year’s panel by highlighting the real-life consequences that the termination of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) will have for millions of struggling families who may now have to choose between internet access and basic necessities. He also noted the impact that internet access has on a person’s ability to compete in the job market and the long-term risks of digital exclusion poses for the Latino community.
Angelina Panettieri: Legislative Director for Information Technology and Communications, National League of Cities (NLC)
Background: NLC represents communities across the country and provides federal advocacy, professional development, and resources to local government leaders.
Key Insights
Panettieri stressed that digital equity solutions must be tailored to the specific needs of the communities they serve. She stressed the importance of finding creative solutions to the budget uncertainty that has been caused by the removal of the ACP. Panettieri encouraged local governments to collaborate with private sector partners and emphasized that broadband access is not just a tech issue. It is an issue that affects a myriad of sectors such as education, workforce development, and national security. She also called for reform of the Universal Service Fund and emphasized the need for bipartisan support.
Michelle Lopez Maldonado: Delegate, Virginia House of Delegates
Background: Delegate Maldonado serves as the policy chair of Virginia’s Latino Caucus, the digital equity lead for the Black Caucus, and founding chair of the state’s Technology and Innovation Caucus.
Key Insights
Maldonado echoed many of Panettieri’s points about reshaping the narrative around broadband access, describing it as a “kitchen table issue” that impacts everything from work and education to healthcare and democracy. She voiced concern about the potential consequences of a federal AI regulation moratorium that would force states to choose between enforcing AI safeguards and receiving broadband funding. Maldonado proposed tax incentives that would reward private sector organizations for their support and stressed that public-private partnerships must be set up in ways that are beneficial to communities. In regards to workforce development, she emphasized upskilling and certification programs to prepare for job displacement caused by AI.
Kenley Joseph: Tech and Telecom Policy Counsel, Multicultural Media, Telecom, and Internet Council (MMTC)
Background: MMTC advocates for equal opportunity in the tech industry by promoting inclusive policy, expanding access to capital, and closing the digital divide.
Key Insights
Joseph advocated for community-lead tech education initiatives, such as MMTC’s Black Churches for Digital Equity campaign and the Juneteenth Digital Opportunity Bible Study, to increase understanding about digital tools. He proposed using spectrum auction proceeds to fund a dedicated digital equity fund and encouraged local collaboration between community leaders as a way to deal with uncertainty in regards to federal funding. Joseph referred to AI as a “tool like anything else” and urged people to embrace its potential to increase efficiency, provided it is guided by appropriate regulations and policy.
Overview
The “Beyond ACP” panel confronted the challenges that will come in the wake of the Affordable Connectivity Program’s termination. Wilkes communicated the importance of the issue, highlighting that over 23 million people will be impacted. Panettieri emphasized the impact that local leaders can make, and the need to reframe the digital divide as an all-encompassing issue. Maldonado called for bipartisan action to ensure that AI regulation stays up to date and workforce upskilling initiatives to ensure that communities don’t get left behind. Joseph reinforced the role of education and proposed innovative solutions to fund digital equity efforts. Together, the panelists agreed that the path forward must be collaborative, with digital equity embedded as a top national priority across all levels of government and industry.
Panel 2 - Powering Latino Small Business Growth: Policy Pathways for Digital Infrastructure
Moderator: Lorena Molina-Irizarry; Co-founder and Co-CEO for strategy and partnerships, 1iLabs
Lorena Molina-Irizarry leads 1iLabs’ strategic vision emphasizing value-driven collaborations, public-private initiatives, and the creation of a trusted, secure digital ecosystem and regional talent development to drive innovation alongside inclusive socioeconomic advancement in the digital economy. At this year’s Digital Innovation Summit, she moderated a powerful conversation on how digital infrastructure and data equity are reshaping the landscape for Latino-owned small businesses.
Allen Gutierrez: Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, U.S. Department of Transportation
Background: Gutierrez oversees federal procurement policy and small business integration at the DOT. His office focuses on increasing digital accessibility for local entrepreneurs.
Key Insights
Gutierrez emphasized the urgent need to reduce regulatory burdens for small businesses, especially Latino-owned establishments that often have to deal with a multitude of challenges. His office is developing AI-powered tools, such as a federal contracting marketplace in collaboration with IBM Watson, to help small businesses obtain government contracts. He also suggested connecting education programs with Small Business Transportation Resource Centers to improve operational efficiency at the local level. Gutierrez stressed that the government must act as “bridges” for Latino businesses that are trying to integrate into the digital economy.
Honorable Don Graves: Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Fellow at the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service
Background: Graves is a former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce, where he led economic policy at the federal level. He currently serves as a Fellow at the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service, engaging with students and shaping conversations on public policy and leadership.
Key Insights
Graves underscored that technology should be seen as a tool, and not a threat, especially in regards to cybersecurity and AI. He warned that small businesses lacking in cybersecurity capabilities are in danger, and must be given the tools to protect their digital presence. Graves also discussed the importance of uniting government entities around shared initiatives, specifically citing the need to increase capital and data capacity for Latino entrepreneurs. He praised tech hub models and regional coalitions for their impact on small business ecosystems, and encouraged small firms to engage with the CHIPS Act and other infrastructure initiatives that require large contractors to partner with small businesses. Finally, he advocated for small business owners to proactively think about the role that they want technology to play in their operations, and utilize these emerging tools in ways that maximize their utility.
Daiquiri Ryan Mercado: Founder & CEO, Exito & Co.
Background: Mercado leads a firm specializing in community advocacy. A Latina entrepreneur herself, she brings personal insight to the topic of accessing digital tools as a business owner.
Key Insights
Daiquiri Ryan Mercado made a compelling case that broadband access is not just a technology challenge, but a critical infrastructure issue. A third of Latino households still lack broadband at home, hindering even basic digital integration among small businesses. She described how business owners like herself, who still rely on handwritten invoices, may view digital integration as disruptive rather than empowering despite the many operational benefits it can offer. She emphasized the need to build tools that support digital integration without disrupting trusted and established business models. Daiquiri highlighted an organization in North Carolina called “NC Counts” that has a micro-grant program for underserved communities as an example of a sustainable digital equity project.
Overview
The panel examined how policy can better support Latino entrepreneurs in a rapidly digitizing economy. Gutierrez outlined how AI and streamlined procurement can empower small businesses to grow their presence in the market. Graves emphasized the need for a coordinated government approach and private investment to enable opportunity for Latino entrepreneurs. Daiquiri grounded the conversation in the lived experiences of Latino business owners, advocating for solutions that are not only innovative, but culturally and operationally relevant. The panelists agreed that Latino businesses must be active drivers in shaping digital infrastructure policy.
Panel 3 - The Future of Work: Tech Talent Pathways Building for a People-First Economy
Moderator: Laura Maristany, Founder & CEO, Katch Skills
Laura Maristany is a Puerto Rican tech startup founder and longtime leader in national workforce and education policy with over 20 years of experience in Washington, DC. She opened the session panel by emphasizing the importance of upskilling and reskilling communities, focusing on skills and superpowers. She highlighted the important role that technology will play in anchoring communities and preparing people to enter the job market.
Antonio Tijerino: President & CEO, Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF)
Background: As the CEO of HHF, Antonio leads initiatives on education, workforce development, and social impact. He is also a board member of HTTP and an outspoken advocate for the Hispanic community.
Key Insights
Tijerino opened by stating that Latinos will fill 78% of all new jobs in the next five years. This means that integrating Latinos into the digital workforce is not a DEI initiative, but a national imperative. Organizations such as HHF are doing valuable work to facilitate this integration amidst a tumultuous political climate. Through programs such as “Code as a Second Language,” HHF is teaching over 100,000 Latino youth how to code, and preparing them for tech careers that can transform their lives. Tijerino called for professional educational programs and credential standardization to increase the viability of non-degree pathways. He also highlighted the importance of integrating digital skills training into public educational curriculum, particularly noting the unfortunately low number of high schools that offer computer science courses.
Helder Toste: Director of Government Affairs, Libre Initiative.
Background: The Libre Initiative is an advocacy organization focused on policy issues affecting Latino economic mobility, healthcare, and immigration. As a first-generation American, he brings both a personal and a policy driven lens to the conversation.
Key Insights
Toste used demographic statistics to establish the importance of the Latino community in workforce development. One in four children in the U.S. is Latino, and new labor demand will overwhelmingly come from Hispanic populations. He emphasized the importance of local partnerships and favored them over unstable government collaborations, specifically citing Hispanic charter schools in Arizona and technological education programs in Central California as examples of successful workforce integration initiatives. Toste also pushed for greater flexibility in Pell Grant usage and expanding broadband infrastructure to support rural and underserved communities. He shared compelling personal stories, from his own Yale journey to his brother’s pivot from Chick-fil-A to IT training, to stress the importance of accessible career opportunities.
Overview
The panel tackled many complex and urgent questions about the role that the technology will play in shaping the workforce. Maristany emphasized that reskilling and upskilling must be accessible to people at any point in the career path, and must value individual talents alongside traditional degrees. Tijerino advocated for employer-led, culturally aware workforce programs that meet Latinos where they are. Toste called for flexible partnerships at the local level and policy reforms that prioritize access and infrastructure. All panelists agreed that the future of work demands adaptability.
Panel 4 - Unlocking AI: Privacy, Access, and Open Source Tools
Moderator: Lili Gangas; Chief Technology Community Officer, Kapor Center
Lili Gangas leads community-centered technology initiatives at the Kapor Center, working to build a more accessible tech ecosystem. She closed this year’s Digital Innovation Summit with a critical conversation that dealt with topics of artificial intelligence, privacy, and open-source innovation. Gangas emphasized the importance of community input in shaping the policies and technologies that will define the future.
Hoda Hawa: Senior Manager, Public Sector and Stakeholder Engagement, Google
Background: Hawa brings a decade of experience working at the intersection of civil society and tech policy. At Google, she works to ensure that digital accessibility is part of AI’s development and governance processes.
Key Thoughts
Hawa urged a “whole-of-society” approach to AI regulation, where communities, governments, and industry leaders all contribute to refining these emerging technologies and finding solutions that ensure that AI’s impact is overall beneficial to the people it serves. She explained that open-source AI is not an on-off switch but a spectrum that requires careful consideration of what gets released and when. While open source fosters innovation and transparency, it also comes with risks, especially if accessed by bad actors. Hawa highlighted Google’s work with Howard University on culturally relevant voice AI datasets, showing how inclusive development starts with trusting communities as co-designers. She closed by stating that policymakers must truly understand AI to appropriately regulate it.
Lori Moylan: Public Policy Director, External Affairs, Meta
Background: With a background in policy research and think tanks, Moylan bridges the gap between communities and Meta’s product teams, ensuring technology is shaped by diverse voices and values.
Key Thoughts
Moylan emphasized that American open-source innovation is necessary to counter global models that lack transparency, such as those emerging from China. She explained that open-source AI can be tailored to fit the specific needs of the user. The transparency that comes with open source models is particularly important in sensitive use cases such as healthcare, education, and legal services. Moylan also raised concerns about fragmented state-level AI regulations, noting that over 1,000 AI bills were introduced this year alone. She advocated for sector-specific policies, encouraging legislators to focus on specific applications of the technology instead of broad regulation. She stressed that open-source development must be protected and expanded upon.
Overview
The panel explored many of the concerns and benefits that come with developments in artificial intelligence. Gangas set the stage by acknowledging that these technologies are growing quickly and our policies and community engagement grow alongside it. Hawa pushed for inclusive, transparent development driven by shared values and civil society participation. Moylan called for robust U.S. leadership in crafting open source policy and warned against regulatory overreach that could harm innovation. Together, the panelists held a common theme that AI is a tool, and its future will depend on how inclusively and responsibly we choose to build it.
Acknowledgment
This event would not have been possible without the collective efforts of so many talented people, and HTTP is thankful for everyone who helped along the way.
To our speakers, we extend our deepest gratitude for bringing your insights, experiences, and vision to these discussions. Your commitment to driving innovation, strengthening communities, and championing equitable opportunities inspires us all.
We are especially thankful to our moderators, whose thoughtful guidance helped create conversations that were both dynamic and meaningful. Your leadership was instrumental in fostering dialogue that allowed for unique perspectives to be heard and valued.
Behind the scenes, a remarkable team of organizers and volunteers worked tirelessly to ensure every detail was carefully planned and executed. Thank you for your hard work and dedication that made this event a success.
Thank you to our underwriting partners, our mission-aligned organizations featured throughout the program, and the incredible leadership of HTTP’s executive board and member organizations for your continued support of HTTP’s mission and your partnership in advancing digital accessibility.
Finally, to all of the attendees: thank you for bringing your curiosity, ideas, and energy. Your engagement is what makes these events meaningful. We look forward to continuing this work together and driving progress for our communities in the year ahead.
