Toni Morgan is a Canadian educator, social policy innovator, and technology ethics leader known for her contributions to AI fairness, responsible innovation, and human-centered technology.[1] She has dedicated her career to humanizing AI for all users through a globally inclusive lens, ensuring that AI systems are designed to serve diverse communities equitably.[1]

Early life and education

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Morgan became involved in youth advocacy and public policy at an early age.[2] At 14, she experienced homelessness, living in a YWCA women’s shelter, where she was first introduced to social policy and community development.[3][4] She pursued higher education through a non-traditional path, enrolling in college at 22 as a part-time student and completing her undergraduate degree at 29 before attending Harvard University.[2][5]

In 2015, Morgan crowd-funded her tuition for Harvard, becoming GoFundMe’s first viral education campaign, raising the necessary funds in 48 hours.[6] She later became a Harvard Diversity Leadership Fellow and project director at the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, where she collaborated with executive director Danielle Allen to launch Tensions of Force, a research initiative that examined the impact of surveillance technology and AI on Black and low-income communities.[7][8] After completing her studies at Harvard, Morgan earned her MBA at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she focused on ethical AI, inclusive product development, and the governance of AI systems for global communities.[8]

Career

Morgan has held leadership roles across education, policy, and technology, specializing in developing human-centered systems that address systemic inequities.[9][10]

From 2012 to 2015, she served as an inaugural board member of the Youth Challenge Fund, a $45 million initiative focused on supporting youth in communities impacted by gun violence in Toronto.[11]

Morgan served as new manager for responsible innovation strategy at ByteDance, TikTok's parent company.[12] Previously, she served as managing director at Northeastern University's Center for Law, Innovation, and Creativity.[12] She later transitioned into AI ethics and responsible technology, working to create inclusive AI systems that prioritize fairness, accountability, and user diversity.[9]

Morgan has been a speaker at international conferences on topics related to AI governance, algorithmic fairness, and the role of technology in diverse global communities.[13][14]

Awards and recognition

  • 2005 - Young Woman of Distinction Award, recognizing leadership in youth advocacy[15]
  • 2005 - Flare Magazine’s Volunteer of the Year Award, for contributions to social change initiatives[15]
  • 2016 - Kolajo Afolabi Award for Educational Justice, recognizing work in addressing structural barriers in education[9]

References

  1. ^ a b Linda Matchan,"From homeless to Harvard, with the help of crowdfunding". goodto.com. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  2. ^ a b Melissa Renwick,"Homeless to Harvard: Toronto dropout accepted to Ivy league school". goodto.com. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  3. ^ "Tonika Morgan, once homeless, now Harvard-bound, seeks funding for tuition". cbc.ca. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
  4. ^ "From homelessness to Harvard University". thestarphoenix.com. 20 October 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
  5. ^ Stella Acquisto,"Former homeless woman invites teens from Jane and Finch to Harvard". toronto.citynews.ca. 20 October 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
  6. ^ Angie Seth,"Once-homeless Toronto woman crowdfunds more than $60K for Harvard tuition". globalnews.ca. 17 April 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
  7. ^ "About the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics" (PDF). ethics.harvard.edu. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  8. ^ a b Kelly Evans,"Homeless to Harvard: Crowdfunding education". cnbc.com. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  9. ^ a b c "Toni Morgan, Organizational Resilience Expert and D&I Strategist". projects.iq.harvard.edu. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  10. ^ Michelle Morra-Carlisle,"A brave new (Harvard) chapter". torontomu.ca. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
  11. ^ Melissa Renwick,"Harvard student's invitation proves the power of a role model". thestar.com. 11 April 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  12. ^ a b Dan Whateley,"The top creator economy moves of the week, from new influencer-led VC funds to DBA signing a TikTok food star". businessinsider.com. 2 April 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  13. ^ "Toronto Native Tonika Morgan Goes from Homeless to Harvard Graduate School, Thanks to Crowdfunding". goodblacknews.org. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
  14. ^ Doug Diaczuk,"Reach out and change the story". tbnewswatch.com. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
  15. ^ a b "Social Justice Technologist and Personal Resilience Expert". nsb.com. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  16. ^ "TONI MORGAN is an award-winning Canadian social entrepreneur and educator". accessinpractice.ca. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
Allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toni_Morgan
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