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Caroline Barlerin shared thisDemo Day is one of those events that reminds you why this work matters. Last week, Fast Forward held its 13th annual Demo Day in San Francisco, and I left genuinely moved. Ten tech nonprofits, 70% of them AI-powered plus 80% founded by people with lived experience of the problems they're solving, took the stage and made the case that technology can be a force for good when it's in the right hands. A few that stuck with me (impossible to pick): MyCapitol, building AI-powered policy intelligence so civil society advocates can fight back against lobbyists on their own turf. Health Access Innovation, using machine learning so patients can actually challenge wrongful insurance denials. Over 20M wrongful health insurance denials are made in the US each year! Student Basic Needs Coalition, helping college students navigate the benefits they're entitled to but don't know how to access. The through line? All of them are pursuing innovation "without the drumbeat of shareholder value in their ears at all times," as Kevin Barenblat put it. That's the whole point of Fast Forward, and the 2026 cohort delivered on it in full. If you missed Demo Day, the virtual replay is June 9 on YouTube. Worth an hour of your time. (link in comments) Congrats to Shannon Farley, Kevin Barenblat, and the entire Fast Forward cohort and team. 🎉
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Caroline Barlerin shared thisStill percolating on the conversations and connections made at the first session of the Responsible AI Working Group, a closed-door convening bringing together funders, researchers, and builders to tackle some of the field's hardest problems held at Stanford University. The agenda was dense in the best way: from getting aligned on shared language around responsible AI, to evaluating early-stage solutions, to mapping the capital gaps holding back ethical scale. The mix of voices including Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI), Mozilla, Fast Forward, All Tech Is Human, Sorenson Impact Foundation and others made for real, substantive conversation. Two things I'm walking away thinking about: → The field is still missing shared evaluation frameworks that work across funder types. We're trying to fix that. Shout out to The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation for moving this work forward. → The "missing middle layer", the infrastructure that helps founders build ethically, not just launch quickly, is a genuine gap and one that needs funding now. Lots of work ahead, but encouraged by and grateful for the phenomenal people in the room like Sophie Owens, Lili Gangas, Don Gips, Jessica Salinas, Phillip Sanders, Danielle Bennett, Sherine Kazim, Ibrahim Rashid, MPP, Adrienne Bousian, Nsé Ufot and others.
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Caroline Barlerin shared thisYou may have read Josh Tyrangiel's piece in The Atlantic, "The Secret to Understanding AI" or caught him on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart this week. I did both. And now I can't wait to read his new book. AI for Good: How Real People Are Using Artificial Intelligence to Fix Things That Matter (Simon & Schuster) just came out, and Tyrangiel's argument is one I keep coming back to: the loudest voices in AI (the CEOs, the doomers, the utopians) are actually the least interesting ones. The interesting ones are the teachers, doctors, caregivers, and public servants quietly using AI to solve real problems. No grand vision. No disruption mythology. Just a tool and a problem worth solving. A few things that stuck with me: → Fortune 100 CEOs don't want to talk about AI's impact on their workforce and that silence is itself telling → The most powerful AI use cases are happening in places like public schools in Indiana and the Cleveland Clinic, not in VC-backed startups → What would "tech without the tech companies" actually look like? And what struck me most in his Daily Show interview: there's a brief but closing window to use public pressure and political will to demand AI that works *with* human beings, not instead of them. That framing feels urgent in a way the usual AI discourse doesn't. If you're as deep into this space as I am hoping to get, I'd love to know if you are seeing that quiet, pragmatic AI use in your own work? Or does the hype still dominate? Welcome your thoughts, Afua Bruce, Beth Kanter, Shannon Farley, Kevin Barenblat, Simon Morfit, Elizabeth Kelly & others. #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #AIforGood #Technology #FutureOfWork
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Caroline Barlerin shared thisWe're thrilled to share that "You're Not Alone: Resilience and Joy in Social Impact Leadership" made the first cut as a proposed panel at SOCAP26 this October. Community voting is open through April 26. If this feels like a conversation worth having, please vote and share with your networks. https://lnkd.in/ginq9QxZ Last month, Platypus Advisors surveyed corporate social impact leaders across industries. 81% have been in this work for 11 to 20+ years. 68% lead programs with global scope. 40% represent large technology companies with 10,000+ employees. What they said they need most right now? Each other. More than budget alone. More than executive buy-in. More than AI tools. Community. We built this session around that finding, and around the belief that resilience and joy in this work are not soft concepts. Resilience and joy are strategies for sustainability, for leaders and for the sector. If that resonates, please vote and share with a friend.You're Not Alone: Resilience and Joy in Social Impact Leadership - SOCAP GlobalYou're Not Alone: Resilience and Joy in Social Impact Leadership - SOCAP Global
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Caroline Barlerin shared thisStill reflecting on attending last week’s launch of the Stanford Leadership Institute at Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Dean Sarah Soule set the tone from the start: "We are living in a time of profound change from technological breakthroughs to geopolitical shifts, from economic volatility to environmental strain. It's in moments like this that leadership matters more than ever." That framing ran through the whole day. Three things I'm taking forward: Leadership is now inherently interdisciplinary. The challenges ahead span technology, policy, markets, and society, they don't sit neatly in one domain. Context is a core capability. Understanding the forces shaping the world isn't background knowledge anymore, it's the job. The shift is from navigating change to shaping it. That's a meaningfully higher bar. Keynote speakers included: Rishi Sunak, 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 Jennifer Barrera, 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘌𝘖, 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦 Ken Griffin, 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘌𝘖 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘭 Daniel Lurie 丹尼爾·羅偉, 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘢𝘯 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰 Patti Poppe, 𝘊𝘌𝘖 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘎&𝘌 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 The Institute is designed to meet that bar. Based at Stanford GSB, it will integrate research, teaching, and cross-sector convenings across the areas that matter most to leaders today: science and technology, environmental resources, governance, markets, policy, and broader societal forces. Not a single lens, a genuinely integrated one. As Soule put it: "Our vision is clear: to inspire leaders to think broadly, act boldly, and lead proactively." The Institute is an invitation to prepare leaders who understand the world as it is and equip them to shape what it can become. Grateful to have been in the room for the start of something that feels both timely and necessary. Congrats to Maria Frantz, Ken Shotts and others for this launch. Wonderful to share the day with phenomenal fellow travelers like Robin Richards Donohoe, Kevin Barenblat, Vanessa Tapia Hartigan, Soraya Fouladi, June Yang, Josh Greenberg and Susanna Greenberg. #Leadership #StanfordGSB #StanfordLeadershipInstitute #FutureOfWork #Innovation
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Caroline Barlerin posted thisIn the last week I've had some great conversations: new ideas with old friends, about the state of the social impact world. From Kathy Gu to Marcy Scott Lynn to Paige Rodgers, we're all asking a lot of questions of each other, of our work, and of what it means to lead with purpose in the age of agentic AI. That's why Platypus launched the 2026 Social Impact Survey, an anonymous pulse-check on what impact leaders are experiencing right now. One respondent put it perfectly: "I'm thinking about how we're building durable human skills in the age of AI through social impact." Are you thinking the same thing? 70% of early respondents are cautiously optimistic about AI, but the #1 thing they say they need right now is community and connection with peers. In a world obsessed with technology, impact leaders are saying: we need each other. Add your voice. Anonymous, under 10 minutes, and $5 goes to the Global Fund for Women for every response. 🔗Link to the survey in the comments below 👇
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Caroline Barlerin shared thisCongrats to Paige Rodgers and the entire Equinix Foundation team! From bringing career exposure to students ages 14–18 across all Equinix markets through their Pathways to Tech initiative to a groundbreaking new workforce coalition led by the Equinix Foundation and Generation that will co-fund training and create direct pathways to employment, to expanded apprenticeships and new Learning Labs in Dallas, Paris, and Singapore, Equinix is showing up for the people behind the infrastructure. Here's to closing the opportunity gap. #intldatacenterday #WorkforceDevelopment #EquinixFoundationCaroline Barlerin shared thisAI demand is growing fast. Skilled technical talent needs to grow with it. We’ve announced new global workforce development investments, timed to International Data Center Day. From Pathways to Tech to apprenticeships and technician training, the focus is practical skills and real career pathways. Here’s how these programs are scaling worldwide. https://eqix.it/4swNiKh
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Caroline Barlerin shared thisIf youre looking for a great Ai fluency course. Check out this one for students. They also have a fantastic one for nonprofits that I found very accessible. https://lnkd.in/gEeYFFEv
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Caroline Barlerin shared thisStill buzzing from the Google.org Generative AI Accelerator Demo Day. It was inspiring to see 20 nonprofits utilizing generative AI to address real-world challenges, from crisis response to children's mental health, while receiving the funding, technical support, and community needed to scale their impact. As one founder shared, "Our goal was to build AI-powered impact at scale and with the support from Google.org, we’re on track to serve millions.” Yes, let's go! While I don’t want to pick favorites, I was particularly inspired by: - Signvrse, which creates real-time, offline sign language avatars to bridge communication gaps and interpreter shortages for millions of deaf individuals in Africa. - Lenny Learning, providing educators with ready-to-use lessons to support youth well-being. - Aga Khan University's platform, addressing Kenya's severe doctor shortage. A huge shout out to Maggie Johnson, Jen Carter and Brigitte Hoyer Gosselink from the Google and deep gratitude to the Fast Forward crew for their long-standing commitment to backing tech nonprofits for social good. Excited to see what 2026 brings in terms of social impact innovations through tech for good nonprofit partnerships at scale.
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Caroline Barlerin reacted on thisCaroline Barlerin reacted on thisProud to accept the San Francisco Business Times' Beyond the Check Award on behalf of NetApp. The award recognizes companies that bring more than funding to their community partnerships. That’s what we’ve worked to do with the San Francisco 49ers Foundation, combining NetApp technology and expertise with hands-on learning that helps students see how data is used in the real world and explore future careers in data and AI. Thank you to the San Francisco Business Times for this recognition. I’m grateful to the NetApp team, the San Francisco 49ers Foundation, and our nonprofit partners who have built this work together. It was a meaningful moment to celebrate what they have made possible. #NetApp #SocialImpact #BeyondTheCheck #STEMEducation #DataAndAI
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Caroline Barlerin reacted on thisCaroline Barlerin reacted on thisThe full details of the proposed San Francisco Arts Commission's Grant Disbursement and Reporting Policies are now posted. You can find the full policy documents linked within the August 3 Arts Commission agenda under "Grant Disbursement and Reporting: Policy Update." If you have thoughts on the proposed policies, I encourage you to come to Monday's meeting and share them with the Commission. Agenda and attachments: https://lnkd.in/ghTEidPA
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Caroline Barlerin reacted on thisCaroline Barlerin reacted on thisToday, Mayor Daniel Lurie 丹尼爾·羅偉 broke ground on Artists Hub on Market, a partnership with Mercy Housing that will create 94 affordable homes for artists and creative workers, along with dedicated arts and cultural space, strengthening San Francisco's creative economy. The San Francisco Arts Commission will administer the new Artist Housing Certification Program, verifying artist eligibility through a peer-reviewed certification process to help ensure artist-designated affordable housing reaches the creative workers it is intended to serve. Artists have helped make San Francisco one of the most beautiful and culturally vibrant cities in the world. They deserve the opportunity to not only create here, but to live here. https://lnkd.in/gdFC8yeu
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Caroline Barlerin reacted on thisOur Field Leaders bring it! Last week, Field Leaders from Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, and Athleta brought incredible energy to San Francisco. Big ideas. Great dialogue. Urgency to win. The best part? Seeing firsthand that while we lead four distinct brands, we're one Gap Inc. team. Our brands tell stories. And as always, the most exciting chapters aren’t written in conference rooms - they’re written in our stores. Thanks to everyone who made the trip ready to learn, connect, and keep asking what if / why not. That’s how we build momentum, together. Onward!
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Caroline Barlerin reacted on thisI was honored to receive the Sandy Weill Force for Good Award at the Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP) Board of Boards. More importantly, I was able to spotlight some of the extraordinary work our teams are doing to live our purpose of bridging gaps to create a better world. At Gap Inc., we believe access to opportunity can change the trajectory of a young person's life. Nearly twenty years ago we saw a widening opportunity gap in our communities, and we took action by starting This Way ONward. Through entry-level jobs in our Old Navy stores, and partnerships with community organizations, This Way ONward opens doors at scale. Since launching the program, we've reached more than 33,000 youth, equipping them with the skills and experience to build brighter futures. This is bridging gaps in action — bringing our purpose to life in the space between us and proving that purpose and profit are strongest when they coexist. ONward!
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Caroline Barlerin reacted on this
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Caroline Barlerin reacted on thisCaroline Barlerin reacted on thisSome gatherings energize you. Others remind you why you chose to be part of an organization in the first place. Last week's Gap Inc. Field Leadership Summit did both. Bringing together leaders from Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta in San Francisco—where Gap Inc.'s story first began nearly 60 years ago—was a powerful reminder of what makes this company so special. We spent time learning from one another, strengthening relationships, and recommitting to our shared purpose of bridging gaps to create a better world. What stood out most to me was the energy in the room. Our field leaders are the heartbeat of our brands, bringing our purpose to life every day through their leadership, dedication, and commitment to our customers and teams. A heartfelt thank you to our communications team for their incredible work and to everyone who helped make the Field Leadership Summit such a meaningful experience. I left inspired and excited for everything we'll accomplish together!
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Caroline Barlerin liked thisCaroline Barlerin liked thisThis week, in partnership with Goodera, we kicked off a national listening tour with a dinner in Seattle with 18 corporate executives. Together, we explored the role of business in addressing the social connection crisis. The leaders around the table shared what they are seeing and learning as social connection is emerging as the next major social impact cause, much like the environment was 30 years ago. The core question: How is the decline in social connection and trust impacting your culture, social impact work (philanthropy & service) and the needs of your customers? Thank you to the incredible leaders who participated and showed up authentically. It was truly a connected conversation. Andrew Hastings - Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Bettina Stix - Amazon Joshua Cooper, CPA - Uber Susan V. - REI Amanda Course Misbe - Adobe Julissa McWashington - Starbucks Blake Aviles - T-Mobile Meghan St. John - Stanley 1913 Jennifer Butte-Dahl - APCO Elise Tinseth - Boeing Arielle Kohr - Verizon Erin LaBarge - SAP Kerry Burke Fenwick & West LLP Abhishek Humbad Missy Peck Julie Arcaro Alethea Hannemann Shannon Schuyler Elaine Mason Susan McPherson ✨Julian Posada Beth Welter Carolyn Thayer-Azoff, M.A.Charlotte Massey
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Caroline Barlerin liked thisCaroline Barlerin liked thisBetter Terms, a podcast miniseries by New Profit, features the voices of founders and funders working towards mental health equity. This episode asks: what does it feel like to lead during a time of shrinking resources and growing need? It explores the emotional toll of constantly proving the value of your work, and the importance of funders listening beyond the grant application. Partnership, not competition, may be the only way forward. 🎧 Listen to the full episode: https://lnkd.in/eesdWXRr
Experience & Education
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Platypus Advisors
View Caroline’s full experience
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Licenses & Certifications
Volunteer Experience
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Co-Chair, Governance Committee Chair, Board Member
Global Fund for Women
- Present 9 years 10 months
Human Rights
Global Fund for Women envisions a world where movements for gender justice have transformed power and privilege for a few into equity and equality for all. We fund bold, ambitious, and expansive gender justice movements to create meaningful change that will last beyond our lifetimes.
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Chair of Governance & Nominating Committee, Member Board of Trustees
The Hamlin School
- Present 5 years
Education
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Advisory Board, Hoffman Global Institute for Business and Society
INSEAD
- Present 7 years 11 months
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National Corporate & Celebrity Engagement Lead + National Fund Allocation Committee Member
Frontline Foods
- 1 year 1 month
Disaster and Humanitarian Relief
Frontline Foods raises funds from the community to support local restaurants and feed heroes working on the frontlines.
The fully volunteer-run organization formed in response to the COVID-19 shelter-in-place measures and, in first three months, raised over $10 million and rapidly scaled to serve over 510,000 meals from 1,220 restaurants to 1,050 frontline groups in over 55 cities.
Interested in volunteering or donating? Learn more at www.frontlinefoods.org.
NYT Article (16…Frontline Foods raises funds from the community to support local restaurants and feed heroes working on the frontlines.
The fully volunteer-run organization formed in response to the COVID-19 shelter-in-place measures and, in first three months, raised over $10 million and rapidly scaled to serve over 510,000 meals from 1,220 restaurants to 1,050 frontline groups in over 55 cities.
Interested in volunteering or donating? Learn more at www.frontlinefoods.org.
NYT Article (16 April 2020) about Frontline Foods
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/16/neediest-cases/world-central-kitchen-jose-andres-coronavirus.html
To learn more, donate and/or volunteer, visit https://www.frontlinefoods.org/ -
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Advisor
Bay Area Women & Children's Center
Children
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Advisor
SF Mayor Ed Lee's Our Children, Our Families Council
- 1 year 7 months
Honors & Awards
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2016 Most Influential Business Women
San Francisco Business Times
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/print-edition/2016/04/29/women-leaders-caroline-barlerin-twitter.html
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Women Who Could Be President Honoree
League of Women Voters of San Francisco
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First Movers Fellowship
Aspen Institute
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The Hoffman Prize, 2013 Recipient
California Volunteers, Office of the Governor of California
In recognition of outstanding and impactful work in fostering volunteerism in local community, state, nation and the globe.
https://youtu.be/yAdeyeaAnHA -
40 Under 40
Silicon Valley Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2011/11/28/40-under-40-caroline-barlerin.html?page=all
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Jacob Hoehne
Nonprofit / impact investing friends - new funding opportunity: Sorenson Impact Foundation has a new (RFP) for their new The Collaboration Fund - $1 million pooled grant fund that includes the Ford Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Who it's for: Nonprofit organizations or international equivalent structures whose work creates value for the impact investing ecosystem, and who are exploring and executing strategic mergers and collaborations. This may include organizations that develop shared infrastructure or frameworks, provide education and thought leadership, convene stakeholders to advance common goals, produce publicly available research, or advocate for policies or other conditions that enable market growth. Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/e6wNRzZt Might be interesting to you: Matthew Cook, Joseph Mocanu, Neil Mehta, Benjamin Bingham, Elisa Turner
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Melanie Quandt
🌐 #TrustTuesday On September 29, 2025, California took a historic step by enacting the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act (TFAIA)—the first state-level legislation holding frontier AI models to rigorous safety and transparency standards. Hats off to my home state for recognizing that responsible tech is public safety. While this law focuses on safety disclosures, incident reporting, whistleblower protections, and penalties for noncompliance, the real question is: how will companies keep pace as bad actors evolve faster than regulations? We’re already seeing misuse scale through: ⚠️ Prompt injections that manipulate models ⚠️ Recontextualizing attacks to bypass safeguards ⚠️ Deepfake and nudification apps that spread harmful content ⚠️ Age verification loopholes exposing youth to unsafe spaces This is where third-party expertise becomes critical. At Highspring, we help organizations stay ahead by: 🔹 Running Adversarial Red-teaming to anticipate misuse before it happens 🔹 Automating regression testing to ensure AI systems meet evolving safety-by-design requirements 🔹 Delivering AI training in 100+ languages to surface global risks and edge cases 🔹 A/B testing policies and safeguards to ensure explainability, compliance, and resilience under stress TFAIA signals a new era: regulators are demanding accountability, and the public expects safety. The organizations that thrive will be those who invest in proactive risk assessments and adaptive Trust & Safety strategies—not just compliance checkboxes. California just raised the bar. The challenge now is to make sure our safeguards evolve at the speed of misuse. #ResponsibleAI #TrustandSafety #AIRegulation #AdversarialRedTeaming #AICompliance #SafetybyDesign #AIPolicy #VendorOperations #TFAIA #TransparencyReporting #ModelEvals #RiskAssessments #PrecisionRecall https://lnkd.in/g3aK-fSf
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