About Us

We envision a world with technology that respects our attention, improves our well-being, and strengthens communities.

Our Story

Tristan Harris giving a Ted Talk on stage

Our journey began in 2013 when Tristan Harris, then a Google Design Ethicist, created the viral presentation, “A Call to Minimize Distraction & Respect Users’ Attention.” The presentation, followed by two TED talks and a 60 Minutes interview, sparked the Time Well Spent movement and laid the groundwork for the founding of the Center for Humane Technology (CHT) as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2018.

While many people are familiar with our work through The Social Dilemma, our focus goes beyond the negative effects of social media. We work to expose the drivers behind all extractive technologies steering our thoughts, behaviors, and actions.

We believe that by understanding the root causes of harmful technology, we can work together to build a more humane future.

Our Work

Together with our partners, we are dedicated to leading a comprehensive shift toward technology that strengthens our well-being, global democratic functioning, and shared information environment. Our work focuses on:
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Producing perspective-shifting media to sound the alarm on technology’s impacts on people, institutions, and society
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Partnering with organizations and allies to pursue strategic solutions across the public, private, and philanthropic sectors
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Providing practical resources, from trainings to private briefings, that empower leaders to take bold coordinated action

Timeline of Notable Achievements

CHT expands its focus from the attention economy to extractive, runaway technology

Two of our co-founders explain the importance of addressing all extractive technology in our podcast episode “Here’s Our Plan And We Don’t Know”
At SXSW, Tristan Harris introduces “The Wisdom Gap” framework for understanding the “meta-crisis” that is exacerbated by runaway technology
After 12+ months of development, CHT launches Foundations of Humane Technology as a free course for product teams. Over 10,000 people register in its opening months
​​CHT explores ways to support the emerging humane tech financing ecosystem and signs on as an advisor to the BeKind Tech Fund
CHT continues to ​​explore ecosystem-shifting solutions with partners such as Integrity Institute and Frances Haugen
Tristan Harris appears on 60 Minutes days before the critical US midterm elections to explain how social media is undermining democracy

CHT shares expertise while developing new resources for technologists, parents, and educators

Tristan Harris is named as a TIME100 leader shaping the future
CHT develops its first course, Foundations of Humane Technology, condensing its expertise on how to build humane technology into an 8-hour credentialed course. It leverages 100s of beta testers to fine-tune the curriculum
CHT releases its Youth Toolkit, which is designed for young people ages 15-24
Tristan Harris testifies in a Senate Hearing on “The Hidden Risks of Technology”
CHT continues building awareness outlets, with appearances including The Daily Show, Real Time with Bill Maher, and The Joe Rogan Experience

CHT’s mission moves mainstream, reaching over 100 million people in 190 countries

CHT supports the development and release of the record-shattering Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma from director Jeff Orlowski-Yang on the existential threats posed by social media. The film later wins 2 Emmy’s
Tristan Harris testifies in a House hearing on Americans at Risk: Manipulation and Deception in the Digital Age
Tristan Harris presents at World Economic Forum in Davos, including “Tech Cannot be Trusted to Self-Regulate” debate and a NYT panel with Yuval Harari

CHT brings awareness to the systemic harms of the attention economy

CHT releases New York Times op-ed: Our Brains Are No Match for Our Technology
Tristan Harris is featured in Fortune's 25 Ideas That Will Shape the 2020s, among world leaders including Malala Yousafzai, Jamie Dimon, and Melinda Gates
CHT publishes its Ledger of Harms, which summarizes the latest research on extractive technology’s negative impacts on children, mental health, relationships, attention and cognition, sense-making, politics and elections, systemic oppression and more

Center for Humane Technology (CHT) is founded to build on the success of the Time Well Spent movement

Center for Humane Technology is co-founded by Tristan Harris, Aza Raskin, and Randima Fernando
Time well spent’ becomes tech’s next big debate

Major tech platforms announce new Time Well Spent features

Mark Zuckerberg on changes to its News Feed: “One of our big focus areas for 2018 is making sure the time we all spend on Facebook is time well spent
Google announces new initiative to improve digital wellbeing
YouTube releases “time watched” metric and “take a break” notification
Instagram introduces “You’re All Caught Up” checkmark
Apple introduces a dashboard, app limits, and additional parental controls

Core Team

Daniel Barcay

Executive Director

Kate Berglund

Project Manager

Camille Carlton

Policy Director

Sasha Fegan

Content Director

Randima Fernando

Co-Founder

Pete Furlong

Lead Policy Researcher

Julie Guirado

Chief Operating Officer

Abby Hall

Director of Scheduling & Advance

Tristan Harris

Co-Founder

Lizzie Irwin

Public Affairs Coordinator

Julie Johnston

Executive Business Partner

Jeffrey Ladish

AI Insights Lead

Josh Lash

Researcher/Producer

AJ Marechal

Lead Writer

Noelle Mietus

Executive Assistant

Aza Raskin

Co-Founder

Julia Scott

Senior Producer, Your Undivided Attention Podcast

Jessica Smorowski

Operations Manager

Careers

At CHT, we co-create a vibrant, mindful, intellectually rigorous, values-driven culture. Ideal candidates will be curious, care deeply about human potential, and be highly motivated to drive large-scale culture change.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

If you have questions, please contact us at jobs@humanetech.com

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Board of Directors

Lea Endres

Co-Founder & CEO
NationBuilder

Tristan Harris

Co-Founder & President
Center for Humane Technology

Ben Rattray

Founder & CEO
Change.org

Premal Shah

Co-Founder
Kiva.org

Peter Wang

Founder & Chief AI Officer
Anaconda, Inc.

Gayle Karen Young

Thanks to our generous lead supporters

Link to Craig Newmark Philanthropies websiteLink to Craig Newmark Philanthropies websiteLink to Omidyar Network websiteLink to Evolve Ventures websiteLink to Craig Newmark Philanthropies websiteLink to Silicon Valley Community Foundation websiteLink to Silicon Valley Community Foundation websiteLink to Open Society Foundations websiteLink to Patrick J. McGovern Foundation websiteLink to Ford Foundation websiteLink to Robert Wood Johnson Foundation websiteLink to Robert Wood Johnson Foundation websiteLink to Knight Foundation websiteLink to Knight Foundation websiteLink to J.W. Couch Foundation websiteLink to One Project websiteLink to Park Foundation websiteLink to John Pritzker Family Fund websiteLink to Pritzker Innovation Fund websiteLink to Pritzker Innovation Fund websiteLink to zero1derful.org websiteLink to SN Charitable Foundation websiteLink to Park Foundation website

FOUNDING ALLIES, KEY ADVISORS & COMMUNITY

Dr. Guillaume Chaslot

Founder, AlgoTransparency.org

Renée DiResta

CHT Founding Advisor
Research Manager, Stanford Internet Observatory

Joe Edelman

Co-Founder, Time Well Spent
Philosopher, Social Scientist; Former CTO, CouchSurfing

Lynn Fox

CHT Founding Advisor
Principal, Fox Communications

Tom Gruber

Co-Founder, Siri

Jonathan Haidt

Social psychologist, NYU Stern; Author, The Coddling of the American Mind

Chris Hughes

Co-Founder, Facebook

Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn

Founder, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

Dan Kedmey

Your Undivided Attention Podcast, Founding Producer

Dr. Robert Lustig

Professor Emeritus, UCSF

Roger McNamee

CHT Founding Advisor, Co-Founder, Elevation Partners, Silver Lake Partners

Cathy O’Neil

Author, Weapons of Math Destruction

Sandy Parakilas

Senior Product Marketing Manager, Privacy, Apple

Hong Qu

Adjunct Lecturer, Harvard Kennedy School; YouTube’s First Designer

Justin Rosenstein

Co-Founder, Asana; Co-Inventor, Facebook ‘Like’ Button

Marietje Schaake

International Policy Director, Stanford University's Cyber Policy Center

Dr. Natasha Schüll

Professor, NYU; Author, Addiction by Design

Evan Sharp

Co-Founder & COO, Pinterest

Max Stossel

CHT Education Advisor, Poet, Filmmaker, Speaker

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Co-Founders, Archewell Foundation

K. Krasnow Waterman

Visiting Scientist, MIT

James Williams

Co-Founder, Time Well Spent

Philosopher at Oxford Internet Institute; Ex-Google

Tim Wu

Professor, Columbia Law School; Author, The Attention Merchants

John Zimmer

Co-Founder & President, Lyft