How can nonprofits approach artificial intelligence with purpose and curiosity? Benefactor Group Principal Steve Beshuk sat down with two experts—Angela Siefer, Executive Director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, and Venancio Batista-Pedro, Founder of VenBats AI Consulting—to explore what AI means for mission-driven organizations.
In this conversation, they discuss how AI touches every corner of nonprofit work—from productivity and privacy to equity, ethics, and organizational structures. The discussion also offers practical insights on how nonprofits can begin engaging with AI: where to start, how to align tools with mission and capacity, and what concerns—like data privacy, bias, and accessibility—should be considered along the way.
Watch the video now to hear how nonprofit leaders can take their first steps into AI thoughtfully—balancing innovation with ethics, curiosity, and a commitment to the common good.
About Angela Siefer
Since earning her master’s in sociology from the University of Toledo in 1997, Angela has been in the field we now call “digital inclusion.” Starting with setting up computer labs in underserved areas and managing local digital inclusion programs, Angela’s first-hand knowledge led her to consult for the US Department of Commerce and testify four times before Congress. In 2015, Angela saw that the growing field needed its own place to build best practices and community, so she founded the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, which advances digital equity by supporting community programs and equipping policymakers to act.
Angela serves on the Board of Directors of the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition and on the Board of Directors of the FCC’s Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), representing low-income consumers. Government Technology Magazine named Angela one of their Top 25 Doers, Dreams, and Drivers of 2019. In 2021, the UCC Media Justice Ministry awarded her the Parker Award. In 2022, the Ashbury Senior Community Computing Center awarded her the Nguzo Saba Award. In 2023, Google.org named her one of its seven worldwide Leaders to Watch and the Institute for Digital Inclusion Acceleration bestowed on her the Impact Award. In 2024, Public Knowledge awarded her the Internet Protocol Award.
Angela works tirelessly to connect and uplift the digital inclusion community to address the pressing needs for affordable internet access, devices, and digital skills training for all. Through relationship building, high-profile speaking engagements, and interviews with news outlets, including the Washington Post, Forbes, and NPR, Angela has been key in building awareness and advocating for billions of dollars to move the digital equity movement forward.
About Venancio Batista-Pedro
Venancio Batista-Pedro is the founder of VenBats AI Consulting. He is an Army Infantry veteran with four degrees, three children, a cat, and several neuroses living in Iowa. He also has over twenty years of business, marketing, and content creation experience. He’s edited print magazines and been there since day zero on email marketing, social media, and more. He has also been an early adopter of ChatGPT and he knows how to put current AI tools and technologies to good use—something he researches and reviews daily.
