From Inspiration to Action: What the Responsible Tech Convening Taught Me

Cyber Collective joined the RTYPF Convening to build a safer digital future — where passion, not just tech skills, drives real change.

By Holliday Senquiz, Community Advocacy Fellow

Last week, our team had the incredible opportunity to attend the Responsible Tech Youth Power Fund (RTYPF) Convening, and trust me when I say, this wasn’t your usual stuffy business conference.

From the very first moment stepping into Wednesday’s welcome reception, I felt electricity in the room. Grantees and funders alike were ecstatic to be together, catching up and celebrating everything that had occurred since last year’s convening.

As a newcomer to Cyber Collective and to the responsible tech space as a whole, I couldn’t help but feel a little out of sorts. I wondered what points of connection I could make. At first, I was simply in awe of everyone, yearning to offer that same level of impact in my work as a Community Advocacy Fellow. However, as the convening continued into Thursday, I came to a very key realization: that, at times, passion supersedes skill.

I don’t know how to code. I don’t have an in-depth understanding of the science behind AI. Honestly, I don’t even remember my times tables — in my defense, it’s been a while since fourth grade!

What I do know is that I want to live in a world where technology serves people, regardless of background — not exploit them. I know that we need community resilience to protect each other when systems fail. I know that willingness, drive, and passion are more than enough to create a meaningful impact, and everyone at the RTYPF Convening shared that passion.

From that realization, I felt energized and enriched by all of our conversations. I had an amazing time meeting with many of our fellow grantees, such as Generation Patient, Innovation for Everyone, and the Paragon Policy Fellowship. Each conversation felt like adding another piece to the puzzle of building a better digital future.

I was so caught up in making connections, I hardly noticed when Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, arrived! I tried extremely hard to be calm and composed about the fact that I was in the same room as literal royalty, someone who has used his influence and power for good. Ultimately, Prince Harry reminded us of our power and spoke about the critical role of youth voices in shaping technology’s future.

“You have the knowledge and the skillset and the confidence and the bravery and the courage to be able to stand up to these things,” he said to us.

What’s Next?

At Cyber Collective, we’ve always known that online safety is a collective effort. Through initiatives like our Internet Street Smarts course, we’re working to make digital vigilance second nature. Being at this convening made it clear: we’re part of a growing movement that refuses to accept an unsafe, unjust digital world. As summer approaches, we are taking everything we learned, ramping up our efforts, and putting it into action.

Here’s what’s ahead:

Internet Street Smarts for Teens Launch: Our flagship course is getting a revamped version that speaks directly to the digital realities teens are facing. We’ve been building the curriculum through a youth-led pilot program, and we look forward to launching soon!
Monthly Workshops: We’re hosting free monthly workshops on the topics that matter most to you.
Community Events: We’re planning events and establishing a presence in local areas that move online safety off the screen and into real life (details coming soon!).

A Call for Partnerships

We know from our time at the RTYPF Convening that building a safer digital future isn’t something any one organization can do alone, and we want to continue fostering that same sense of shared passion we felt last week. That’s why I’m inviting community organizations, schools, companies, local leaders — and more — to partner with us.

Let’s bring Internet Street Smarts into your communities. Let’s work together to build a digital world where vigilance, care, and solidarity are second nature.

If you’re ready to collaborate, whether by hosting an event, sponsoring a workshop, or amplifying our efforts — we’d love to hear from you. And if you haven’t taken our Internet Street Smarts course yet, now’s the perfect time.

Thank you to RTYPF, our fellow grantees, the funders, the steering committee, and the Duke of Sussex for cultivating a space where we could all collaborate, learn, and grow together in the responsible tech movement. We at Cyber Collective look forward to your continued partnership and support.

Together, we can protect each other. Together, we can create a digital world rooted in community, not fear.