Ariel Kennan
Senior Fellow, Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation
Ariel Kennan is a civic design and digital leader who works across sectors to drive impactful change. Currently, Ariel is a Senior Fellow at the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University, where she is researching and advising on best practices for using design, data, and technology for improving the social safety net. Previously, she served in the New York City Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity where she was the founding director of the first municipal service design studio in the United States and led the digital product portfolio. Most recently, she was the Director of Civic Innovation at Sidewalk Labs, where she led the strategy for inclusive participation in the social infrastructure of cities. She is passionate about the global network of civic designers and is the lead curator for the Rosenfeld Media Civic Design Conference and Community and co-founder of the Civic Design Library. Learn more and get in touch at arielkennan.com.
Rosenverse talks by Ariel:
" We heard a bit about understanding the power and privilege that we have as designers, how to wield it, but also how to yield it to others. "
Theme Two Intro
November 17, 2022
" What would Universal Design mean for communications, like a podcast that serves visually impaired listeners too? "
Civic Design in 2022
January 13, 2022
" Designers must do the internal work of self-awareness and reflection before shifting power to communities. "
Reflect and Chart Forward
December 10, 2021
" A confusing, difficult hiring process is itself an equity issue—transparency helps reduce gatekeeping. "
Pipeline to Civic Design
December 9, 2021
" One of the overwhelming requests has been how to make the case for design. "
Theme 2 Intro
December 9, 2021
" We helped through Homestat last year to move 690 people into housing. "
Building a Design Culture
June 9, 2017
