logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2023
16m 10s

A bold plan to transform access to the U...

TED Tech
About this episode
This week on TED Tech we are revisiting a talk by digital public servant Amanda Renteria. Millions of people who rely on government welfare services are often discouraged from seeking them out, frustrated by long lines and unnecessarily complicated processes. At Code for America, Renteria is helping develop human-centered technology that "respects you from the start, meets you where you are and provides an easy, positive experience." She details the four factors that hinder effective delivery of government benefits and explains Code for America's plan to bring user-centric, digital-first social services to more than 13 million Americans and unlock 30 billion dollars in benefits for low-income families. (This ambitious plan is a part of the Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire and fund global change.)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
How Texas became America’s biggest producer of wind energy
This is the surprising story of how Texas – rich in oil and gas – became America's biggest producer of wind energy. For our first episode, Ryan and Anjali talk with Pat Wood, once George W. Bush’s right hand man and head of Texas's Public Utility Commission, to uncover the innova ... Show More
26m 59s
Oct 3
Inside a dark web kill list | Carl Miller
Who pays for an assassin on the internet? Dark web researcher Carl Miller spent years tracking down the answer to this question. In this chilling talk, he shares how he uncovered real kill orders placed online by seemingly ordinary individuals — and gives an unsettling look at wh ... Show More
16m 25s
Sep 26
Interview: The plant-based coating that is eliminating food spoilage | Jenny Du
If food waste were a country, it’d be the third highest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions after China and the US, says Apeel Senior VP of Operations Jenny Du. Following her talk at TED2025, Du sits down for a conversation with host Sherrell Dorsey on how her lab is creating pla ... Show More
20m 51s
Recommended Episodes
May 2022
A bold plan for transforming access to the US social safety net | Amanda Renteria
Digital public servant Amanda Renteria has seen that the millions of people who rely on government welfare services are often discouraged from seeking them out, frustrated and discouraged by long lines and unnecessarily complicated processes. At Code for America, Renteria is help ... Show More
9m 12s
Sep 2022
Transforming the US social safety net | Amanda Renteria | TED Tech
Digital public servant Amanda Renteria has seen that the millions of people who rely on government welfare services are often discouraged from seeking them out, frustrated by long lines and unnecessarily complicated processes. At Code for America, a project supported by The Audac ... Show More
16m 38s
Jan 2023
Technology That Serves America’s Heroes
How did one of the world’s biggest bureaucracies successfully develop a sleek, efficient, and user-friendly online benefits experience for veterans? Today’s guest, Charles Worthington, CTO of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs shares how he applied a tech startup mentality t ... Show More
42m 33s
Dec 2020
In Machines We Trust: No Face... No Service
Facial recognition technology is being deployed in housing projects, homeless shelters, schools, even across entire cities—usually without much fanfare or discussion. To some, this represents a critical technology for helping vulnerable communities gain access to social services. ... Show More
23m 25s
Aug 2018
Accessibility in Tech with Haben Girma
On this episode of the podcast we continue a conversation we started with Haben Girma, an advocate for equal rights for people with disabilities, regarding the value of tech accessibility. Melanie and Mark talk with her about common challenges and best practices when considering ... Show More
21m 3s
Mar 2024
AI could be the solution for bureaucracy with Emilie Poteat from Advocate
Applying for government benefits is a slow, tedious process that often leaves applicants in limbo for several months.  Advocate looks to help. Today on Found Becca and Dom are talking with Advocate’s founder Emilie Poteat, the company that helps Americans engage with federal bene ... Show More
41m 16s
Mar 2024
A path to social safety for migrant workers | Ashif Shaikh
Hundreds of millions of migrant workers travel within their countries to seek out means of survival — often leaving behind all they know for months or even years. Many face poverty and exploitation, and they need a robust social safety net to protect them, says migrant advocate a ... Show More
7m 29s
Jun 2024
Delivering services to the public—digitally—with Jennifer Pahlka
A former US deputy chief technology officer talks about how digitization can be used to create a government that works for the people. Jennifer Pahlka is the founder of Code for America, served as the United States government’s deputy chief technology officer, and is author of th ... Show More
49m 47s
Oct 2022
Chip exports and US-China relations
The Biden administration announced a monumental policy shift earlier this month, set to limit and control the exportation of artificial intelligence and semiconductor technologies to China. The restrictions will block leading U.S. chip designers from accessing the Chinese market; ... Show More
44m 1s