At the second event of the Toward Public Interest Technology series, Professor Garrick Louis shared his insights on how technology should equitably serve society. Louis reflected on his experience starting at Howard University and how it instilled a strong sense of community engagement and social responsibility within engineering education, later shaping his work in integrating engineering with social impact.

Louis spoke about how community contributions are often undervalued in traditional risk and benefit assessments. He argued that achieving equitable access to technology and infrastructure requires expanding these frameworks to account for the real needs and participation of local communities. He also highlighted how engineering principles, such as systematic problem-solving, cost assessment, and contingency planning, are highly transferable to policy work and community organizing. Reflecting on his upbringing in a village in Tobago, Louis emphasized the importance of honesty and accountability in public interest technology. He stressed that engineers must be realistic about what technology can deliver in different communities, ensuring that solutions are not only innovative but also sustainable and beneficial.