The Roddenberry Foundation was established to further the progressive values of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek. Until November 2016, that meant mostly far-out technology innovation. The nonprofit distributed catalyst grants to entrepreneurs and organized a $1 million challenge for climate, health, and other social impact-type technology solutions. But after the 2016 presidential election, the foundation’s board felt the need to take a different tack. In 2018, it started distributing grants to innovative social activists, including Alicia Garza, one the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement, and Caroline Bettinger-López, a former Obama Administration official improving how police respond to domestic violence incidents against women and the LGBTQI community. Being an effective modern-day activist means harnessing an entrepreneur’s tool-set. “21-century activism that isn’t your grandfather’s activism. It’s about using technology platforms, delivering impact, and being strategic,” says the foundation CEO, Lior Ipp.
