Kate Maloney on Holistic Tech Education

Jeff Kavanaugh: Kate Maloney, you lead the US foundation for a major services firm and bring computer science and maker education to thousands of young people. Can you share a particularly striking example where computer education made an impact?

Kate Maloney: Sure. I'll bring you to this past year during a week that's known as Computer Science Education Week. There is such a week in December, and this year our foundation headed up to Hartford, Connecticut to host a two day hackathon with some of the youth from that city. And as we were getting ready for the day, I'm kind of observing all the kids who are walking in and most of them are pretty excited to be there. Seem to know why they're there. Except for maybe this one reluctant, I'd say maybe he's 12, 13 year old boy, and of course there are no other parents to be seen except his mother, you can tell has kind of ushered him into this activity for the weekend. So he just had this kind of look on him, perhaps he'd rather be playing basketball, or rather be outside, and here he was at the Infosys office in Hartford, getting ready to design an AI chat bot with all these young kids.

Kate Maloney: But over the course of the two days, and they were full, intense days, I watched him, and I watched him bonding with the table of girls that he was assigned to, which is kind of fun to see, and slowly but surely it's like the shell came off. And by the end, which was super cool, we did a live Facebook session where all the tables presented how they had designed a chat bot for something, a solution to their communities, and he was there standing up presenting it. And it's going to sound super cliché to say that they won, but they did win. It was like a national vote, and I watched him because he had caught my eye in those first moments, and what I saw was a pretty remarkable transformation in him over a two day period. And it was that spark, I just felt like he's never going to forget the hackathon experience, and who knows, he may go on to study computer science, he may not, but there was that light in him that I saw. And it's kind of what we are frankly trying to do with the foundation, is create that same spark in kids K through 12, across the US. So I had my brief glimmer of inspiration in December.

Jeff Kavanaugh: And that kind of holistic tech education is what we'll be exploring today's conversation.

Jeff Kavanaugh: Welcome to the Knowledge Institute podcast, where we talk with thought leaders on business trends, deconstruct main ideas, and share their insights. I'm Jeff Kavanaugh, head of the Infosys Knowledge Institute, and today we're here with Kate Maloney. Kate is the Executive Director of the Infosys Foundation USA. She has over 18 years experience in economic development, corporate philanthropy, and social impact. Kate was previously a director at KPMG, worked across the UK, US, and emerging markets, leading private foundations, nonprofits, governments, the UN and the World Economic Forum.

Jeff Kavanaugh: Earlier, Kate was country manager for Mexico and Central America at the US Trade Development Agency in Washington, DC and worked with the Chair of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Kate serves on several advisory boards, has a Master of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University, Bachelor of Arts from Wake Forest University. Kate, thanks so much for joining us.

Kate Maloney: Great to be here. Thank you.

Jeff Kavanaugh: You're in a foundation role and a role that has a big societal impact. If you go back, how did you get started? And can you think about early influences that got you thinking about working in a civic or societal role?

Kate Maloney: Well, I think the interest in education, and particularly working with young students who maybe come from more under resourced or underrepresented communities goes way back. It goes way back to now it feels like a century ago, but right before I went to college, and I just had this interest, I grew up in a town in Connecticut that was a beautiful place, but we happen to border on a city, Bridgeport, Connecticut, that is maybe not so great, struggles a little bit more socioeconomically. So you always grow up with an eye toward the differences between both communities.

Kate Maloney: And so in my teens is when I really started to want to go into those communities and work with young students. I had that heart for education, maybe because my mom was a teacher, or just maybe I was supposed to always be one, who knows, but started to really do mentoring, and work with these students high school through college, through my time in Washington DC, and after. And I had this idea that it is really due to where you are born and where you are raised that determined some of your opportunities. And I've always wanted to kind of push back against that. And I think now, leading the foundation, we are focused on that very issue. We're trying to make sure that computer science and “maker” education, which I hope to chat about a little bit later, reach all. That's all who live rural, cities, all sorts of communities, Spanish language speakers, diversified learners. So that heart for education goes back to when I was 15 years old.

Jeff Kavanaugh: Nothing like firsthand experience to see the difference. Beyond that interest and that passion for it, how did you come to gain expertise in this area? Did you get it through the university, through training, through volunteering?

Kate Maloney: It's been a combination at this point, hearing you in your introduction say that I have 18 years of experience, I almost had a heart attack, but I guess over those 18 years you dabble a bit in those experiences that you are paid for. Your formal jobs, and then maybe what you compliment those jobs with. All of what we call our extracurricular events, or activities, or our volunteer engagements, but I think most directly what links to this are the 10 years that I spent at KPMG, and the ones right before this position, really working at the intersection of business, and governments, and nonprofits who were coming together to address really big, challenging global issues. How do you make societies tick? How do you make economies tick? And I think we would say the obvious ones, we need financial capital, and we need systems, but you need human capital. You need people. And how do you do that? Well, you have to make sure you're investing in their education and making sure they're empowered.

Kate Maloney: So through various experiences, like you said, at the UN, working with large foundations, working with those businesses that are really switched on to this issue of business, doing good in society, while they're also doing well as an enterprise. That's really been my sweet spot and where my interest lies. And I think all of those little consulting experiences and exposures along the way, kind of teed me up to do this deep dive role that I'm in now.

Jeff Kavanaugh: What is it about computer science education and tech education that excites you?

Kate Maloney: Well, I've becomes more educated in the last year and a half that I've had the privilege to lead the foundation. Honestly, if we're going to talk about education for K through 12, we can't be doing it unless we're referring to digital literacy. There is a future ahead of any student who is in one of those grades that is completely technology driven. We say as a foundation team, that 65% of young people will work in jobs that don't exist, but unfortunately, the preparation for them to get ready for those jobs, being exposed to computer science or technology, just doesn't exist. There aren't teachers teaching it, there aren't courses offered, the teachers who want to tackle it or bring it into the classroom struggle to get the resources that they need. So I'm excited now because I feel like all of our attention is truly preparing children for the future, and they can take that any direction, or any industry that they wish.

Jeff Kavanaugh: I'll take you back a few years, you mentioned your previous role, in that role, you contributed to a world economic forum report called the Future Role of Civil Society. Fantastic title. When you were doing that, did you think about computer science or education, or what were some of the roles that you were thinking about for the future of civil society?

Kate Maloney: First of all, that was an incredible secondment KPMG sent me to the WEF [World Economic Forum] to look at this issue. It ended up being more reflection on what the word partnership means, and I think historically, let's say prior to the 2000s, nonprofits were the ones getting really frustrated with government and business. Like you are not paying attention to the right issues. And they really had a protest role against both of those groups. What we started to see through our study, and what I feel I've lived in the last 10 years is that perhaps there's an enlightenment that you can get more done working together, and trying to find those solutions. I think nonprofits are still holding business to task, and they're in many cases filling the role where government is not maybe doing their part, but I think there's a wider spirit of collaboration. And so computer science and education, that was one of the subjects. I think the study that we did looked at a wider array of sustainable development themes. So we did bring in human rights. We did look at organizations that were focused on global health. We covered a wider swath, but probably like I said, just a few moments ago, my interest has always been those that are focused on youth and the empowerment of youth, but I think we were, of course, proponents of promoting wider educational access and getting the right businesses to invest in that subject.

Jeff Kavanaugh: Yeah, it must've been a great experience. When you think about the role of partnerships and we'll get into more a bit later, what comes to mind in the current role that you have as you think about the foundation, and you think about Infosys as a company that you're working with, and then the state and local governments?

Kate Maloney: There's no way we could be effective as a foundation, without partnerships. The technical term sometimes becomes “grantee.” If we're working with a nonprofit and we are spending money through that vehicle, but I think if you step back, it's not just grantor and grantee. These are true nonprofit collaborators with us. Like I said, we could not be effective were we not to align with, particularly those that are leading the charge on this issue in the US, they have the expertise, and I think when you're looking at a partnership, you're always trying to evaluate what each side of the table is bringing to the table. That's the whole intention. So when we, as a foundation, look and think we have right now financial resources, and we have the behemoth of Infosys brains and insights behind us, we then partner with organizations that have their tentacles out into these communities where we're looking to achieve impact. They know what works, they know how to switch on that light bulb that I saw in that young boy, back in December. They have programs that are effective. They have that reach, and so sometimes we're finding we just give them the financial tools that they need, or resources they need, to expand that impact.

Kate Maloney: One of the programs that I also hope to chat about is the one that we do for teachers, our Pathfinders program. And similarly, we are inviting in 19, 20 different, we call them PD Providers. They are the organizations who are out there training the teachers. We couldn't hold our institute, which we really hang our hat on as our signature initiative, we couldn't do that without them. So I think partnership is an indispensable model when you're looking at the work of foundations in the US.

Jeff Kavanaugh: We talked about computer science and the tech education, if you go back to your mission statement, you also include the phrase “maker.” Let's talk about maker a little bit.

Kate Maloney: I know, it's challenging to talk about maker education, but I'm excited to do so because it is a distinctive feature of our foundation. We end up hobnobbing and engaging with nonprofits who say they're in the STEM space, and STEM is this could be dizzying word to mean many things. But if you look at what making is, it's really that intersection of using digital materials and physical materials. So think of pulling together like a computer hacker and a tinkerer and an artisan all coming together to bring the principles of STEM. Through the other curricula that a K through 12 student would be exposed to, and it's the idea of problem solving, hands on problem solving, that is rooted in, honestly, empowerment. In many instances you hear making for social good, and the idea is that any person, irrespective of their community, can observe what's happening around them and feel empowered to pull the tools that they have at their disposal together and design something in response or a solution.

Jeff Kavanaugh: The videos that the foundation did, I think it was last year on the makers concept and the makers movement was fantastic. People like MythBusters, that is a great series on that. I remember looking at the Nick Offerman from Parks and Rec making a wooden spoon, and just the making of it and how he described it in the video. I think that alone, we'll give links to that in the show notes. And growing up on a farm, it was great to see that combination of getting to know your hands dirty, literally, and making things. Bailing wire and duct tape is a real thing. Can you give an example of how the physical aspect might translate to people adopting this more so than just digital code that can sometimes seem a little more sterile.

Kate Maloney: Some of the computer science and the coding can be intimidating. I think the maker space is truly inclusive. The fancier end of that spectrum are really jazzy makerspaces that have 3D printers humming, and laser cutters cutting, and all sorts of fancy workstations. In the other end of the spectrum, you have materials, like you said, duct tape, paper, a tennis ball, and perhaps a battery. I mean, the idea is the actual construction of a solution, but it's also a mindset, and the mindset is often an empathy driven mindset that teaches young children to look at the world around them, and not just take it as it is, but think about how it almost could be turned on its head.

Kate Maloney: Right now in light of COVID-19, we're seeing an explosion of responses from organizations that serve the youth, pushing them to come up with solutions, to the challenges that we hear about with PPE and masks. And there have been, I mean, the news is full of them, but I was thinking about a recent story. A young boy in Canada was paying attention to the fact that the masks on doctors’ ears started tug at the ear and be really uncomfortable. And they're in them as we see through photographs for hours. They're starting to be, like, the scars of our medical frontier's men. He pulled out his 3D printer, he happened to have one, so already he's part of this maker movement, but used a 3D printer to create a plastic band behind the mask to loosen the pressure on a doctor, nurse's ear. He's nine years old, he's observing what's happening in his surroundings. He has the machinery to do something about it, and he used his creativity and empowerment to come up with a solution. I guess that's one example of how this is working.

Kate Maloney: We, as a team were thinking about getting some really famous makers to participate in our conference this summer. And I happened to see that Jay Leno also has a 3D printer in his garage and was putting it to use to make masks. So those are very literal COVID-19 responses, but they give you an idea.

Jeff Kavanaugh: Absolutely. Once again, everyone you're listening to the Knowledge Institute where we talk with experts on business trends, deconstruct main ideas, and share their insights. We are here today with Kate Maloney, the Executive Director at Infosys Foundation USA. You mentioned COVID-19 the pandemic, what is Infosys and the foundation done in the wake of the crisis? How have you seen it come to life?

Kate Maloney: The week before the crisis hit, our foundation was up in Providence, Rhode Island delivering our Pathfinders Institute, and this is, as I was mentioning, our signature program of the foundation, where we bring hundreds of teachers together for a deep dive professional development experience. They pick from a myriad of courses in computer science or making, they come together in person and have this collaborative, engaged experience. And we were there thinking all was well, and in addition to the in person training, we launched the Pathfinders online platform. And again, in February, this platform was for those teachers. We thought we want to stay connected to them. We want to make sure when they go back to their communities and schools across the US they have a way to stay connected to us. Within a week, all schools across the US are closing, and we realize it's not just teachers who need help, and instruction, and creative ways to keep students engaged at home, but it's parents and caregivers who are frankly overnight becoming teachers.

Kate Maloney: So we had just built this platform. Admittedly, it had content specifically designed for these teachers, and we said, "Let's pivot. There is a need to open this. There is a need to put on this dynamic, engaging, free content that can help these families and help these teachers," and maybe help some of those students who are, as I always say, battling probably for the one computer in a house of maybe five siblings to engage in creative, dynamic computer science content. So the first week of April, we launched what we informally call the home edition of that platform.

Jeff Kavanaugh: It's interesting, I actually went on. So I guess if a third grader could do it, maybe I can try it, and it was good stuff. It was interesting. I don't have the excuse that we have young kids in the house either, but it was fun. It is a good example. When you think about, what’s to come, crisis subsides, we get adjusted to a new equilibrium, what role do you see the foundation playing in the US for education? And are there any nuances, or changes you see, based upon the new reality we have?

Kate Maloney: Well, this is a hot topic, right? When our schools opening again, will they stay closed forever? And you see parents hair literally on fire when the question is posed, I think our foundation is taking a bet that we're likely to see a hybrid model as we return in the fall. Classes will resume, schools will open, but it may be that in waves we have to go back to what we've just lived over the last couple of weeks, which is to be sheltering in place, or practicing extreme social distancing. And that may require more embracing of virtual learning, and learning to teach effectively into a home environment. And I think yes, students will continue to have all of the core requirements that our education system requires, but I think the foundation would like to be a part of bringing some innovative approaches to how students can learn those subjects by weaving in much more of a spotlight on computer science and maker ed.

Kate Maloney: So we don't see our COVID delivered platform going anywhere. We say since its first day that it was launched, that we'd be adding content on a weekly basis. We're trying to stay accountable to that. I think an element also that I wanted to mention to you, Jeff, is that in addition to the content that anyone can go on and download and read, we're trying to host a series of live events. We find that the feedback from our computer science community and the education community widely is that we're drowning. We're drowning in platforms, we're drowning in information, please make this dynamic for us. So there's more of an interest in logging on at a particular hour and being a part of a community that's all on a Zoom event, or a Facebook Live event together.

Kate Maloney: So I think as we go into the fall, we want to keep some of that dynamic, engaging content continually added to our site while we also continue to invest teachers and making sure they're getting the professional development they need. So I don't think the digital learning platform is going anywhere soon, and I think we want to start to sharpen the foundation's attention to make that as vibrant and as impactful as possible.

Jeff Kavanaugh: Couple of quick follow-ups. Originally I was going to ask you a contrarian or skeptical question, corporate foundations, they're just about donating money to good causes, and it's a good thing for the annual report. How do you put a finer point on that to say what you're really about as opposed to just that grantee relationship?

Kate Maloney: I think the word unfortunately is slightly overused, but it exists for a reason, and that is impact. I think the focus that I and the team always try to turn a conversation toward, are the ultimate beneficiaries of what we're doing. We always are trying to keep the eye on the prize that we reach the additional teacher, that we reach the additional community, that we see someone come to the Pathfinders Institute from a rural town in Idaho, or a small community in Texas, or somewhere in the Northeast of Maine bordering on Canada. We love when we meet a teacher who said, I had no idea that the Pathfinders Institute existed, but someone I know told me to come and you just see their face light up. That impact, and that transformation in that teacher then goes back to the classroom where they bring passion and what they've learned, because we've created the opportunity for it to happen.

Kate Maloney: So yes, we are the beneficiaries of Infosys as the sole investor in our foundation right now. And of course, corporate philanthropy exists because corporations believe they do have a role in society, and I think that's expected, and that's not something we don't have to talk about. It's not something to be ashamed of. I think there's plenty of room to start to tackle these thorny issues that need resources and all the better to invite in corporate foundations to that space.

Jeff Kavanaugh: Following up on that, if I look at what you said as the mission and the impact you're making, and then I look at what Infosys does, a tech company, a lot of education, training other people, it's interesting how many of the ways you make an impact come from capabilities that Infosys has. Can you talk about how you translate what the company does and bring it to bear, not just the money, but also the technical knowhow to make an impact?

Kate Maloney: This is a subject I'm a real believer in, and it hearkens back to consulting days a little bit. So bear with me. Let's say 10, 15 years ago, I think companies or their philanthropic divisions were tempted to be everything to everyone. With the introduction of the sustainable development goals, and this real pressure on businesses to really invest in a smart way in society. I think there's been some smarter thinking around what makes sense, and why not stick to your core competency. So I really, on a personal level, am a believer that a company, just as you say, a technology services company is full of human capital who understand design thinking, and coding, and all of the key attributes that go into what we're trying to teach through our computer science programs. Doesn't it make sense that they would put their resources behind the promotion of that?

Kate Maloney: I do have to say we are an independent nonprofit. So on occasion, we try to make an effort to pull in Infosys employees, as volunteers to help us in the communities, particularly around the Infosys hubs where we're trying to understand what the computer science challenges are in those communities, who are the nonprofits who are really having an impact, and how can we leverage those insights and the heart of Infosys employees who want to give back to the community. And I love the fact that there is that alignment of talent and resources. So it makes sense to me, but I know they're always cynics out there, Jeff.

Jeff Kavanaugh: I think that lining these things up, especially with the SDGs, and for those of you that aren't as aware, United Nations has the Sustainable Development Goals. When I go out there and give a talk, I'll ask people to raise their hands, and it's amazing still a number of people who aren't aware of them. I think it's shifting. And I'll be honest, number 4 is my favorite, education.

Kate Maloney: Okay, good.

Jeff Kavanaugh: From your time at the UN, I know it's a broader scope than your current one, what do you see that you're doing at the US level that can be applied to be more globally? Through either UNESCO, UNICEF, or one of those other worthy organizations?

Kate Maloney: Well, it's interesting when you are in the US and you talk about the SDGs, there's often this idea that they pertain to every other country, but your own. But the US was right alongside the other 183 countries who signed on to the SDGs. So we are very much on the hook, just like our global peers to deliver on these goals by 2030, and I was paying a bit more attention to this when it was the primary issue that I consulted on, but there are very dynamic mayors across the US, and other politicians who understand that we too have to deliver on these metrics and they're doing some pretty fascinating commitments at a city level to the achievement of them.

Kate Maloney: I, like you, am completely a softie when it comes to SDG 4, it is focused on inclusive education and lifelong learning. So our foundation sits right in the mix of that. And interesting you mentioned UNESCO, it was just earlier today I was speaking with the team about the global education coalition that UNESCO has just announced, and they're inviting partners, particularly those who've developed products in response to COVID-19. And so, we're about to have conversations with them about whether it makes sense for the foundation to be a partner, but we see many of our other collaborators who are already there, Micro:bit and Code.org, and some of the other larger companies who are showing their commitment to education. And so I'm hoping the foundation, although our commitment is really east coast to west coast, the COVID response platform that we developed is open, it's on the good old world wide web, anyone can join on, and we encourage individuals to come to the platform, to create an account, and to spread the word. And I think ultimately this is a global commitment, and we're now in the 10 year countdown. So I would like our foundation to be as in the mix and contributory as we can be.

Jeff Kavanaugh: To those of you listening who are interested in the United Nations we'll have several links, both to the Foundation USA, to the UN Sustainable Development Alliance, as well as the Infosys Sustainability Report, which I think also pulls in some of the things that Kate was talking about. As people want to help, individuals out there, how can they reach out, either directly to you or just in general? How can they make a difference?

Kate Maloney: The timing of this chat is so perfect because it is teacher appreciation week. So our foundation has been blowing up the social media channels of our foundation to show our appreciation for teachers and to help everyone else that we can be aware that they should be given our thanks. So one of the good ways of doing this is to take a peek at an organization we partner with called DonorsChoose.org. This is a citizen donor fundraising platform that existed prior to its partnership with the Infosys Foundation USA, but it exists to help raise funds for teachers to be able to procure materials they need to be effective in the classroom. And for some really destitute teachers and communities, these can be very simple materials to help the classroom tick. In the instance of our partnership, you will find project pages that are for teachers to attend the Pathfinders Institute this summer. We are hosting our Institute. It's going to be virtual, July 19th through the 24th, and teachers can raise funds one of two ways. One of those ways is via DonorsChoose.org. So we invite everyone to visit that platform, type in Pathfinders, and you'll see probably now maybe 50, 55 teachers who have created pages, and if you feel moved to make a donation, I think it will go a long way toward allowing them to have a pretty dynamic professional development experience this summer.

Jeff Kavanaugh: Thank you for bringing that up for multiple reasons, from a family of teachers. So as they say, “if you can read this or understand this, thank a teacher,” and also I have worked with DonorsChoose, and they're a great organization. Very apolitical, just trying to make a difference, and also very flexible in directing funds beyond that, is there anything else you'd like to say as we close?

Kate Maloney: I think you've given me the opportunity to speak to our COVID response and to let everyone knows who's listening to this, that the foundation really wants to contribute positively, and we will make this platform as dynamic as possible, but it requires everyone's help in spreading the word that it is out there, and it is meant to be of assistance in light of the overnight virtual classroom conditions that we find ourselves in. So for families, for teachers and students, please do take a peek at the online Institute, and then for any teacher you know, do let them know if they have anything left in them after this incredible spring semester, and they want to come together with hundreds of other teachers from around the country for our Institute experience this summer, please encourage them to apply. And all of this information, Jeff, can be found on our Infosys Foundation USA website, which is infosys.org/USA. And I'll just leave it simply there and encourage everyone to follow us on social media and help us continue to make an impact.

Jeff Kavanaugh: Everyone, you can find details for everything that Kate mentioned, and how to reach her on our show notes and transcripts at infosys.com in our podcast section. Kate, thank you for your time and a highly interesting discussion. Best wishes on the very important work that you're doing.

Jeff Kavanaugh: You've been listening to the Knowledge Institute where we talk with experts on business trends, deconstruct main ideas, and share their insights. Thanks to our producer, Catherine Burdette, Dode Bigley, and the entire Knowledge Institute team. Until next time, keep learning and keep sharing.