Penn Center for Inclusive Innovation & Technology (PCIIT)

Centering care and community-based models in the practice of innovation.

The Penn Center for Inclusive Innovation & Technology (PCIIT) is part of SP2’s expanding portfolio of innovation initiatives. PCIIT serves as an activation hub connecting communities, practitioners, students, and partners to advance inclusive innovation and leadership.

We expand access to opportunity, ground our work in care, and design outcomes that bridge community priorities with social work values, recognizing that well-being depends on the social, economic, and environmental conditions we create together.

Our Vision

We envision futures where expertise is heart-led, collaboration is practiced, and communities guide the technologies that shape their lives. PCIIT models how local innovation happens, through presence, cross-sector learning, and shared accountability, investing in local imagination as a lever for global possibility.

How We Work

We translate research into practice, co-design opportunities in service of well-being, and highlight case studies at the intersection of connection, responsible use of technology, and community advocacy. Rooted in Philadelphia, PCIIT champions innovation that redefines expertise and elevates what works as a blueprint for broader social impact.

Current Activations

JoyNet — Incubating a co-designed digital platform where users engage with healing-centered content and community.

2030 Vision for Social Work & AI — Convening across sectors to identify ways care and governance can guide responsible AI development and deployment.

Social Entrepreneurship & Impact — Providing early-stage ventures with structure, scaffolding, and mentorship to translate purpose into impact.

Digital Ethics & Responsible AI — Partnering with a global research collective to advance transparency, data justice, and inclusive innovation through qualitative research.

Speaker Series with CSIS — Co-hosting conversations featuring creative voices at the forefront of technology and nonprofit impact.