Ethics and Governance Learning Group

Grace Lyn Higdon (she/her) is a strategic advisor helping philanthropies and investors to navigate complexity through innovative learning and impact approaches that strengthen rather than burden their work. For over 15 years, Grace has brought a combination of practical field experience and academic rigor to develop MERL systems that integrate right-fit, responsible digital tools. Before co-founding a consulting practice in 2022, she honed her expertise using participatory and tech-enabled methods within an array of international programs at the Institute of Development Studies in Brighton, UK. Grace co-leads the Ethics and Governance Learning Group at MTI’s CoP.

Linda Raftree (she/her) founded the MERL Tech Initiative (MTI) in 2014, building on two decades of work at the intersection of community development, gender, youth participatory media, rights-based approaches and digital development. She is a well-known expert on responsible data approaches, AI policy and governance, inclusive digital approaches, safeguarding and safe tech-enabled program design, and MERL Tech. Linda excels at organizational and sector strategy in times of political flux and technological change. She runs sector-wide convenings through MTI and the New York City Technology Salon, which she started in 2011. Linda is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP & CIPM). She also serves on CDAC’s SAFE AI Pool of Experts and teaches AI and MERL at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Linda leads and manages MTI overall, joins MTI teams for specific projects, and takes on independent projects in her areas of expertise.