Mission, Vision, and Focus

About POPVOX Foundation

With a mission to inform and empower people and make government work better for everyone, POPVOX Foundation is focused on ensuring that democratic institutions are equipped to address the “pacing problem” — the gap between emerging technologies and governance.

Through collaborations with researchers, government officials, and stakeholders, POPVOX Foundation works to improve governing effectiveness with a focus in three key areas:

Capacity

Enhancing government capacity to meet the dynamic needs of society

Efforts include developing technology, tools, and resources and supporting the public sector in recruiting, training, and retaining a modern, diverse workforce. This includes support of competitive pay, upskilling, and promoting greater flexibility for public sector employees to apply their expertise toward mission success.

Innovation

Helping public sector institutions keep pace

POPVOX Foundation works to help governing institutions update their processes and leverage emerging technology. This involves modeling governing processes and practices that are more effective, responsive, adaptive — and someday even anticipatory — and improving oversight, transparency, accountability, and accessibility.

Engagement

Empowering individuals to understand and actively engage with governing institutions

The Foundation supports research and the development of new methods and tools for more effective public engagement that is legitimately connected to governing processes and decision-making.

Policy Vision

The POPVOX Foundation team views the US Congress as a fulcrum for policy and process evolution with influence on all branches and levels of American governance, and ripple impacts around the world. We believe that a modernized Congress can “lift all boats” with more informed policymaking, increased public engagement, and transparent, trustworthy processes. This not only means investing in technology and continuous learning but also fostering a governance structure that remains resilient and informed in the age of AI and other exponential technologies. 

POPVOX Foundation engages with Congress through a four-pronged approach: 

  1. providing cooperative assistance

  2. exerting constructive external pressure 

  3. facilitating institutional knowledge sharing and networking 

  4. de-risking technology projects through prototypes, open source development and technical assistance 

Through informal advising, expert testimonies, training sessions, publications, and informal dialogues, the team aids Congress in its own evolution. Simultaneously, by identifying deficiencies, highlighting improvements, and celebrating significant advancements, POPVOX Foundation helps maintain a momentum of positive change and encourages the onward, ongoing march of modernization.

Focus on the First Branch

Co-founded in 2021 and led by proud former Congressional staffers from both sides of the aisle, the team at POPVOX Foundation brings empathy, a deep respect for the Legislative branch, and diverse expertise to its efforts to modernize Congress and other governing institutions.

NB: POPVOX Foundation is a separate entity from POPVOX, Inc., a civic tech platform Harris co-created in 2010 to connect the people to those who serve them in government.