Connected Power emerged from the experiences of a group of digital entrepreneurs, researchers, and journalists. They knew that while women-led digital movements and platforms have achieved extraordinary impact globally, the infrastructure enabling this work remains largely invisible, fragmented, and critically under-resourced.
For decades, feminist platforms have been laboratories for democratic participation, community-led governance, and collective power-building. Yet there exists no comprehensive research documenting this ecosystem—no map of what exists, what's been lost, or what's needed to strengthen and sustain this vital infrastructure.
This initiative represents the first rigorous participatory effort to map feminist digital infrastructure globally and co-design actionable blueprints for its future.
BORN FROM LIVED EXPERIENCE
There’s no map of what exists, what’s been lost, or what’s needed to strengthen and sustain this vital infrastructure
Navigation team
-
Jensine Larsen
US
Award-winning digital entrepreneur and international journalist with two decades of expertise building and stewarding cross-border feminist digital networks for impact.
-
Mariane Pearl
FRANCE
Award-winning journalist and co-founder of multiple digital platforms amplifying women’s stories globally. Author of “A Mighty Heart” and “In Search of Hope.”
-
Claire Ba
SENEGAL
Data and West African movements specialist with expertise in grassroots and women’s rights organizing, as well as regional digital ecosystems.
-
KIRTHI JAYAKUMAR
INDIA
Tech-geopolitics expert specializing in digital rights and platform governance. Kirthi's work examines the intersection of technology, power, and social movements in global contexts.
Research advisory board
-
Dr. Payal Arora
Majority World Inclusive Tech Design
Professor of Inclusive AI Cultures Utrecht University, Co-founder Inclusive AI Lab, Author ‘Next Billion Users’ and ‘From Pessimism to Promise’
-
Latanya Mapp
Global Social Impact & Leadership
The Culture Seekers, Navigate AI Collaborative, Board Director at Luminate, Fondation CHANEL, MSH, and Author of ‘The Everyday Feminist’
-
LUCINA DI MECO
Women & Girls Online Rights, Political Leadership
Co-founder, Researcher #ShePersisted: Women, Politics, and Power in a New Media World
-
J. Bob Alotta
Technology & Movement-Aligned Capital
Principal, Lucid Assembly
-
Sonia Jorge
Digital Inclusion Strategy & Policy
Founder and Executive Director, Global Digital Inclusion Partnership
-
Nathalie Molina Niño
Builder Capital & Gender-Lens Investing
President and Co-Founder at Known, Author of Leapfrog: The New Revolution for Women Entrepreneurs, Board of Directors, National Institute for Reproductive Health
-
Ada Prince Williams
Capital & Philanthropy for Liberation
Senior Philanthropic Advisor, Transformation Architects
-
Diana Ayton-Shenker
Creativity, Technology, & Innovation
CEO, Leonardo, the International Society for the Arts, Sciences, and Technology. ASU: Schools of Future of Innovation in Society; & Arts, Media, & Engineering
-
Melanne Verveer
Women, Peace, and Security
Executive Director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security
-
Bonnie Chiu
Social Innovation & Impact Investing
CEO, The Social Investment Consultancy, Co-Founder, the Pathway Fund
-
Jeanine Becker
Impact Network Strategy & Facilitation
Founder of On Purpose Together, Partner at Weaving Futures, Board of Directors World Pulse.
Technology & Power
How can AI, social networks, and digital platforms accelerate the collective power of women, gender-diverse people, and underrepresented voices? How can we foster spaces of gender-transformative allyship with men? What are the risks and opportunities in emerging technologies?
Infrastructure Challenges
What digital infrastructure challenges do feminist platforms and grassroots organizations face? How do these vary across regions and movement types? How can online tools better strengthen offline movements and grassroots voices and vice versa?
Sustainability Models
What funding patterns, ownership, governance, and sustainability models exist? What works, what doesn't, what's needed, and what can be imagined?
Platform Archaeology
What can we learn from both thriving and defunct feminist platforms about building sustainable digital infrastructure?
This work stands on the shoulders of decades of feminist organizing now alchemizing through digital movements worldwide.
what we’re investigating
Photo: Thousands protest the rise of the far-right in Berlin, Germany.
Ebrahim Noroozi/The Associated Press, 2025
in collaboration with
Co-Architects such as:
New Public, She Shapes AI, Code to Change, A+ Alliance, Chayn, COFEM, Red Dot Foundation, World Pulse, Feminism in India, Callisto - and 200+ more
Special thanks to:
