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United We Read: A Virtual Adventure by the Book

August 10, 2020 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm PDT

Free – $31.00

About the Event

You can’t judge a book by its cover, but can you judge a political candidate by their book selection? Find out at our inaugural United We Read Virtual Adventure, a “Meet the Candidates” book discussion with Sara Jacobs and James DeBello, in conversation with Greg McBeth.

As you relax in the comfort of your own home, get to know two U.S. congressional candidates in a positive and unifying discussion. Both candidates were asked to select a book that represents their hopes, goals, vision, or ideals of/for America.  We believe you can learn a lot about a person and their values through the books they read and how they interpret them, so why not do the same with political candidates. If you are tired of the negative and divisive manner pervasive in today’s politics, you won’t want to miss this fun opportunity to change all that.

Two candidates. Two books. One pivotal question:  What is the role of technology in economic progress?

Event admission is free, but registration is required below in order to receive a Zoom webinar invite. We encourage you to purchase one or both featured books to learn more.  Your Adventure includes a 45 minute book discussion with Sara Jacobs and James DeBello, moderated by G2M founder Greg McBeth, and a 15 minute Q&A.

*Instructions to join the Zoom virtual Adventure will be emailed to you three days prior to the event. Please note that no technical assistance will be available during the event, so we highly recommend you practice using Zoom with friends and family prior to the event.

About the Candidates

Jim DeBello is a life-long San Diegan, born in Grossmont hospital. He graduated with a B.A. and M.B.A. from Harvard University and was a Rotary Scholar at the University of Singapore, where he became an expert on foreign trade with a focus on China U.S. relations. A high-tech innovator who holds five patents, Jim is best known as the co-inventor of mobile check deposit used by 80 million consumers and the top banks in the world.

Jim has over 25 years of experience leading global technology companies. He served for 15 years as Chairman and CEO of Mitek Systems, building it into a world-class provider of identity verification and payment solutions. Prior to Mitek, Jim led Qualcomm’s Internet Software business unit and has been a dynamic entrepreneur in several innovative internet and wireless companies.

Deeply committed to public service, as a young man he helped implement social welfare policies for the County of San Diego and then joined the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service to fight national food insecurity. As a business leader he has created jobs for hundreds of San Diegans and raised over $100 million in growth capital for companies in the 52nd district.

Jim is an avid sailor who loves our bay and wants to protect our coast. He believes San Diego is the best place in America.

 

 

A third-generation San Diegan, Sara Jacobs has dedicated her career to fighting for the most vulnerable people by making institutions and policy fairer and more equitable, and finding innovative solutions to some of the most complex problems.

Sara is the Founder and Chair of San Diego for Every Child: The Coalition to End Child Poverty. Since its inception in fall of 2018, San Diego for Every Child has grown into a broad coalition of groups working toward the goal of halving the experience of childhood poverty in San Diego County by 2030. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, San Diego for Every Child started the COVID-19 Children’s Fund, helping to mobilize millions of dollars in philanthropic and government funding to support child care for essential workers and equitable distance learning for students throughout San Diego County.

Sara served as the founding CEO of Project Connect, an education non-profit dedicated to closing the opportunity gap for students around the world by mapping and connecting schools to the Internet. The project was so successful that it is now a flagship part of UNICEF’s work around the world.

Sara grew up in our San Diego community and is a proud alumna of the San Diego public school system. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Master of International Affairs degree in International Security Policy and Conflict Resolution, both from Columbia University.

 

About the Moderator

Greg McBeth is the founder of G2M Growth, Inc., an advisory firm that helps small businesses grow from $0 to $10M+ in revenue by avoiding common pitfalls around messaging, competition, process, and talent. In addition to his advisory work, Greg plays poker professionally both online and in Las Vegas. Greg graduated from Stanford in 2004 with a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and lives with his wife in Napa, where he enjoys wine and the outdoors.

 

About the Books

Sara Jacobs has selected Algorithms of Oppression by Saifya Umoja Noble. A revealing look at how negative biases against women of color are embedded in search engine results and algorithms.

In Algorithms of Oppression, Safiya Umoja Noble challenges the idea that search engines like Google offer an equal playing field for all forms of ideas, identities, and activities. Data discrimination is a real social problem; Noble argues that the combination of private interests in promoting certain sites, along with the monopoly status of a relatively small number of Internet search engines, leads to a biased set of search algorithms that privilege whiteness and discriminate against people of color, specifically women of color.

Through an analysis of textual and media searches as well as extensive research on paid online advertising, Noble exposes a culture of racism and sexism in the way discoverability is created online. As search engines and their related companies grow in importance―operating as a source for email, a major vehicle for primary and secondary school learning, and beyond―understanding and reversing these disquieting trends and discriminatory practices is of utmost importance.

An original, surprising and, at times, disturbing account of bias on the internet, Algorithms of Oppression contributes to our understanding of how racism is created, maintained, and disseminated in the 21st century.

 

Jim DeBello has selected The Second Machine Age by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee. A New York Times bestseller and a “fascinating” (Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times) look at how digital technology is transforming our work and our lives.

In The Second Machine Age MIT’s Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee―two thinkers at the forefront of their field―reveal the forces driving the reinvention of our lives and our economy. As the full impact of digital technologies is felt, we will realize immense bounty in the form of dazzling personal technology, advanced infrastructure, and near-boundless access to the cultural items that enrich our lives.

Drawing on years of research and up-to-the-minute trends, Brynjolfsson and McAfee identify the best strategies for survival and offer a new path to prosperity. These include revamping education so that it prepares people for the next economy instead of the last one, designing new collaborations that pair brute processing power with human ingenuity, and embracing policies that make sense in a radically transformed landscape.

A fundamentally optimistic book, The Second Machine Age alters how we think about issues of technological, societal, and economic progress.

 

 

 

Details

Date:
August 10, 2020
Time:
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm PDT
Cost:
Free – $31.00
Event Categories:
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Event Tags:
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Venue

CA United States

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