Cortico, a nonprofit social technology company that operates the Local Voices Network (LVN) in cooperation with MIT’s Center for Constructive Communication. This unique, people-centered, interactive platform combines real-world dialogue with the analytical power of modern artificial intelligence. To do this, LVN brings people together in recorded, small-group facilitated conversations around their lived experiences. The groups discuss questions like, “What does public safety mean in our community?” and “If we were to defund the police, how could public dollars be better spent to promote community wellbeing?” Cortico’s novel recording device enables partner organizations to make sense of the conversations they collect and amplify typically underheard voices. The collected data can be used to inform public understanding, drive better policies, inform sharper decisions and enable new connections across the ideological spectrum. This grant supports the visionary leadership of Deb Roy, acting CEO of Cortico, and funds a partnership between Cortico and The Tow Foundation to leverage the LVN platform in the philanthropic sector for the first time.