Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan surprised young leaders who are advocating for online safety by personally calling them to praise their efforts. The couple’s Archewell Foundation has joined the Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund advisory committee to launch a $2 million grant for 26 youth-led initiatives that aim to create a more equitable and accountable technology ecosystem.
In a video recorded at their home in Montecito, California, Prince Harry and Meghan sat together to congratulate the inaugural beneficiaries of the fund. Each organization will receive grant funding to continue their work addressing tech-related issues such as protecting human rights, improving education access, ensuring responsible use of AI, and tackling online bullying.
Among the recipients of the calls was Sneha Revanur, the founder of Encode Justice, a global movement that advocates for human rights and justice under AI through political advocacy. Prince Harry joked with her, saying, Thank you for doing everything that you do, our kids are especially grateful … They just don’t know it yet, with Meghan adding, But they will!
Tazin Khan, the founder of the Cyber Collective, which aims to make the complex topic of cybersecurity more accessible, also received a call from Duchess Meghan. She praised Khan for her efforts, saying, Really, thank you for all the work you’re doing, it’s huge and it’s making an enormous impact.
The video call marked the first official public appearance of the Sussexes together since their attendance at the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards in New York in May. Online safety is a topic close to both Harry and Meghan’s hearts, as their foundation’s work has focused on improving safety on the internet.
The grant recipients were thrilled to receive the support and encouragement from Prince Harry and Meghan. Trisha Prabhu, the founder of ReThink, an app and patented technology that detects and stops potential online hate, expressed her gratitude for the validation from the royal couple, saying, It really means so much to have the duke and duchess validating us in our mission.
ReThink, which will receive $50,000 through the Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund, plans to use the grant to expand its reach beyond the U.S., particularly in the Caribbean. The organization aims to equip youth with digital literacy skills to become smarter and more responsible online citizens.
The grant recipients recognized by the Sussexes also include Log Off, a group empowering young people to rebuild their relationships with social media, and the Young People’s Alliance, whose student advocates are amplifying youth voices at colleges across North Carolina, state legislatures, and on Capitol Hill.
The partnership between Archewell Foundation and the Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund aims to address crucial issues such as youth mental health, the decay of the information environment, platform accountability, cybersecurity, privacy, digital literacy, data equity, algorithmic bias, and digital well-being.
Through this initiative, young leaders are being supported in their efforts to create a safer and more inclusive online space for all. The involvement of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan lends considerable weight to these endeavors and highlights the importance of addressing tech-related issues for the benefit of future generations.
