My story

Born in Russia, raised in Silicon Valley, and a 9 on the Enneagram (peacekeeper, mediator) - I’ve always been attuned to the way that language and culture affect communication. This led to degrees in Linguistics and Modern Languages (BA, Pitzer College), Communication & Culture (MA, NYU) and eventually a PhD in Communication from the School of Journalism at Columbia University. In between, I focused on global citizenship & education, running an international service learning program, and a pioneering educational website. For my PhD research I brought together my Russian roots and my Silicon Valley upbringing to look at social media networks in Russia, building on research done with the Media and Democracy Project at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard. For my post-doc I joined mediaX at Stanford University, and then stayed on as staff to help foster multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder research collaborations at the intersection of human sciences and technology.

Most recently, I have been pulling from these diverse experiences to advance the nascent field of “Responsible Technology,” which addresses the need to be thoughtful about the tools that we create, to help ensure that technology innovations are aligned with public interest.

My passion lies in helping organizations develop research, programs, strategy, and content that advances the use of emerging technologies for societal benefit.

My recent work with organizations such as Partnership on AI, All Tech is Human, Internet Safety Labs and AIedu.org includes projects that help develop standards for respectful technology relationships, build a more diverse workforce, and broaden access to AI education at the high school and community college level. I also advise education startups, with an emphasis on equity and student agency.

BRIEF BIO (140 words)

Dr. Karina Alexanyan (Founder/CEO Humanication.io) is a social scientist and communications professional with 15+ years of experience at the intersection of technology, social impact, media and education. Her passion lies in helping educational and social impact organizations leverage emerging technologies for societal benefit, with a focus on issues related to respectful technology behavior and diversity, equity, and ethics in AI education and talent pipelines. Dr. Alexanyan has worked with Stanford, Harvard, and Columbia Universities, as well as social impact organizations such as Partnership on AI, All Tech is Human, Internet Safety Labs and the AI Education Project. She serves as an Advisor to two educational startups, has taught courses in communication and media studies at NYU and Stanford, and has published her academic research in international journals and books. She holds a PhD in Communication from Columbia University.