Sasha John is a researcher, writer, and curator of experiences and people, committed to leveraging partnerships, knowledge, people-first narratives and the arts for critical research on the impacts of technology on communities in the Majority World.
She is the RAIL Fellowship Coordinator and Associate Researcher at Digital Futures Lab. Her work focuses on communicating DFL’s research to audiences within and outside of policy and academic circles, strategising ways to engage vital online and offline communities in conversations about the impact and trajectories of technology innovation. Sasha has led the production and outreach of multiple research reports, creative outputs, online and offline events and workshops in this capacity. As an extension of this role, Sasha is the project coordinator of the Responsible AI Impact Lab (RAIL) - a year-long initiative of applied research aimed at building the capacities of social impact organisations to ethically and responsibly incorporate AI technology in their programmatic interventions.
Sasha also conducts research at DFL. She has previously worked on projects focused on assessing and mitigating gender bias along the LLM value chain for social impact organisations in India, building responsible ed-tech in India and navigating AI’s role in the arts. She recently co-wrote an op-ed with Urvashi Aneja, Founder and Director of DFL, on bias mitigation in the AI lifecycle, which was published in The New Indian Express.
Sasha has always been a wearer of many hats, having worked in the fields of operations, procurement consulting, client engagement and fundraising in the tech, non- and for-profit spaces in the US and India. She previously worked as an Assistant Digital Editor for Gaysi Media, an LGBTQ+-focused creative agency in India, and has worked as a content writer and project curator with major brands like Tinder India, MUBI India & Star TV.
Sasha holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Peace & Conflict Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, where she graduated summa cum laude. In her spare time, she can be found on the football pitch, at the skatepark, in a climbing gym or at the beach.