Harrison Leon

Experience

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  UNESCO

  Feb 2018 - Aug 2018

  UNESCO-Bosserman Fellow

  (1) Designed two of the thematic panel discussions during the EU and EEAS conference held in Brussels, Belgium entitled “Youth, Peace, and Security and the implementation of UNSCR 2250”. (2) Wrote several speeches for distinguished UNESCO representatives attending high-level events as well as spearheaded the drafting and publishing process for an opinion piece signed by the ADG of the Social and Human Science sector at UNESCO’s headquarters. (3) Developed a social media campaign and coordinated with various stakeholders to develop and manage a launch event for a multi-national PVE project: Prevention of Violent Extremism through Youth Empowerment in Jordan, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. Show less

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  Maghreb Economic Forum

  Nov 2018 - May 2019

  MEF Fellow

  (1) The principal researcher in a project to author a policy brief on the reintegration of violent extremists returning to Tunisia. (2) Co-authored a policy brief entitled “The Acceptance of Returnees from a Social Point-of-View”. (3) Presented the policy brief in Tunis, Tunisia at the Maghreb Economic Forum’s conference entitled “Inclusion: An Approach to Reinforce Youth De-radicalization”.

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  Friends of Deb Ciamacca

  Apr 2020 - Nov 2020

  Field Director

  (1) Created and realized a field plan that guided all field operations: postcarding, literature drops, phone banking, text banking, door-to-door canvassing, yard sign distribution. (2) Maintained and updated the campaign’s voter and volunteer databases, which were used to inform field strategy and track field goals. (3) Implemented detailed campaign strategies that sought to connect targeted segments of the voting populace with particular messages from the campaign.

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  Unfinished

  Jun 2022 - Sept 2022

  Events and Network Intern

  (1) Formalized a process for tracking and developing the 75+ sessions which featured 150+ speakers for a 3-day immersive event in New York City exploring the collision of technology, art, ideas, and impact. (2) Implemented 6 automations to an Airtable database for all information about network partners, speakers and sessions affiliated with Unfinished Live that led to significant gains in efficiency. (3) Coordinated 16 sessions at 1 of Unfinished Live’s 5 stages that hosted 400+ spectators a day. Show less

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  Block Center for Technology and Society

  Sept 2022 - May 2024

  Lingren Fellow for Social Innovation

  (1) Facilitating the development and execution of conferences and public engagements designed around themes of responsible AI and the future of work. (2) Supporting research and pilot projects that demonstrate the greatest promise for delivering actionable policy impact. (3) Drafting policy products that support the center’s efforts to foster responsible AI governance and facilitate the incorporation of technology into labor markets.

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  Freelance

  May 2023 - now

  Event Operations and Production

  Burning Man, Burner Express - Black Rock City (Aug-Sept 2024)Summit at Sea, Production - Miami + Bahamas (April 2024)Rhythm + Threads, Executive Producer - Pittsburgh (Nov 2023-Current)Burning Man, Burner Express - Black Rock City (Aug-Sept 2023)Summit at Sea, Production - Miami + Bahamas (May 2023)Unfinished Live, Programming - New York City (Sept 2022)

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  Project Liberty

  Jun 2023 - Aug 2023

  Partnerships and Fundraising Intern
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  Carnegie Mellon University - Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy

  Sept 2023 - May 2024

  Project Manager

  (1) Leading a team of 5 students in a comprehensive project to analyze and compare the regulation, development, and adoption of generative AI products in Pennsylvania against 5 key states, focusing on executive policies.(2) Spearheading the development of a streamlined process for identifying and evaluating generative AI use cases in the public sector, including conducting research, interviews with experts, and creating an evaluation framework to assess the strengths and weaknesses of potential applications.(3) Providing strategic recommendations for the formalization of generative AI use case development, outlining the integration of an evaluation framework within organizational workflows to enhance decision-making. Show less

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  Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science

  Feb 2024 - Sept 2024

  Research Assistant

  (1) Conducting in-depth interviews with municipal government partners, coding and analyzing qualitative data to identify current procurement challenges and practices.(2) Applying a comprehensive framework based on the NIST's Map-Measure-Manage-Govern approach for AI risk management in public sector procurement.(3) Analyzing procurement processes, from organizational policy formation to vendor maintenance and monitoring, to identify key gaps and areas for improvement.

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  Project Liberty

  May 2024 - now

  • Associate of Partnerships

    Sept 2024 - now

  • Associate of Partnerships

    May 2024 - Sept 2024