HomePro Bono Perspectives PodcastS3E09: Dr. Mai Nguyen, The Design Lab & The Filene Research Institute

S3E09: Dr. Mai Nguyen, The Design Lab & The Filene Research Institute

May 4, 2021 | 22 min listen

We’re at this moment where we have to be asking the hard questions, the right questions, to really root out the structural problems – and that’s where design thinking comes in.

Dr. Mai Nguyen talks about the power of design thinking and how it’s being applied to financial institutions like credit unions to advance economic empowerment and social justice. Director of the Design Lab at UCSD and a Filene Research Institute Fellow, Mai has dedicated her career to addressing systemic discrimination and policies that create inequities in access to capital, housing, and more.

Currently, she is focusing on the study and expansion of credit unions as a catalyst for community transformation. Listen for a fascinating take on the social responsibility of credit unions, the significant community investments they’ve made in recent years, and how design thinking can transform them into a true force for equity.

To learn more about Mai’s work, visit mai.web.unc.edudesignlab.ucsd.edu, and filene.org.