In our work—with grantees, through firsthand observation, and in the stories we intentionally seek—we’ve witnessed the power of technological innovation in rural communities. It takes many forms across the country, often without a data center in sight. Yet these stories rarely break through mainstream narratives, reinforcing a persistent misconception: that meaningful innovation happens elsewhere.
Data centers are rapidly sprouting across America, with technology companies spending billions to build thousands of facilities nationwide. Rural areas in particular have seen a surge in development as companies seek cheaper land and generous local tax incentives. Many see the trend as providing an entry point into the growing AI sector for communities outside traditional urban centers, with proponents arguing that data centers represent a “new savior” for regions in need of much-needed tax revenue and high-paying jobs. But proponents are missing one key issue: Data center jobs are not AI jobs.
From The Siegel Times, a special edition of our Year in Review, President and Executive Director Katy Knight examines the blueprints, partnerships, and strategies behind 2025’s most under-covered success stories.
Introducing The Siegel Times: our 2025 Year in Review, inspired by the look and feel of a classic news magazine and grounded in the work we’ve built together this year. More than a retrospective, this special report brings together feature stories from grantees, letters from leadership, and a clear record of what we’ve accomplished collectively—alongside playful, interactive moments designed to put the buzzwords of 2025 to rest and refocus on what actually matters. It’s a snapshot of a year defined not by hype, but by shared effort, learning, and progress.
In every era of rapid technological change, there come moments of deliberation: wait for policy or lead through practice?
We may be a small team, but our reach is mighty. Over the past quarter, we’ve traveled across the country and around the globe to seek out new perspectives, fresh solutions, and burgeoning insights that will shape our work in 2025.
Our latest grants reaffirm our commitment to building a more inclusive technological future by supporting comprehensive research, shaping human-centered policies, and fostering community-driven innovation to ensure these advancements benefit everyone.
Owen Davis is a labor economist and post-doctoral research fellow at Siegel Family Endowment, where he explores the workforce impacts of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. Read his latest op-ed, featured in Tech Policy Press, about how we need to collect better data about not only how AI is affecting what work we do, but how it is done.
Featured on Working Nation's Work in Progress podcast, Josh Elder, vice president and head of grantmaking for Siegel Family Endowment, discusses the importance of tech connectivity in creating access and opportunity to jobs in rural America and the overall impact technology is having on society, education, and the way we do our jobs.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the grind at this midpoint of the year. At Siegel, we’ve been immersed in pushing our grantmaking forward and executing the strategy refresh we designed and rolled out at the beginning of the year.
The Siegel Research Team set themselves the challenge of articulating “10 big questions” that we should be grappling with in order to gain greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities that we all face. The list captures our brainstorming at the end of 2023, and incorporates numerous refinements based on many discussions we’ve had in early 2024.
We hosted an an “Ask-Me-Anything” webinar to share our plans for 2024 and open the floor to any questions about it. You can find the recording and presentation used here.