We're creating a volunteer team to build the foundations of Sapiens First.
You'll work with the founder and a team of Fellows to pilot our initial activities in California.
Fellows get mentorship, hands-on experience, and will be part of a fast and growing movement.
We imagine a world where AI serves the common good. We fight for democracy, prosperity, and security in the age of AI.
Our current objective is to mobilize 3.5% of Americans to create dramatic political change before the arrival of superintelligence.
Learn more →We're looking for people who:
- Care deeply about how AI & technology will affect humanity
- Are inspired by activism and movement-building
- Welcome direct feedback and reflection
Formal experience is not required — just enthusiasm and a desire to grow.
We are currently looking for people to work on four primary workstreams.
You enjoy talking to new people, are a great listener, and care deeply about community. You're great at making people feel empowered, with the goal of them joining the movement.
Example activities- Designing events for people
- Door-to-door conversations with people
- Creating curriculum and documentation for volunteers to train up
Community Fellows should be able to commute to SF, Berkeley, or Oakland about twice a week to help with in-person community building.
You enjoy building scalable systems and automations to empower communities. You're a fast learner and excellent at incorporating AI to assist you in the process, with the goal of streamlining our supporter and membership onboarding and retention processes.
Example activities- Rigging up an open-source CRM to our membership sign-up page
- Creating an email automation protocol for sign-ups, event attendees, and supporters
- Automating member onboarding on Discord
You enjoy communicating big ideas clearly and learning what inspires people to take action. You will test messaging and branding, with the goal of expanding our digital reach.
Example activities- Refining our brand marketing strategy
- Designing and executing our digital marketing strategy
- Designing materials like business cards, banners, and lawn signs
You enjoy diving deep into policy and AI safety. You're good at putting yourself in other people's shoes. You enjoy building relationships, with the goal of building coalitional support for Sapiens First's campaigns in California.
Example activities- Crafting achievable campaign objectives
- Collaborating with other movements like YDSA and the Sunrise Movement
- Reaching out and building relationships with mainstream orgs like the ACLU
This is a volunteer program, but we provide support (travel, meals) for in-person activities, and will reimburse organizational expenses. Strong fellows may be invited to extend after the initial term.
The fellowship runs Sept 1 to Dec 4, lasts 12 weeks, and requires about 5–10 hours per week.
Each Fellow will own a priority project, and sync with a team working on a similar project. There'll also be programming to connect, learn about social change, politics, and hang out.
- Be a founding member of the movement to save the future of humanity
- Build skills like strategic analysis, project planning, and leadership
- Make professional connections in AI safety / policy
- Have fun!
- Apply at sapiensfirst.org/fellowship
- Meet with the Executive Director to discuss your interests
- Receive an initial priority project. Accept by signing the Fellowship agreement.
- Join the Discord and start on September 1st!
| Activity | Content | Timing | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department Sync | Synchronous meeting or written memo sharing progress & reflections on your project | Weekly or biweekly (45 min) | Required |
| 1-1s with Rohan | Chat about the movement, strategy, or future project direction | Weekly or biweekly (30 min) | Required |
| General Meetings | Discussions with Fellows about social change, leadership, and your current work. | Tuesdays, 6:30–7:30pm PT | Optional |
| Socials in SF / Oakland | Bowling, karaoke, or pizza | Monthly or spontaneous | Optional |
By week, the program will roughly be:
- Weeks 1–2: Research, strategy, create success metrics
- Weeks 3–5: Design & build a prototype
- Weeks 6–9: Iterate and evolve the prototype
- Weeks 10–12: Document and present
Applications are due August 23rd for a September 1st start date.
We're excited to hear from you! Applications submitted by August 23rd will be prioritized for the September 1st start date. Please email questions to rohan@sapiensfirst.org.