About Digital Access Now
From digital access
to digital opportunity.
Digital Access Now is a nonprofit organization working to expand technology access, digital literacy, educational opportunity, and pathways that help underserved students and communities participate more fully in an increasingly digital world.
Representing DAN at the United Nations
Our Story
Our Story
Digital Access Now began with a simple belief: geography or economic circumstance should not determine whether a young person can participate in an increasingly digital world.
Our early work focused heavily on addressing technology access barriers. As DAN continued to learn from communities, schools, volunteers, and partners, one thing became increasingly clear: access alone is not enough.
A young person may have access to a device but lack practical digital skills. They may build skills but still lack opportunities to apply them through projects, mentorship, leadership, education, or career pathways.
Technology access remains essential, but DAN's work should not end when equipment is delivered or someone gets online.
Our framework
Today, DAN is evolving into a digital opportunity organization built around a simple organization-wide framework:
Who we are
Our Mission
Our Mission
Digital Access Now, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing technology, digital literacy, and educational access to underserved students and communities to promote equity and opportunity.
Our Vision
Our Vision
A world where every young person, regardless of geography or economic circumstance, has a reliable pathway to digital access, practical skills, and opportunities to build a better future.
What DAN Is
A Digital Opportunity Organization
DAN is building a locally adaptable education and access platform that connects learning to opportunity. Technology, connectivity, labs, devices, and shared infrastructure remain important, but they are tools within a broader pathway. DAN's defining outcome is whether participants gain access, build useful skills, apply what they learn, and connect to meaningful opportunities.
Access
Reliable access to technology, connectivity, and digital resources.
Skills
Practical digital, AI, communication, and career-ready capabilities.
Opportunity
Pathways to mentorship, education, leadership, certification, competitions, and careers.
What guides us
Our Values
Equity
Prioritize people and communities facing the greatest digital barriers, and design around realities such as access, affordability, language, geography, gender, and infrastructure.
Innovation
Use technology thoughtfully, including emerging tools such as AI, while adapting delivery to local realities rather than pursuing technology for its own sake.
Collaboration
Build with schools, communities, volunteers, universities, governments, companies, funders, and local organizations.
Empowerment
Develop local leadership so knowledge, program delivery, and opportunity can continue beyond DAN's direct presence.
Our approach
How We Work
Start where the barrier is
If a community lacks access, DAN starts with access. If access already exists, DAN focuses on skills. If participants already have relevant skills, DAN focuses on opportunity.
Standardize the framework. Localize the delivery.
The framework, participant journey, measurement approach, safeguarding expectations, and reporting standards remain consistent while curriculum, language, technology, delivery format, and partner structure adapt locally.
Build local ownership
Schools, chapters, student leaders, volunteers, teachers, local coordinators, and community partners should increasingly be able to support and lead programs locally.
People
Our Team
DAN brings together students, educators, professionals, volunteers, and local leaders who support program delivery, community partnerships, technology access, learning, and organizational development.
Ritika Malik
CEO & Founder
Neuroscience student at Columbia University; Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree.
Awahan Sapkota
Vice President
Chemical Engineering & Physics at the University of Pennsylvania.
Suman
Director of Data & Technology
Managing data analytics and technology infrastructure.
Prof. Abirlal Mukherjee
Country Director, India
Leading operations and strategic initiatives in India.
Keep exploring
Explore More
Dig deeper into DAN's work, programs, impact, and how you can get involved.
Meet Our TeamWhy Digital Access Matters
The evidence and reasoning behind DAN's mission and approach.
Our Work
Chapter programs, volunteer opportunities, and how we deliver.
Impact
How we measure progress and what we've achieved so far.
Partner With Us
Collaborate with DAN as a school, company, or organization.