Think tank · Science policy · Beaverton, OR · Est. 2021
Roots of Progress Institute (RPI) is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit think-tank and cultural institute focused on the history, philosophy, and culture of scientific, technological, and industrial progress—framing “progress studies” as an intellectual and civic project that must be understood, defended, and intentionally sustained. Its strategy centers on (1) producing and disseminating a “new philosophy of progress,” (2) cultivating a durable community of writers and “progress intellectuals,” and (3) creating public-facing programs (notably conferences and educational pilots) that translate progress-oriented thinking into new incentives, narratives, and career pathways.
RPI’s differentiation is that it treats progress not just as technological change, but as a set of causes, institutions, and moral/agency commitments that can be studied and rebuilt—then uses conferences and fellowships to accelerate participants into high-leverage public communication roles. Programmatically, RPI’s core offerings are a writer-focused Blog-Building Intensive fellowship (with thematic tracks in areas such as agriculture and health/longevity/biotech), an annual Progress Conference that convenes builders, policy leaders, researchers, and cultural figures, and a summer high-school career exploration program currently branded Progress in Medicine (a hybrid virtual + in-person residency pilot hosted at Stanford). The institute also operates community infrastructure for discussion (Progress Forum and a Progress Studies Slack) and has announced a university-level Teaching Progress workshop track aimed at helping faculty develop progress-focused curricula. Financially, RPI is already scaling beyond an initially founder-led vehicle: its IRS filings show substantial growth in revenue between FY2021 and FY2024 and include multiple recorded grants in FY2024 (with named funders visible in Schedule I via third-party nonprofit databases).
30 high school students are learning about the history and future of medicine, biotech, health Starting June 15th, the Roots of Progress team brought together 30 teenagers to learn about Progress in Medicine. These talented, ambitious high schoolers are choosing to spend six week
Announcing Progress Conference 2026Oct 8–11 in Berkeley, CA: A four-day event to connect people in the progress movement The post Announcing Progress Conference 2026 appeared first on Roots of Progress Institute .
Save the date: Progress Conference 2026Last year we hosted the second annual Progress Conference. The 2025 conference was bigger than 2024: more days and more people, bringing together over 350 builders, academics, policy makers, investors, and writers who care about progress. Many attendees said it was yet again one
Announcing Progress in Medicine, a high school summer career exploration programStarting today, high school students can apply to Progress in Medicine, a new program by the Roots of Progress Institute. What the Progress in Medicine program offers In this summer program, high school students will explore careers in in medicine, biotech, health policy, and lon
Reflections on Progress Conference 2025Dates for next year: October 8th-11th 2026, at Lighthaven The post Reflections on Progress Conference 2025 appeared first on Roots of Progress Institute .
More great speakers join Progress Conference 2025Progress Conference 2025 is on track to once again be a main event for the progress community, now bringing together well over 300 attendees. Over the last two months we’ve added: Last year, we were cautiously optimistic that 100-150 people might join our inaugural event. Now we
We have two new tracks for our 2025 Blog-Building Intensive FellowshipWrite about agriculture or health, longevity and biotech Applications are now open for the third Blog-Building Intensive fellowship! This year we have two new tracks available for applicants to our Blog Building Intensive Fellowship: agriculture and health, longevity or biotech.
Announcing the 2025 Roots of Progress Blog-Building IntensiveImprove your writing skills, learn from leading progress builders and intellectuals, and publish essays about progress Applications are now open for the 2025 cohort of The Roots of Progress Blog-Building Intensive, a 10-week program for aspiring progress writers. Last year, 24 fe
Save the date: Progress Conference 2025A four-day event to connect people in the progress movement: Berkeley Oct 16-19 The post Save the date: Progress Conference 2025 appeared first on Roots of Progress Institute .
Looking back on the 2024 Blog-Building Intensive FellowshipThis fall, our second class of 24 blog-building fellows completed our eight-week blog building intensive. The second interaction of our fellowship program was a success: several RPI fellows are in the vanguard of the growing progress studies movement. You’ll find them leading the
RPI reports launching Progress in Medicine with 30 high-school students beginning June 15 (with the program described as a hybrid model: online weeks plus an in-person Stanford residency).
Announcing Progress Conference 2026 (Oct 8–11, Berkeley)RPI announces its third annual Progress Conference, listing confirmed keynote speakers (including Dmitri Dolgov, Tyler Cowen, Stephen Winchell, John Martinis, and Michael Kremer) and describing expected attendance and tracks.
Save the date: Progress Conference 2026RPI provides a short update and date notice for the next conference, referencing the scale of the 2025 event.
The Techno-Humanist Manifesto announced (book presenting RPI’s philosophy of progress)RPI announces The Techno-Humanist Manifesto as a book describing “techno-humanism” and frames it as a moral defense of material progress, with planned serialization and syndication.
We are now the Roots of Progress Institute (RPI) — new identity and websiteRPI announces the official renaming from “The Roots of Progress” to “Roots of Progress Institute (RPI),” describing the move toward a fuller cultural-institute identity and the launch of updated branding and site structure.