An unconventional retrospective for regressive times
Why my January 2025 retrospective doesn't look like last year's, what I'm doing in February, and how you can help
As many folks living in the USA (and elsewhere) know, this country is being torn apart by too many unchecked, lawless people - of both the un-elected and the spineless-elected types - running amok. We are not living in normal times, and a ‘normal’ retrospective on the month of January 2025 would feel absurd, rather like the ‘On Fire’ cartoon ‘Question Hound’ sitting in a flaming room (the “this is fine” meme, below), or arranging chairs on the Titanic deck.
So I’m not going to do my usual structured retro with data and graphs. Instead, this retrospective is a personal message on what I’ve been thinking and what I plan to do. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
Current State
The people with red ballcaps who pooh-poohed pre-election concerns about Project 2025, claiming it was irrelevant, now have nothing to say as hundreds of EOs and screeds ripped from its misogynist, racist, transmisic, greedy pages spew out of the White House.
Wholly unqualified Cabinet appointees, many of them tied to that project, are being rammed through Congress, due to the astonishing capitulation of people abdicating their responsibilities to us and to the Constitution they swore to uphold.
Anything relating to inclusion or acknowledging the competence or rights to “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” by anyone other than straight white men (especially if wealthy) is being actively whitewashed or destroyed.
The many who foretold in 2024 that this election could set the country back 50 years in civil and human rights were clearly wrong - but only in underestimating how far back these power-hungry bigoted billionaires want to take the country.
The goal seems to be to take us back to the 1920’s and the days of Calvin Coolidge. Among many other regressive circumstances, those days were (as I reminded my husband tonight) followed in 1929 by the Great Depression. Those horrific days drove the creation of many current US government programs many lives rely on (such as SNAP, Social Security and, later, Medicare, which are now under attack, along with many other financial commitments duly authorized by Congress).
The bad news changes daily, and the fight back has just begun, so I won’t belabor specifics. (Subscribe to HCR or JV to keep up.) The big question has been: what should *I* do differently?
Part of the answer is obvious. Although joining marches and such is not really an option for me, I can send money to organizations fighting back for and with us. And I can call and message my Congresscritters to try to convince them it’s in their best interests to find a spine and stand up to the lawlessness in progress. (If you’re in NC like me, our Senators both suck - check out and his newsletter to stay informed.) But what should I do with the work and writing I’ve committed myself to doing full-time since early 2024?
My Decision
My long-time passions are inclusion and ethical uses of technology and AI. My main areas of work here on Substack are:
Writing about how people can use AI and data wisely and efficiently for their businesses and lives, and do it ethically and inclusively
Elevating the voices of under-represented people worldwide on ethics of data and AI use, through my “AI, Software, and Wetware” interview series
Supporting women and nonbinary people worldwide who write about AI and data here on Substack by curating a list and hyping them when possible
Given that what I’m doing is clearly not in alignment or favor with the current administration, it crossed my mind to wonder if I should scale back or even stop?
After a very brief reflection, my answer is “hell no”. Because that’s what they want: they want us to give up, to surrender, to quit. And I’m not interested in giving those greedy #$%*s what they want. (Even if I wanted to quit, I’m not sure I know how or could 😆) In fact, I’m going to double down on my major initiatives.
One advisor pointed out that continuing to speak & write, and even more openly, about inclusion and ethics could cost me newsletter subscriptions or book/course sales. Although this is true, I’m viewing it as a “feature and not a bug”.
Why? Succeeding with a startup, or as a solopreneur, is always hard. It’s going to be especially hard in this current US environment for people who share my core values of ethics and inclusion. They are ‘my people’, my ‘flock’. I want to focus my energy on helping them to overcome that extra friction and succeed. Turning off people who devalue ethics or inclusion is a plus. My content won’t suit them anyway, and they won’t dilute my bandwidth for the people I want to help.
If you’ve been subscribed or following me for long, this won’t be a surprise 😊. It’s not only who I am, it’s who I want to be, for however many years I have left.
As some of you may know, I was pleasantly surprised during January to be nominated for a Women in AI award. My nomination was for the category of “Women in AI Champion Award - DEI Champion of the Year” for North America. It briefly crossed my mind, while submitting my application, that whoever wins might become more of a target for trolls emboldened by the current US environment. (Probably true for anyone who wins any 2025 award related to women or activism.) I’ll gladly deal with that if I’m honored with the award, and either way, I’ll absolutely hype & support anyone who wins in any of the 12 categories.
What’s Next?
So what’s my plan for February 2025? In priority order:
Finish my draft book chapter on ethical AI and data, and submit it to my publisher. (I’m a collaborative author on a guidebook for entrepreneurs, to be published this summer 😊 - book website coming soon)
Find, list, connect with, and support more women and nonbinary people worldwide who write about AI and data here on Substack.
Do and publish more AI, Software, and Wetware interviews highlighting more non-rich-cis-white-techbro people of all genders worldwide.
After the book chapter is turned in, I’ll work on a companion e-learning course, and then explore offering ethical AI consulting support to clients who value ethics and inclusion.
To keep up with what I’m doing this year:
Subscribe to for the curated list of women & other inclusion topics
Subscribe to for the AI, Software, and Wetware interviews and other AI & data ethics topics
Book-related announcements will go to both lists.
All new posts in both newsletters will remain free to read and listen to; paid subs and tips are voluntary donations only.
What You Can Do
If you’d like to support and help me in my mission:
I’m looking for beta readers to read & share advice on my draft book chapter about how entrepreneurs can use AI and data wisely and efficiently. A mix of readers with and without technical AI experience would be awesome - especially solopreneurs or startup leaders. The chapter will be about 4000 words long, with some diagrams. I’d be grateful for your help, and can offer a free PDF copy of the book (after it’s published) in return!
I’d love to have collaborators who can help with the work of producing the audio AISW interviews so we can publish more than one per week. Or if you can help me connect with guests whose voices should be heard, DM me!
More than anything, I need feedback from people who share my values of ethics and inclusion.
I want someone - or a bunch of someones - to tell me candidly when something I’m doing (or not doing) is falling short, or could be better. An email, a DM, or a comment will be so appreciated.
If you like what you’re reading or hearing, please drop a quick heart on the post or note, or share or restack it, so I know what’s resonating (and what isn’t).
Regardless of what form it may take, THANK YOU in advance for your support and encouragement!
What do you think of this 2025 plan?
What are you doing differently in 2025?
I’m late reading this retrospective but dang Karen, I LOVE THIS. Standing with you all the way!!
I'd love to be a beta reader please.