Arcadia Impact

Arcadia Impact is a London-based registered charity (Charity Number: 1212323) that empowers individuals and organizations to tackle the world's most pressing problems by bridging the gap between motivated people and high-impact career opportunities. The organization was founded in 2022 as the London Effective Altruism Hub (LEAH), initially supporting EA university groups at Imperial College, UCL, King's College London, and LSE, and operating a coworking space in central London. In early 2024, the organization rebranded as Arcadia Impact and expanded its mission to serve not just students but also experienced professionals seeking to work in AI safety and governance. Arcadia Impact runs five main programs. LASR Labs is a full-time, in-person, 13-week technical AI safety research program in London where participants work in supervised teams of three to four to produce academic-style papers aimed at reducing risks from advanced AI; as of 2024, the program had supported over 50 researchers and produced 14 research papers. The AI Governance Taskforce is a 12-week remote, part-time fellowship for mid-career and senior professionals who produce policy research papers on AI governance and safety assurance; the Winter 2026 cohort focused on topics including safety assurance, incident monitoring, and international coordination. The AI Safety Engineering Taskforce (ASET) connects experienced software engineers with practical AI safety projects, including collaboration with the UK AI Security Institute on open-source AI evaluations. The Orion AI Governance Initiative supports students in launching AI policy careers through an AI Policy Accelerator, mentorship program, and internship placements; by 2024 it had supported 57 participants and placed two people into AI policy roles. Impact First supports exceptional students and early-career professionals in London through events, career advising, community partnerships, and the Impact First Coworking Space in central London. The organization is led by Co-Directors Joe Hardie and Erin Robertson, who founded the precursor organization as students and EA community members. The team also includes Justin Olive (AI Safety Engineering Taskforce), Alicia Pollard (student groups and Impact Research Groups), Brandon Riggs (LASR Labs Programme Manager), and Ben R. Smith (AI Governance Taskforce). Trustees include Adam Jones (Anthropic), Zuzana Sperlova (Animal Charity Evaluators), Conrad Kunadu (University of Oxford), and Jorgen Ljones (80,000 Hours). The primary funder is Coefficient Giving, which has awarded over £8 million to Arcadia Impact since founding. The organization has also received support from the UK AI Security Institute and Open Philanthropy.