Crowds are a powerful phenomenon and can evoke a wide range of emotions and behaviors. For centuries, people have gathered in crowds to make their voices heard, exercise their rights, and stand in solidarity with their fellow citizens. The presence of a crowd can often unite individuals that would not otherwise band together in order to challenge the status quo; it is a powerful force that has spurred immense social, political, and technological advancements. The potential of crowds comes from their ability to bring together many minds and ideas in a single space. By collecting the perspectives of many different people, a crowd can brainstorm solutions to complex problems and create innovative approaches that would not have been achievable by an individual or small group. For example, the open source software development model relies on crowdsourcing to identify and eliminate coding bugs, with improvements often coming from individuals who do not work at the software’s parent company. In addition to the brainpower of a crowd, it can also display a level of courage and conviction. It has been shown that people are more willing to stand up for a cause when it is backed by others in a crowd, often taking more daring steps than they would have taken on their own. Crowds have also been known to push our collective humanity forward, such as with the civil rights movement of the United States in the 1960s, when crowds of protestors peacefully marched and demonstrated to end the oppression of African Americans. Crowds form the backbone of our collective progress, taking us one step closer to achieving greater justice, equality, and collective understanding. In today’s digitally connected world, crowds are more powerful than ever and can be harnessed to unlock solutions to society’s most pressing issues in a way that benefits all of humanity.