Beltway to Bay

KayAnn Schoeneman and Heather Knox sit down with Jen Kerber, head of global government affairs at Socure, to explore what happens when fraud moves faster than the systems we rely on to determine who and what is real. They discuss why digital identity must be treated as critical infrastructure, how AI has made fraud cheaper and easier to scale and why government and industry share responsibility for building trust without sacrificing convenience or innovation. Jen explains the tension between protecting personal data and using data to detect fraud, the challenges of age verification and the risks created by a patchwork of privacy regulations. The conversation also looks ahead to agentic AI and the urgent questions it raises about how we verify the agents acting on our behalf, connect them to real people and determine responsibility when something goes wrong.

Meet the guest:
From the early days of Connect.Gov to an era of synthetic identities, deepfakes, online age checks and AI agents that can book flights or move money, Jennifer Kerber has had a front-row seat to the evolution of digital trust. As head of global government affairs at Socure, she draws on more than 25 years of experience across government, technology and public policy to help policymakers combat fraud, modernize identity systems and keep pace with technologies that refuse to slow down.

To introduce Beltway to Bay, KayAnn Schoeneman and Heather Knox discuss the inspiration behind the podcast: increasingly, what happens in DC - known by insiders as "inside the Beltway" -  doesn’t stay in DC, and what starts in the metaphorical bay -  Silicon Valley, San Francisco, or Seattle - doesn't stay there, either. This show is for anyone who cares about the intersection of policy, technology, business and reputation. Each episode will bring a view from both coasts, candid conversations with people in the arena and practical insights into how decisions made in "the Washingtons" ripple through boardrooms, businesses and markets. 

Meet your hosts: 
KayAnn Schoeneman (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kpschoeneman/) is Co-Owner and President of Curley Company, where she leads the firm’s public affairs and strategic communications business and advises leaders navigating moments where policy, stakeholder pressure and reputation risk converge.  

Heather Knox (https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherknox01/) brings rich global experience in technology and automotive communications during times of transformation and disruption, including roles at Microsoft, Amazon, SAP and several tech startups.