Tech Policy Leaders

Charlton McIlwain (@cmcilwain) - As a researcher, writer and teacher, Dr. McIlwain's primary interests focus broadly on issues of race and media, particularly within the social and political arena. His previous work centered on how political candidates construct, mobilize, benefit or suffer damage from race-based appeals. In 2011 Dr. McIlwain co-authored the book Race Appeal: How Candidates Invoke Race in U.S. Political Campaigns (Temple University Press). In 2012, the book won the prestigious Ralph Bunche Award, given by the American Political Science Association for the best book addressing ethnic pluralism. The same year, the American Library Association recognized the book as one of the Best of the Best books among academic publishers. In addition to authoring/coauthoring four additional books and close to thirty scholarly journal articles and chapter in edited volumes, and regularly providing expert commentary for local, state, national and international media, Dr. McIlwain continues to pursue research about racial appeals through collaborative work focused on analyses of individuals’ real-time perceptions of race-based appeals in political advertising, as well as a variety of cognitive/physiological responses to racialized communication. You can stay informed about his ongoing work in that area at the RaceProject.

Dr. McIlwain's recent interests, however, have turned to the intersections of race and digital media, principally as they relate to three primary questions: to what degree can/has the internet and other forms of digital media use lead to increased political participation, voice and influence for people of color?; in what ways might internet use provide greater access to social, professional and economic mobility for people of color?; and in what tangible ways do forms of racial discrimination, disparate treatment and denial of opportunity take place in online environments? He is currently working on a number of projects in this area, including:

• An article titled, Racial Formation Online: Representation, Inequality & the Political Economy of the Web.

• A book project titled Digital Movement: Black Politics, Organizing & Activism on the Web, which traces the roots and charts the development of racial justice networks online since the 1990s.

• A related project analyzing the Black Lives Matter movement on Twitter. The project is in collaboration with lead investigator Deen Freelon, and Meredith Clark, and is funded by the Spencer Foundation.

Dr. McIlwain is also working on the following with other collaborators:

• A book project titled, Good Feelings: The Story of Race & Barbecue in America with Kathleen McElroy.

• A final book project with Stephen Maynard Caliendo titled Nigger 2.0: The Turbulent Transformation of a Still Troublesome Word.

In addition to these projects, Robin R. Means Coleman and I edit the Routledge Transformations in Race & Media book series for Routledge.

In this Episode we Discussed

• The history of race and racism on the Internet in the context of the civil rights and the post-civil rights eras
• How algorithms can both intentionally and unintentionally create real-world discriminatory harm
• Why scholars should continue to study race and racism at the intersection of technology and the Internet.

Resources

The Project on Race in Political Communication

Obfuscation: A User's Guide for Privacy and Protest by Fin Brunton and Hellen Nissenbaum (MIT Press, 2015)

Michael Calabrese is director of the Wireless Future Project, which is part of The New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute. He also serves as a senior research fellow affiliated with the Asset Building Program.  Mr. Calabrese focuses on developing policies that promote pervasive connectivity, including spectrum policy reform, mobile market competition, wireless broadband deployment and IT investment and innovation more broadly.

Mr. Calabrese currently serves as an appointed member of the U.S. Department of Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (CSMAC) since 2009. He also served as an invited expert on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) spectrum reform working group during 2011-2012. 

Mr. Calabrese also served as vice president (2003-2010) and was instrumental in establishing the organization's programs in areas including retirement security, health policy, asset building, education and the Next Social Contract Initiative.

Previously, Mr. Calabrese served as general counsel of the Congressional Joint Economic Committee, as director of Domestic Policy Programs at the Center for National Policy, and as pension and employee benefits counsel at the national AFL-CIO.

As an attorney and graduate of both Stanford Business and Law Schools, Mr. Calabrese speaks and writes frequently on issues related to spectrum, wireless broadband, and Internet policy, as well as on pension policy and retirement security. He has co-authored three books and published opinion articles in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic Monthly, Slate and other leading outlets.

In this episode we discussed:

• What spectrum is, how it is divided up, and the differences between licensed and unlicensed spectrum.
• What the so-called "car band" is and why it should be shared with Wi-Fi and other unlicensed devices.

Resources:

Spectrum Silos to Gigabit WiFi by Michael Calabrese (New America Foundation, 2016)

Open Technology Institute 

Michael Calabrese is director of the Wireless Future Project, which is part of The New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute. He also serves as a senior research fellow affiliated with the Asset Building Program.  Mr. Calabrese focuses on developing policies that promote pervasive connectivity, including spectrum policy reform, mobile market competition, wireless broadband deployment and IT investment and innovation more broadly.

Mr. Calabrese currently serves as an appointed member of the U.S. Department of Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (CSMAC) since 2009. He also served as an invited expert on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) spectrum reform working group during 2011-2012. 

Mr. Calabrese also served as vice president (2003-2010) and was instrumental in establishing the organization's programs in areas including retirement security, health policy, asset building, education and the Next Social Contract Initiative.

Previously, Mr. Calabrese served as general counsel of the Congressional Joint Economic Committee, as director of Domestic Policy Programs at the Center for National Policy, and as pension and employee benefits counsel at the national AFL-CIO.

As an attorney and graduate of both Stanford Business and Law Schools, Mr. Calabrese speaks and writes frequently on issues related to spectrum, wireless broadband, and Internet policy, as well as on pension policy and retirement security. He has co-authored three books and published opinion articles in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic Monthly, Slate and other leading outlets.

In this episode we discussed:

Resources:

Spectrum Silos to Gigabit WiFi by Michael Calabrese (New America Foundation, 2016)

Open Technology Institute 

Wendy Rivera-Aguilar is the Executive Director of the Multicultural Education Alliance and Principal Attorney at the Rivera-Aguilar Law Firm, P.A. in Orlando Florida.  Wendy has a strong public interest track record and a solid background in Civil Rights, Administrative Law, and Public Policy.

She was an Assistant General Counsel for a National Regulatory Firm where her portfolio included Foreign Ownership Investment​ Reform.  She also served as Staff Counsel and Director of Hispanic Affairs for Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC).

While at MMTC, Wendy’s work was primarily focused on communication issues that have the greatest impact on the Hispanic community and women entrepreneurs. She launched their very first Immigration Reform Initiative to help generate support for comprehensive immigration reform from the large media, telecom, and broadband companies.

​​Prior to joining MMTC, Wendy worked as an Associate Attorney at the law firm of Hill & Ponton, P.A., where she practiced Administrative Law. Wendy is an ardent defender of civil rights and commits legal services pro bono to the community. She was a Participating Attorney for the Florida State Conferences Branch of the NAACP where her work covered Employment Discrimination, Energy, and Environmental Policy issues.​

Wendy has a solid record of active participation in the community. Currently, she serves as Chair of the Orange County Advisory Board, sits on the board of Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (HCREO), chairs Dialogue on Diversity’s Entrepreneurship IT Conference Committee, and is a contributing writer for Politic365.

Wendy earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Central Florida and her Juris Doctorate from Stetson University College of Law. She is admitted to practice law in Florida and lives in Orlando with her husband and children.

In this episode we discussed

• HOW Wendy brought her personal story to her policy work and WHY you should do the same.

Resources

Multicultural Education Alliance

#LATISM

Aspire to Inspire

Hispanic Council for Reform in Educational Options (HCREO)

Intentional Living: Choosing a Life that Matters by John C. Maxwell

Federal STEM Education Data Set

Wendy Rivera-Aguilar is the Executive Director of the Multicultural Education Alliance and Principal Attorney at the Rivera-Aguilar Law Firm, P.A. in Orlando Florida.  Wendy has a strong public interest track record and a solid background in Civil Rights, Administrative Law, and Public Policy.

She was an Assistant General Counsel for a National Regulatory Firm where her portfolio included Foreign Ownership Investment​ Reform.  She also served as Staff Counsel and Director of Hispanic Affairs for Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC).

While at MMTC, Wendy’s work was primarily focused on communication issues that have the greatest impact on the Hispanic community and women entrepreneurs. She launched their very first Immigration Reform Initiative to help generate support for comprehensive immigration reform from the large media, telecom, and broadband companies.

​​Prior to joining MMTC, Wendy worked as an Associate Attorney at the law firm of Hill & Ponton, P.A., where she practiced Administrative Law. Wendy is an ardent defender of civil rights and commits legal services pro bono to the community. She was a Participating Attorney for the Florida State Conferences Branch of the NAACP where her work covered Employment Discrimination, Energy, and Environmental Policy issues.​

Wendy has a solid record of active participation in the community. Currently, she serves as Chair of the Orange County Advisory Board, sits on the board of Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (HCREO), chairs Dialogue on Diversity’s Entrepreneurship IT Conference Committee, and is a contributing writer for Politic365.

Wendy earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Central Florida and her Juris Doctorate from Stetson University College of Law. She is admitted to practice law in Florida and lives in Orlando with her husband and children.

In this episode we discussed

Resources

Multicultural Education Alliance

#LATISM

Aspire to Inspire

Hispanic Council for Reform in Educational Options (HCREO)

Intentional Living: Choosing a Life that Matters by John C. Maxwell

Federal STEM Education Data Set

• What is "Open Government"?
• Legislation and initiatives in New York City focused on keeping government open.
• Best practices for engaging communities and empowering citizens with tools to be active participants in their governments.

Ms. Laura Berrocal has a decade of experience working in strategic alliance and partnership building at both the national and local level. She currently serves as Director of External Affairs at CTIA, where she manages the association’s grassroots, grasstops and third party relationships and develops communications strategies to educate communities about CTIA’s work across the wireless and tech sector.

Prior to CTIA, she served as Vice President of Public Policy and Legislative Affairs for Net Communications, where she led the development and implementation of comprehensive legislative, business development, and communications strategies for Fortune 500 companies and industry trade associations spanning the tech, telecom, media, health, and energy sectors. In previous roles with the Pennsylvania State Senate and national and international organizations such as the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council, the National Puerto Rican Coalition, and Third World Network, Ms. Berrocal has provided public policy counsel in the areas of technology, minority entrepreneurship, energy, education, and health, as well as developed results-driven communications and educational campaigns.

Ms. Berrocal has appeared as a guest on HuffPost Live and Fusion TV and her work has been featured in publications such as Minority Engineer Magazine, Fox News Latino, and Politic365. Ms. Berrocal serves as a Contributing Writer to media company Silicon Valley Latino and sits on the Board of Directors of the National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Advisors of the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council. She also serves as an advisor to Intuit’s Latino Outreach Advisory Group and a member of its Diversity and Inclusion Work Group.

She holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from The George Washington University Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration (TSPPPA) and a B.A. in Political Science from Temple University.

In this episode we discussed

• How the tech and wireless sectors stack up when it comes to diversity and inclusion
• Why building tech skills NOW can help avoid regret later on
• The critical role of spectrum in wireless competition
• The single most important success factor Laura has maintained, no matter what

Resources

CTIA

Michael Mandel, The California/Tech Info Boom: How it is Spreading Across the State (Progressive Policy Institute, 2015).

Jennie Allen, Restless: Because You Were Made for More (Thomas Nelson, 2014)

Ms. Laura Berrocal has a decade of experience working in strategic alliance and partnership building at both the national and local level. She currently serves as Director of External Affairs at CTIA, where she manages the association’s grassroots, grasstops and third party relationships and develops communications strategies to educate communities about CTIA’s work across the wireless and tech sector.

Prior to CTIA, she served as Vice President of Public Policy and Legislative Affairs for Net Communications, where she led the development and implementation of comprehensive legislative, business development, and communications strategies for Fortune 500 companies and industry trade associations spanning the tech, telecom, media, health, and energy sectors. In previous roles with the Pennsylvania State Senate and national and international organizations such as the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council, the National Puerto Rican Coalition, and Third World Network, Ms. Berrocal has provided public policy counsel in the areas of technology, minority entrepreneurship, energy, education, and health, as well as developed results-driven communications and educational campaigns.

Ms. Berrocal has appeared as a guest on HuffPost Live and Fusion TV and her work has been featured in publications such as Minority Engineer Magazine, Fox News Latino, and Politic365. Ms. Berrocal serves as a Contributing Writer to media company Silicon Valley Latino and sits on the Board of Directors of the National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Advisors of the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council. She also serves as an advisor to Intuit’s Latino Outreach Advisory Group and a member of its Diversity and Inclusion Work Group.

She holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from The George Washington University Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration (TSPPPA) and a B.A. in Political Science from Temple University.

In this episode we discussed

Resources

CTIA

Michael Mandel, The California/Tech Info Boom: How it is Spreading Across the State (Progressive Policy Institute, 2015).

Jennie Allen, Restless: Because You Were Made for More (Thomas Nelson, 2014)

Alex Kreilein is the Managing Partner of SecureSet and over the cybersecurity Accelerator. He engages corporate C-Suites officers, tech luminaries, security researchers, hackers, and academics to develop and implement strategies kickstarting cybersecurity startups. He co-manages a fund associated with the accelerator to brings enormous value to early-stage startups through a focused product development, customer acquisition, and investor engagement strategies.

Previously, Alex was a strategist at the Department of Homeland Security and was detailed as a Guest Researcher to the National Institute of Standards & Technology. His work advanced goals in cybersecurity, national security and emergency communications, spectrum management, risk analysis, mobile applications, research and development, and oversight of multi-billion dollar grant programs.

Prior to DHS, Alex served as the Managing Director of the CU Boulder venture fund, as well as Legislative Assistant for Congresswoman Jane Harman on technology policy and innovation issues. He has worked as a consultant for major systems integrators in the defense, intelligence, and technology sectors.

Alex is a graduate of the US Naval War College with a Masters in National Security & Strategic Studies. He is also a graduate of Fordham University and attended the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, China. He currently attends the University of Colorado at Boulder's Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program and is a PhD candidate.

In this episode we discussed

• The steps professionals should take to land a job in cybersecurity.
• Key cybersecurity issues policymakers should be focused on right now
• Alex's key productivity and success hacks.

Resources

secure | set

General Assembly

Learning Tree

Streak for Gmail

The Starfish and the Spider by Ori Brafman

Cybersecurity Conferences

DEF CON

blackhat

Bsides