Speaking
I speak with audiences about the practice (not the promise) of technology — how governments, organizations, and families actually use technology, where it breaks down, and what it takes to close that gap. Whether I'm unpacking the role of technology in public institutions, tracing the civic tech movement through the oral histories, or grappling with how tech shapes our homes and kids through Home Screen, I bring the same lens: curious, candid, and grounded in practice over promise.
Companies are making education policy.
My 2 minute testimony at our local school board, highlighting how companies are essentially making policy decisions. I asked them to consider how comfortable they are with corporate decisions driving education policy, and suggested we reduce our dependence on companies who do not share the goals of parents or educators.
W&M Democracy Initiative (Limited series Podcast)
A limited-series podcast by my alma mater, designed to explore issues related to democracy. I was invited to host this podcast, and spoke with faculty, students, and staff about the how democracy relates to 5 topics that are central to W&M’s strategic plan: tech, elections, careers, water, and residential life.
Designed to Keep You Hooked: Kids, AI, and Reclaiming Our Attention
I spoke with JT on Consequence of Habit, about how social media and artificial intelligence are changing our habits and sense of agency. We covered a range of topics, including how to help children understand persuasive design, the value of friction in learning and growth, and why using AI to avoid the difficult parts of writing may also undermine thinking itself.
5 Frames for future policy
A conversation with Chelsea Mauldin at the Systemic Design Symposium. I have a “fireside chat” with her and moderate Q&A starting at 33:15.
Her talk is about the entanglements between power, policy, and design. After her talk we dug further into key issues with the audience.
Technology is the Spinal Cord of Government
A talk I gave at FWD50 in the fall of 2025, examining the nexus between technology and power, how separating policy from the technology it depends on has been a root cause of government dysfunction for decades, the importance of state capacity, and the (often invisible) tradeoffs we make when we prioritize efficiency.
Digitale, tecnologie e politiche pubbliche
An interview / discussion about technology in government (hosted by the Associazione Copernicani) with journalist Laura Morelli.