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EVENT DETAILS |
Exploring the intersection of policy, innovation, & government
Silicon Valley is broadly viewed as a unique achievement of American capitalism. Nowhere else has produced so many companies that have fundamentally reshaped the modern world. Yet, looking behind the prevailing narrative of heroic self-made founders & investors like Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, Silicon Valley's history reveals deep connections with the federal government.
Government policies & programs have supported many foundational technologies that made today's leading technology companies possible, including innovations like GPS, the Internet, & key components in our smartphones. Policymakers have also set up legislative frameworks that cleared the way for these companies to operate, helping make America the leading global innovator.
Not everyone agrees what role the federal government should play in the future in promoting science & technology, particularly in the face of growing competition from China. It's also clear that there's an increasing knowledge gap between Silicon Valley & DC, which may have us flying blind on key strategic issues.
Join Lincoln Network for a special evening with Tom Kalil, Chief Innovation Officer at Schmidt Futures & a veteran of two presidential administrations; & Dr. Tim Persons, Chief Scientist at the Government Accountability Office, & a former technical director at theIntelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity & the National Security Agency. They'll explore questions surrounding the federal government's role in science & technology, innovation & national security, & how we can build deeper technical expertise in Congress.
Learn more about Lincoln Network's policy work at www.lincolnpolicy.org.
Speaker Biographies
Tom Kalil is Chief Innovation Officer at Schmidt Futures. In this role, Tom leads initiatives to harness technology for societal challenges, improve science policy, & identify & pursue 21st century moonshots. Prior to Schmidt Futures, Tom served in the White House for two Presidents (Obama & Clinton), helping to design & launch national science & technology initiatives in areas such as nanotechnology, the BRAIN initiative, data science, materials by design, robotics, commercial space, high-speed networks, access to capital for startups, high-skill immigration, STEM education, learning technology, startup ecosystems, & the federal use of incentive prizes. From 2001 to 2008, Kalil was Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Science & Technology at UC Berkeley. He launched a program called Big Ideas@Berkeley, which provide grants to student-led teams committed to solving important problems at home & abroad.
Dr. Tim Persons is the Chief Scientist & Managing Director of the Science, Technology Assessment, & Analytics team of the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO - the oversight, insight, & foresight entity of the U.S. Congress). Dr. Persons is the founder of GAO's Innovation Lab & in this role he leads advanced data analytic activities as well as the exploration of emerging technologies such as machine learning systems, blockchain, & cloud cybersecurity research at GAO. He also directs GAO's science, technology, & engineering portfolio - including technology assessment, technical assistance, & engineering in support of the Congress & GAO. In these roles he has led a large interdisciplinary technical team which has advised Congress & informed legislation on topics ranging from artificial intelligence, advanced data analytics, sustainable chemistry, biosafety & biosecurity, 3D printing, nanomanufacturing, homeland security systems, & freshwater conservation technologies, among others. He also directed the production & release of GAO's Best Practices Guides - Cost, Schedule, Technology Readiness Assessment, & Agile Software Development. Prior to joining GAO, Dr. Persons served as the Technical Director for the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) as well as the technical lead for Quantum Information Sciences & Biometrics research groups for the Information Assurance Directorate at the National Security Agency.
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