February 14, 2024 – As we mark our tenth anniversary this year, we’re taking the opportunity to highlight and thank our advisors, who play a vital role in supporting Data & Society’s (D&S) work. Coming from a range of backgrounds including public policy and law, AI governance, communications, academia, and the arts, the breadth and depth of our advisors’ expertise mirrors D&S’s strategic priorities and ambitions. As of February 2024, our advisors are:
Amanda Ballantyne Director of the AFL-CIO Technology Institute and director of the AFL-CIO Working for America Institute
danah boyd Founder of Data & Society, partner researcher at Microsoft Research, visiting distinguished professor at Georgetown University
Anil Dash Head of Glitch, former advisor to the White House Office of Digital Strategy
Leslie Gross General counsel and managing director for Americas East, Forward Global
Alex MacGillivray Former principal deputy US chief technology officer, cofounder of the Trust & Safety Professional Association and Foundation
Vidushi Marda Lawyer, co-executive director of REAL ML
Alice Marwick Associate professor of communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, cofounder of the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life
Gina Neff Executive director of the Minderoo Centre for Technology & Democracy at the University of Cambridge
Alondra Nelson Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, distinguished senior fellow at the Center for American Progress
Mimi Onuoha Artist, cofounder of A People’s Guide To Tech
Desmond Patton Brian and Randi Schwartz University Professor, University of Pennsylvania; director of SAFElab
Seeta Peña Gangadharan Associate professor in the Department of Media and Communications at London School of Economics and Political Science
Latoya Peterson Cofounder of CXO, director for the culture at Glow Up Games
Andrew Rasiej Founder of Civic Hall @ Union Square, chairperson of the NY Tech Alliance
Micah Sifry Writer, editor, community organizer, cofounder of Civic Hall
Thenmozhi Soundararajan Executive director of Equality Labs
Baratunde Thurston Author, podcaster, host of America Outdoors on PBS, founding partner of Puck
Janet Vertesi Associate professor of science and technology at Princeton University
Felicia Wong President and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute
Ethan Zuckerman Associate professor of public policy, information, and communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst; director of the Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure
“More than ever, we need input and insights from a wide range of people to steer our organizational ship. Our field grows increasingly complex, and as we move into our tenth year and think about the role that Data & Society needs to play over the next decade to push for just, equitable, and human-centered futures, having an incredible brain trust that is committed to our mission is critical to our success,” said Janet Haven, executive director of Data & Society. “As we look back on the organization’s first decade and strategize about what’s to come, we deeply appreciate our advisors’ insight, creativity, and counsel.”
Advisors inform and guide the executive director and D&S leadership team on issues including institutional development, donor relations, policy engagement, equity and inclusion, and strategic wayfinding.
“Being a network organization heightens Data & Society’s impact in the ecosystem of sociotechnical research and engagement, and our advisors are an important part of that,” said Ania Calderon, managing director of strategy and engagement. “We have benefited greatly from the expertise of our network and advisors over the years, and look forward to building on that in the organization’s next decade and beyond.”
We are grateful to the experts who have previously served as advisors, including:
John Borthwick
Joel Reideinberg, in memoriam
Learn more about our advisors here.