Serena Oduro’s work as a senior policy analyst at Data & Society is driven by her dedication to realizing an AI ecosystem that truly benefits us all. Serena leads and manages Data & Society’s involvement in NIST’s US AI Safety Institute and other projects that advance a sociotechnical and rights-forward approach to AI governance. She develops and executes robust strategies to advance the organization’s policy objectives, which have included leading cross-organizational collaborations, responding to agency requests for comment, and developing cross-sectoral translational work. She is passionate about bridging the divide between industry practitioners, sociotechnical researchers, civil society organizations, and government actors.   

Previously, Serena was a technology equity fellow at The Greenlining Institute, where she provided key support for Greenlining’s sponsorship of the Automated Decision Systems Accountability Act of 2021. Serena has also given multiple presentations and talks about her policy and independent work on AI and Black feminism, including at ACM FAccT, Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center, UC Berkeley, Africa Law Tech Festival, and Credo AI’s Responsible AI Summit, where she was featured in the AI-conic Minds series. Her work has appeared in academic journals and publications and news media, including Politico, Meatspace Press, and Patterns. She received a bachelor’s degree in history from Seattle University, where she also minored in philosophy, business, global African studies, and Mandarin.