We’re just three weeks away from SMW NYC! And as we get closer, we want to introduce you to the major topics we’ll be tackling throughout SMW — starting with our Global HQ.
As you may know, we’ll be examining Architects, Inventors and Collaborators, as they relate to emerging technology and new media. On Tuesday, February 19, Beth Noveck and Susan Crawford will set the stage by exploring how open government is changing civic engagement, and how access is a core component of this.
For those that don’t know, Susan Crawford is a communications policy expert and the former Special Assistant to President Barack Obama for Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy. Beth Noveck also served under President Obama as the first United States Deputy Chief Technology Officer and founder and director of the White House Open Government Initiative.
Why should you care? Well, as Susan points out in this video interview with Bloomberg News, US Internet infrastructure is more than 25 years old, and if our country is going to take advantage of the entrepreneurial spirit, we need to connect bureaucracies to citizens and share data for a truly participatory democracy. Beth also discuss this in her TED talk, below:
Having these two ladies on stage together will make for a powerful start to the week. If you are interested in civic engagement, systemic change or politics in any fashion, you’ll want to be at the Global HQ on Tuesday. See more about the event here.