In November 2018, I was proud to co-host our sixth annual Connect Conference. This year’s Connect 18 theme was, “Transforming Communities Through Technology” which was held at Facebook in Menlo Park. Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, Assemblyman Marc Berman, and President and CEO of SAMCEDA, Rosanne Foust, and I were pleased to welcome a roster of distinguished speakers who shared their ideas, stories, passions and best practices for using disruptive technologies to transform our communities.
The Connect18 Speakers spoke on a range of topics. Below is a summary of the issues covered:
- Arunav Sinha, Head of Global Communications, Coursera shared his experiences as he lead a local company that has developed a platform for on-line education trough Global communications at Coursera.
- The “Tech, Privacy & Democracy” panel explored how technology can be harnessed for good and what’s government’s role in either regulating or encouraging beneficial use. We assembled a panel from academia, industry and media to address this topic from their sector and experience which included: Courtney Bowman, Co-Director, Privacy and Civil Liberties Engineering, Palantir, John Diaz, Editorial Page Editor, San Francisco Chronicle, Robin Feldman, Institute for Innovation Law UC Hastings College of the Law Distinguished Professor.
- Courtney Power, General Counsel, Niantic – Pokémon Go shared her experience with the phenomenon that spread around the globe as people of all ages seemed to be walking aimlessly outside.
- Katie Stevens, Senior Director of Strategic Development Lime Bike provided thoughts on smart personal mobility.
- Jane McGonigal, Director of Game Research and Development, Institute for the Future talked on “Ethical OS Toolkit”: a guide to anticipating the futures impact of today’s technology and how to not to regret the things that will be build.
- Ana Martinez, Head of State Public Policy and Community Outreach for the Southwest Region, Facebook shared some of the latest tools, tips and best practices that can help better reach and connect on Facebook.
San Mateo County is home to some of the country’s most innovative and creative technological minds. It is more important that we are hearing from these leaders and learning about ways to embrace technology to transform communities.
The Connect18 Conference was once again a great opportunity to hear from key leaders, government officials, and those at the forefront of technological innovation and advancement. Thank you to all who helped make this conference possible. Already looking forward to Connect19!