Staff Archive - Center for Democracy and Technology https://cdt.org/staff/ Mon, 21 Apr 2025 21:09:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 https://cdt.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/cropped-cdt-logo-32x32.png Staff Archive - Center for Democracy and Technology https://cdt.org/staff/ 32 32 Alexandra Reeve Givens https://cdt.org/staff/alexandra-reeve-givens/ Mon, 11 May 2020 12:58:59 +0000 https://cdt.org/?post_type=staff&p=86755 Alexandra Reeve Givens is the CEO of the Center for Democracy & Technology, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization fighting to protect civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age. She is a leading advocate for protecting people’s online privacy and access to information, and ensuring emerging technologies advance human rights and democracy. At CDT, Alex […]

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Alexandra Reeve Givens is the CEO of the Center for Democracy & Technology, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization fighting to protect civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age. She is a leading advocate for protecting people’s online privacy and access to information, and ensuring emerging technologies advance human rights and democracy.

At CDT, Alex leads an international team of lawyers, policy experts, and technologists who want technology to work for people. CDT advocates to policymakers and the courts in the U.S. and Europe, works with tech companies to improve their policies and product designs, and shapes public opinion on major tech policy issues.

Alex previously served in the United States Senate, as the chief counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee covering innovation and consumer protection. Prior to joining CDT, she was the founding Executive Director of Georgetown University’s Institute for Technology Law & Policy, where she set the Institute’s research agenda, and directed its public convenings, policy work, and strategic development.

Alex began her career as a litigator at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York City, and taught for nine years as an adjunct professor at Columbia Law and Georgetown Law. She has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, and CNBC, and been quoted in outlets ranging from the New York Times and the Washington Post to The Atlantic and NPR.

Alex serves on the board of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, the leading organization supporting research and resources for individuals and families impacted by paralysis, which is named for her late father, Christopher Reeve. She also serves on the Board of the Urban Institute; on advisory boards for the Aspen Institute, World Economic Forum, and Partnership on AI; and as a judge for the Webby Awards.

She holds a B.A. from Yale University and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law. You can find her on X and LinkedIn.

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Ariana Aboulafia https://cdt.org/staff/ariana-aboulafia/ Mon, 01 May 2023 04:01:23 +0000 https://cdt.org/?post_type=staff&p=97983 Ariana Aboulafia leads the Disability Rights in Technology Policy Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology. This project focuses on the ways in which certain technologies — including automated employment decision systems used in hiring, as well as algorithmic tools used in benefits determinations, healthcare, and more — impact disabled people. Above all, CDT’s Disability […]

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Ariana Aboulafia leads the Disability Rights in Technology Policy Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology. This project focuses on the ways in which certain technologies — including automated employment decision systems used in hiring, as well as algorithmic tools used in benefits determinations, healthcare, and more — impact disabled people. Above all, CDT’s Disability Rights Project aims to advance policy that protects the digital and civil rights of people with disabilities.

An attorney with a strong background in public interest advocacy, and with particular expertise in disability, technology, criminal law, and the First Amendment, Aboulafia was first introduced to technology policy while serving as a fellow to the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative. Later, she worked as an assistant public defender in Miami-Dade County, providing direct representation to clients facing both misdemeanor and felony criminal charges; she has also served as an officer to the Journalism program at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Ariana holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and law, history and culture from the University of Southern California, as well as a J.D. with a concentration in social justice and public interest from the University of Miami School of Law. Her work has been published in Teen Vogue, Slate and Tech Policy Press, as well as several academic journals.

You can find her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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Kendal Aldridge https://cdt.org/staff/kendal-aldridge/ Tue, 16 Jan 2024 05:01:11 +0000 https://cdt.org/?post_type=staff&p=102165 Kendal Aldridge is the Digital Media and Communications Associate at the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), where she is responsible for creating online content and developing strategies across CDT’s social media platforms. Kendal previously worked in digital media research at the global public relations agency, FleishmanHillard (FH). At FH, she worked with clients across […]

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Kendal Aldridge is the Digital Media and Communications Associate at the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), where she is responsible for creating online content and developing strategies across CDT’s social media platforms.

Kendal previously worked in digital media research at the global public relations agency, FleishmanHillard (FH). At FH, she worked with clients across a wide array of industries providing them with data-driven recommendations that helped them achieve their strategic communication goals.

She recently completed her M.A. degree where she studied historical and contemporary public policy debates over online speech regulation. She is excited to continue working in digital rights advocacy by working alongside CDT’s communication and development teams.

She holds a B.A. from the University of Alabama and a M.A. from the University of Minnesota’s Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She has also completed studies at Charles University in Prague, University ORT in Montevideo, and Men-Tsee-Khang Medical School in Dharamsala.

You can find her on LinkedIn.

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Asha Allen https://cdt.org/staff/asha-allen/ Mon, 13 Sep 2021 04:01:49 +0000 https://cdt.org/?post_type=staff&p=91184 Asha Allen is Director and Secretary General of the CDT Europe Office in Brussels. She previously served as CDT Europe’s Deputy Director and Programme Director for Online Expression & Civic Space. In that capacity, she led our work on issues at the intersection of online expression, civic engagement, and technology, focusing on advocating for the […]

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Asha Allen is Director and Secretary General of the CDT Europe Office in Brussels. She previously served as CDT Europe’s Deputy Director and Programme Director for Online Expression & Civic Space. In that capacity, she led our work on issues at the intersection of online expression, civic engagement, and technology, focusing on advocating for the preservation of fundamental rights in European Union/Regional legislation, and democratic accountability in industry content policies. 

Asha came to CDT as an intersectional digital rights advocate, with an extensive background in combating online gender-based violence, having worked on projects with the United Nations, Council of Europe and OSCE. She coordinated the #HerNetHerRights II campaign which aimed to increase women’s safety and participation online during the European elections. Reaching over 3 million people, she established herself as the leading policy expert in this field in Brussels. 

Asha emerged into this area having worked as policy officer in the field of gender-based and domestic violence, and as an independent researcher, she has published analyses on the intersection between online discourse and the securitisation of migration, and the online facilitation of human trafficking. In her spare time, Asha is one of six women who front the Who Writes the Rules Campaign, which advocates for increased participation of women of colour in EU policy making and the tech industry. 

Asha completed an internship in the European Parliament and holds a BA in American Studies and MA in Transnational Studies from the University of Kent. Alongside an MSc in European Studies from KU Leuven, where she specialised in transnational and global perspectives, international human rights law, and EU policy making.

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Quinn Anex-Ries https://cdt.org/staff/quinn-anex-ries/ Mon, 15 Jul 2024 04:01:15 +0000 https://cdt.org/?post_type=staff&p=104726 Quinn Anex-Ries is a Senior Policy Analyst on CDT’s Equity in Civic Technology team, where he focuses on ensuring that government uses of AI advance equity, mitigate bias, and protect individual rights. Quinn previously served as a Policy Associate at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, where he contributed to the organization’s work […]

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Quinn Anex-Ries is a Senior Policy Analyst on CDT’s Equity in Civic Technology team, where he focuses on ensuring that government uses of AI advance equity, mitigate bias, and protect individual rights.

Quinn previously served as a Policy Associate at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, where he contributed to the organization’s work on federal AI policy, especially the implementation of the AI Executive Order. Across this work, Quinn advocated for policy solutions focused on combating algorithmic discrimination and protecting equal opportunity in the online economy.

Quinn holds a Ph.D. in American Studies and Ethnicity from the University of Southern California, where his doctoral research examined the history of technology policy, civil rights, and free expression in the United States. During his graduate studies, Quinn interned with New America’s Open Technology Institute and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Quinn also graduated cum laude from Smith College with a degree in Africana Studies, Chemistry, and Biomathematics.

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Kevin Bankston https://cdt.org/staff/kevin-bankston/ Mon, 23 Oct 2023 04:01:44 +0000 https://cdt.org/?post_type=staff&p=100517 Kevin Bankston is Senior Advisor on AI Governance for the Center for Democracy & Technology, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization fighting to protect civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age. A veteran civil society leader and tech executive with over two decades of experience at the intersection of emerging tech, law, and policy, he […]

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Kevin Bankston is Senior Advisor on AI Governance for the Center for Democracy & Technology, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization fighting to protect civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age. A veteran civil society leader and tech executive with over two decades of experience at the intersection of emerging tech, law, and policy, he supports CDT’s AI Governance Lab in its mission to advance robust solutions that address AI risks.

Kevin has previously served in a wide range of roles across digital civil society, including a prior stint at CDT. First, as a Justice William Brennan First Amendment Fellow attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, he helped litigate foundational Internet free speech cases. He then spent nearly a decade at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, leading EFF’s advocacy around internet and cellphone surveillance; his court arguments against warrantless wiretapping were featured in the Academy Award-winning documentary CitizenFour.

Turning to the DC policy world, Kevin then served as Director of CDT’s Free Expression Project where he led a successful coalition of tech companies and civil society advocates in demanding greater transparency around foreign intelligence surveillance. More recently, Kevin was Director of the Open Technology Institute at New America, where his work to further OTI’s mission of ensuring that all communities have access to an open and secure Internet led to him being named by Washingtonian magazine as one of DC’s 100 top tech leaders of 2017.

Immediately prior to rejoining CDT to support its AI work, Kevin spent four years at Meta Platforms Inc. as its first AI Policy Director, founding the AI Policy team and serving as a founding leader in Meta’s Responsible AI product organization. There, he led initiatives establishing the company’s approach to responsible AI development and emerging AI policy proposals, while learning practical lessons about the inner workings of AI and Big Tech to apply in future advocacy.

Kevin is currently an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law Center where he teaches on the emerging law and policy around generative AI. He is also a Truman Security Fellow with the Truman National Security Project, and studies the influence of science fiction on the evolution of technology and society as a fellow at Arizona State University’s Center for Science and the Imagination. He was previously a nonresidential fellow with Stanford Law School’s Center for Internet & Society, and served for over a decade as a board member of the First Amendment Coalition. He received his JD at the University of Southern California Law School and his BA at the University of Texas at Austin.

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Aliya Bhatia https://cdt.org/staff/aliya-bhatia/ Mon, 14 Feb 2022 21:29:05 +0000 https://cdt.org/?post_type=staff&p=93168 Aliya Bhatia serves as senior policy analyst with CDT’s Free Expression Project where she conducts policy advocacy and research on issues related to automated content moderation, children’s safety, and multilingual AI. She represents CDT on the Christchurch Call Advisory Network and as a member of the Trust & Safety Professionals Association. Prior to joining CDT, […]

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Aliya Bhatia serves as senior policy analyst with CDT’s Free Expression Project where she conducts policy advocacy and research on issues related to automated content moderation, children’s safety, and multilingual AI.

She represents CDT on the Christchurch Call Advisory Network and as a member of the Trust & Safety Professionals Association. Prior to joining CDT, Aliya worked at Ranking Digital Rights and before that, the Association for a Better New York where she worked to increase access to the first digital decennial census in the United States. Aliya began her policy career at the Toronto Youth Cabinet where she advocated for youth participation in municipal policymaking.

Aliya’s work has been published in CNN, Wired, Teen Vogue, Ms Magazine, Tech Policy Press, The Toronto Star, and The Wire among other outlets. She earned her Master’s in Public Policy & Administration from Columbia University and her B.A. in International Relations and Art History from the University of Toronto. She lives in Washington D.C. and grew up in both India and Canada.

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Miranda Bogen https://cdt.org/staff/miranda-bogen/ Mon, 09 Oct 2023 04:01:04 +0000 https://cdt.org/?post_type=staff&p=100090 Miranda Bogen is the founding Director of CDT’s AI Governance Lab, where she works to develop and promote adoption of robust, technically-informed solutions for the effective regulation and governance of AI systems. An AI policy expert and responsible AI practitioner, Miranda has led advocacy and applied work around AI accountability across both industry and civil […]

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Miranda Bogen is the founding Director of CDT’s AI Governance Lab, where she works to develop and promote adoption of robust, technically-informed solutions for the effective regulation and governance of AI systems.

An AI policy expert and responsible AI practitioner, Miranda has led advocacy and applied work around AI accountability across both industry and civil society. She most recently guided strategy and implementation of responsible AI practices at Meta, including driving large-scale efforts to measure and mitigate bias in AI-powered products and building out company-wide governance practices. Miranda previously worked as senior policy analyst at Upturn, where she conducted foundational research at the intersection of machine learning and civil rights, and served as co-chair of the Fairness, Transparency, and Accountability Working Group at the Partnership on AI.

Miranda has co-authored widely cited research, including empirically demonstrating the potential for discrimination in personalized advertising systems and illuminating the role artificial intelligence plays in the hiring process, and has helped to develop technical contributions including AI benchmarks to measure bias and robustness, privacy-preserving methods to measure racial disparities in AI systems, and reinforcement-learning driven interventions to advance equitable outcomes in products that mediate access to economic opportunity. Miranda’s writing, analysis, and work has been featured in media including the Harvard Business Review, NPR, The Atlantic, Wired, Last Week Tonight, and more.

Miranda holds a master’s degree from The Fletcher School at Tufts University with a focus on international technology policy, and graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from UCLA with degrees in Political Science and Middle Eastern & North African Studies.

You can find her on LinkedIn.

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Tom Bowman https://cdt.org/staff/tom-bowman/ Wed, 04 Dec 2024 05:01:29 +0000 https://cdt.org/?post_type=staff&p=106410 Tom Bowman serves as policy counsel with CDT’s Security & Surveillance Project. Prior to joining CDT, Tom worked as an assistant public defender at the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, where he represented indigent clients on misdemeanor and felony charges. Tom also interned at the Federal Public Defender for the District of Alaska and […]

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Tom Bowman serves as policy counsel with CDT’s Security & Surveillance Project. Prior to joining CDT, Tom worked as an assistant public defender at the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, where he represented indigent clients on misdemeanor and felony charges. Tom also interned at the Federal Public Defender for the District of Alaska and worked as a student attorney at the NYU School of Law Federal Appellate Clinic.

Before law school, Tom taught English at a high school in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Tom also volunteered at a civil society organization in Bulgaria dedicated to promoting civil rights and free expression. Tom earned his B.S. in International Relations at the University of Iowa and his J.D. at the NYU School of Law.

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Becca Branum https://cdt.org/staff/becca-branum/ Mon, 01 Apr 2024 04:01:45 +0000 https://cdt.org/?post_type=staff&p=103060 Becca Branum is Deputy Director of CDT’s Free Expression Project. Prior to joining CDT, Becca was Senior Counsel in the United States Senate. Becca began her career at the Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences, where she focused on the legal and ethical implications of emerging technologies. She also […]

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Becca Branum is Deputy Director of CDT’s Free Expression Project. Prior to joining CDT, Becca was Senior Counsel in the United States Senate. Becca began her career at the Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences, where she focused on the legal and ethical implications of emerging technologies. She also previously served as a Law Clerk for the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law. Becca is a graduate of Boston University and the University of Minnesota Law School.

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