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Launch of 2019 "State of Freedom on the Net" with Adrian Shahbaz
Keynote
​Wednesday, November 20, 2019 |  4:00 pm–5:00 pm   |  Americana Ballroom

The NOT-TO-MISS launch of the 2019 "State of Freedom on the Net" report, right here at the TAG conference. What will this year's report say about the state of democracy and technology?

Adrian Shahbaz is the Research Director for Technology and Democracy at Freedom House. He oversees the organization’s research on human rights in the digital age, including "Freedom on the Net," an annual study of global internet freedom. Shahbaz was the author of the 2018 report, “The Rise of Digital Authoritarianism,” which focused on the growing influence of the Chinese model of censorship and automated surveillance. A frequent commentator in the media on technology and democracy, he has been quoted by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR's All Things Considered, BBC, Al Jazeera, The Washington Post, and others.
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​REFLECTION PANEL WITH Q&A

Presenter

• Adrian Shahbaz, Research Director, Technology and Democracy, Freedom House

Reflection Panel

• ​Jonathan Mergy, Director of Information Technology, Tides
• Renée Roux, Director of Technology, The James Irvine Foundation
  
• Phil Stupak, Fellow, University of Chicago Harris Cyber Policy Initiative (CPI) 
  

• Adrian Shahbaz
• ​Jonathan Mergy
• ​Renée Roux
• Phil Stupak

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Adrian Shahbaz is the Research Director for Technology and Democracy at Freedom House. He oversees the organization’s research on human rights in the digital age, including "Freedom on the Net," an annual study of global internet freedom. Shahbaz was the author of the 2018 report, The Rise of Digital Authoritarianism, which focused on the growing influence of the Chinese model of censorship and automated surveillance. A frequent commentator in the media on technology and democracy, he has been quoted by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR's All Things Considered, BBC, Al Jazeera, The Washington Post, and others.

Prior to joining Freedom House in 2013, Shahbaz was a researcher at the United Nations Department of Political Affairs, European Parliament Policy Department, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe office in Copenhagen. He holds a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

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Jonathan has lived the for-profit and nonprofit technology space for over 25 years starting with consulting with startups at the dawn of the dot.com era. His passion for effective and meaningful tech strategy, investments, and innovation for the greater good has led him into the medical devices, medical services, non-profit and private equity-backed education, then to Tides in 2015.
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At Tides, Jonathan leads technology strategy and initiatives around fiscal sponsorship, foundation, nonprofit coworking, and real estate activities for the various Tides entities in San Francisco and New York.

Renée Roux joined the Foundation as Director of Technology in September 2016. She brings more than 20 years of experience leading technology teams and partnering with businesses to implement complex solutions in a variety of sectors, including financial services, education, and consumer products.

Before joining the Foundation, Renee worked as the North America Director of IT for Dyson, a UK-based consumer goods company located in Chicago. In addition to her role in technology, Renee was presented with a unique opportunity to help build a cross-functional team in California and to implement a new strategy for hyper-local sales and marketing initiatives.

Prior to Dyson, Renee was the Vice President of Information Technology at Meritas, a collection of global K-12 schools, where she was responsible for all aspects of technology. While at Meritas she collaborated closely with school administration and staff to develop and implement technology roadmaps for all digital needs: classroom technology, student information systems, financial operations, and physical technical infrastructure. She also collaborated closely with the Chief Academic Officer to develop strategies for measuring and reporting student outcomes.

Renee has also held positions at Kaplan Professional, Charles Schwab, and GE Capital, where she managed both small and large teams. Her areas of expertise includes project management, business analysis, ERP implementations, data driven outcomes, and business intelligence. 

Phil Stupak is Fellow at the University of Chicago Harris Cyber Policy Initiative (CPI), where he works on election security policy initiatives.

Phil previously served in President Obama's Administration where he handled cybersecurity, technology research & development, national security, and international relations portfolios for the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Before joining President Obama’s Administration, Phil served as counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on House Administration, led then-Senator Obama’s 2008 field campaign in northern Michigan, and served in the General Counsel’s office at the New York City Board of Elections.

Phil has lectured on cybersecurity, homeland security, and privacy impacts of unmanned aerial vehicles. He has a BA from the University of California, Berkeley and a JD from the University of Richmond. ​