Head of AI Policy, Abundance Institute
Neil Chilson is the Head of AI Policy at the Abundance Institute. Prior to this position, he served as a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Growth and Opportunity. Chilson is a lawyer, computer scientist, and author of the book “Getting Out of Control: Emergent Leadership in a Complex World.”
Chilson was previously the senior research fellow for Technology and Innovation at Stand Together, where he guided efforts to understand and promote the legal and cultural paradigms that best enable people to discover, innovate, and improve all our lives.
Before Stand Together, Chilson was the Chief Technologist at the Federal Trade Commission, where he focused on the economics of privacy and blockchain-related issues. Previously, he was an attorney advisor to Acting FTC Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen. In both roles he advised Chairman Ohlhausen and worked with staff on nearly every major technology-related case, report, workshop, or other FTC proceeding since January 2014. Neil joined the FTC from telecom firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer. Neil is frequently quoted by the press and his work has appeared in numerous news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USAToday, and Newsweek. Neil has a J.D. from The George Washington Law School, a M.S. in computer science from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and a B.S. in computer science from Harding University.
Legislative Director for Senator Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Senate
Jamie Susskind is the Legislative Director for Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). Prior to becoming Legislative Director, she served for two years as the Senator’s Technology Policy Advisor. In that role, she advised on issues such as data privacy, cybersecurity, broadband, spectrum, content moderation, and antitrust, in addition to staffing the Senator on the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security. Susskind previously worked on the Hill as Chief Counsel to Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) and as an FCC Detailee for the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. She also served as Chief of Staff to FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr and as Vice President of Policy and Regulatory Affairs at the Consumer Technology Association. A native Michigander, Susskind earned a Juris Doctor from the Antonin Scalia Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!).
Director for Cybersecurity and Privacy Policy, Global Government, Cisco
Eric Wenger serves as the Director for Cybersecurity and Privacy on Cisco’s Global Government Affairs team in Washington. Mr. Wenger leads Cisco's work on cybersecurity policy globally, as well as on privacy matters relating to the U.S. government, including on issues related to government surveillance and the Internet of Everything.
Mr. Wenger came to Cisco from Microsoft, where he served as Policy Counsel in the Legal and Corporate Affairs Department. His portfolio covered a range of cybersecurity, cybercrime, data breach, and privacy issues, including efforts to reform U.S. surveillance laws.
Prior to Microsoft, Mr. Wenger worked as a Trial Attorney in the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. He also worked as an Attorney in the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection and an Assistant Attorney General in New York State, where he started the first statewide law enforcement unit in the country focused on e-commerce.
Partner, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP
Kelly Donohue has worked on media and broadcast matters for over a decade, with a particular emphasis on broadcast law. She routinely files pleadings on behalf of clients in application and rulemaking proceedings, and handles matters relating to new station licensing, renewals, changes in communities of license, ownership and attribution, assignments and transfers, facility changes, EEO compliance, sponsorship identification and contest rules. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Donohue spent seven years at the Federal Communications Commission, where she served as an Assistant Division Chief in the Audio Division of the FCC’s Media Bureau and as Special Counsel in the Enforcement Bureau, Office of the Bureau Chief.
Ms. Donohue also manages a growing trademark practice, counseling clients on the selection and clearance of trademarks, and preparing, filing and prosecuting federal trademark and service mark applications. She also negotiates trademark licensing, settlement and consent agreements. Ms. Donohue is well-versed in other intellectual property matters as well, and has counseled clients on issues relating to music licensing, fair use principles under copyright law, and DMCA takedown provisions.
More recently, Ms. Donohue has discovered her passion for working with start-ups and tech companies, ranging from app developers to creators of connected devices (i.e. Internet of Things). It is in this space that Ms. Donohue brings together her broad legal experience, creative "can do" thinking and strong communications skills to find innovative, cost-effective solutions to the legal hurdles new companies often face. She has provided both formal and informal guidance to dozens of companies on issues relating to intellectual property, privacy, regulatory compliance, and corporate structure/governance.
Ms. Donohue herself has an entrepreneurial spirit. She began her career as a professional musician and continues to write music and perform regularly with her “kindie” rock band, Here Comes Trouble. She has won numerous awards for her songwriting and vocal arrangements, including placements in the Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest and International Songwriting Competition.
President and Founder, JKC Consulting LLC
John Kneuer is the President and Founder of JKC Consulting LLC. He sits on multiple public and private company boards.
Prior to starting Kneuer LLC, Mr. Kneuer served as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information. In this capacity Mr. Kneuer was the principal advisor to the President of the United States on telecommunications policy and the Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration ("NTIA").In addition to representing the Executive Branch in domestic and international telecommunications and information policy activities, NTIA also manages the federal use of spectrum; performs cutting edge telecommunications research and engineering, including resolving technical telecommunications issues for the federal government and private sector; and administers infrastructure and public telecommunications facilities grants.
Prior to his service at NTIA, Mr. Kneuer served as a Senior Associate at the law firm of Piper Rudnick in Washington, D.C., providing regulatory and legislative representation to corporate clients in the telecommunications, defense, and transportation industries. Earlier in his career, Mr. Kneuer served as the Executive Director for Government Relations at the Industrial Telecommunications Association, and prior to that served as an Attorney-Advisor in the Commercial Wireless Division of the Federal Communications Commission's Wireless Bureau. Mr. Kneuer received B.A. and J.D. degrees from the Catholic University of America.
Senior Policy Director, Mobile Future
Rachael Bender is Senior Policy Director for Mobile Future, where she focuses on issues involving wireless technology, broadband, and spectrum. Prior to joining Mobile Future in 2011, Ms. Bender was a law clerk in the Department of Regulatory Affairs at CTIA – The Wireless Association. Ms. Bender graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.A. in Government & Politics, and from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law with a J.D. and certificate from the Institute for Communications Law Studies. During law school, she served as president of the Communications Law Student Association and competed in the National Telecommunications Moot Court Competition, for which she also served as Vice Chancellor during her third year. She is a member of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Bars.
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