Megan Smith
Megan Smith
Megan J. Smith is the Chief Technology Officer of the United States. She was previously a vice president of Google at Google, was vice president of business development at Google for nine years, and was general manager of Google.org and the former CEO of Planet Out. She serves on the boards of MIT and Vital Voices, is a member of the USAID Advisory Committee on Voluntary Aid and co-founded the Malala Fund. On September 4, 2014, she was named as...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPublic Servant
CountryUnited States of America
second time
Second graders learn to read: that's a perfect time to make them code.
projects
We very much use a prototyping model, play with ideas, and then get stuff started that way, which is how the greatest projects get started.
commission open played source technology truth
I think open source is an evolutionary idea for humanity, this idea of transparency. It played out for us in the technology world, but it also played out with the idea of a truth and reconciliation commission and Wikipedia.
elementary
I think it's so important in preschool and in kindergarten and elementary school that we're not biasing ourselves.
government
The American government will be whatever we all make of it.
Malala Yousafzai is all of our daughter, like Iqbal Masih who was all of our son.
add corset costume dressed fun gowns last outfit people personally skirt sort top type wearing
Last year, people dressed nicely, but not wearing any sort of costume or anything like that. This year, we've got sonnet-delivering outfits: Renaissance gowns and some Restoration wear. I'm personally wearing this outfit with a big skirt and a corset type top -- that'll add a fun element.
active believed learning mandatory money school science teachers
I went to an inner-city school in Buffalo. We had no money. But our teachers believed in hands-on active learning - there was a mandatory science fair, which was critical.
bringing computer founded growing institute levels needed network scientists skill visibility women work
Founded in 1994 by the Anita Borg Institute and growing every year, the Grace Hopper Celebration is bringing needed network connections, skill building, and visibility for women computer scientists who work at all levels of our industry.
photos technology
For those of you who are underrepresented in technology, know that you've always been here. Look in photos and see yourself reflecting back.
computer divide everybody expected grade places science second several teaching vietnam
There are several places in Vietnam where they're teaching computer science from second grade in class, so they don't have a gender divide because everybody is expected to program.
federal government
I actually think that working in the federal government, or state or local, is one of the most significant things that a technical person can do.
high mandatory school science
I was lucky that science fair was mandatory at my high school in inner-city Buffalo.
faster gets natural ways
We're going to get her times down faster once she gets in shape. She still has a ways to go on that, but she has a lot of natural ability.