The American dream is a MerITocracy. Is tech advance American carnage or the big bang? Is our current trajectory compatible with our American dream?

MerITocracy is the summit where the Hill, the administration, and industry leaders discussed the future of tech innovation, regulation, and outcomes for America. Located at the crossroads of tech advance and the future for American democracy, the conference brought together bi-partisan and bi-cameral policy leaders and industry innovators to focus on creative thinking at the nexus of policy and technology: education and workforce, global competitiveness, security and privacy, diversity and inclusion, cryptocurrency, infrastructure, and citizen services.

MerITocracy was produced by MeriTalk in partnership with Politico, NPR/WAMU, the Associated Press, Partnership for Public Service, Chamber of Digital Commerce, the Consumer Technology Association, ACT-IAC, and the Alliance for Digital Innovation.

Congressional Participants & Speakers

Bice
U.S. House of Representatives
James-Christian Blockwood
Partnership for Public Service
Boas Hayes
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
boring
Chamber of Digital Commerce
Michael Brown
U.S. Department of Defense
Robin Carnahan
General Services Administration
Gerry-Connolly
U.S. House of Representatives
Kevin Cummins
Zscaler
Tom Emmer
U.S. House of Representatives
Will Grannis
Google Public Sector
Heath
Politico
Trey Hollingsworth
U.S. House of Representatives
Mina Hsiang
U.S. Digital Service
Khanna
U.S. House of Representatives
Krishnamoorthi
U.S. House of Representatives
Ross Nodurft
Alliance for Digital Innovation
Panchanathan
National Science Foundation
Hester Peirce
Securities and Exchange Commission
Barton Phillips
DocuSign
Erik Raven
U.S. Navy
John Roese
Dell Technologies
Rosen
U.S. Senate
Gary Shapiro
Consumer Technology Association
Underwood
Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
David M. Wennergren
American Council for Technology & Industry Advisory Council
White
WAMU
Acquia
Amazon Web Services
Dell Technologies (vertical)
DocuSign
Forcepoint
Fortinet Federal
Google Cloud
Pure Storage
Recorded Future
Snowflake
TaxBit
Zscaler
ACT-IAC
Alliance for Digital Innovation
AP NORC
Chamber of Digital Commerce
CTA
Partnership for Public Service
Politico
WAMU
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Steve O'Keeffe
Founder
MeriTalk
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Blockchain and cryptocurrency are already transforming business, investing, and our American future. A Blockchain-based digital government will unify and streamline business and citizen services, unlock new functionality, and protect data. From BitCoin to Ethereum to Helium, the explosion and pervasion of crypto currency and business models promises new innovation the like we have not seen since the dawn of the internet revolution. What does this mean for regulation, transparency, compliance, and taxation? And will that revolution unleash new innovation to improve services and restore trust, or leave the Federal government watching as the private sector and foreign competitors take blockchain and crypto to the bank. […]

boring
Perianne Boring [moderator]
Founder and CEO
Chamber of Digital Commerce
Tom Emmer
R-MN
U.S. House of Representatives
Trey Hollingsworth
R-IN
U.S. House of Representatives
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boyd
Caroline Boyd [moderator]
Principal, Government Programs
MeriTalk
Michael Brown
Director, Defense Innovation Unit
U.S. Department of Defense
Will Grannis
CEO
Google Public Sector
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We’re a nation built on the hard work, ingenuity, and innovation of a melting pot of people and cultures. And, studies show that diverse workplaces are higher performing – and spur innovation and growth. […]

Underwood
Director
Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
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Which is the world’s largest economy – U.S. or China? Depends on how you calculate. Nominal GDP – the U.S.; Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) GDP – China. The point is, the U.S. has lost its claim to undisputed economic leadership. […]

Heath
Ryan Heath [moderator]
Senior Editor
Politico
Panchanathan
Director
National Science Foundation
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Blockchain and cryptocurrency are already transforming business, investing, and our American future. A Blockchain-based digital government will unify and streamline business and citizen services, unlock new functionality, and protect data. From BitCoin to Ethereum to Helium, the explosion and pervasion of crypto currency and business models promises new innovation the like we have not seen since the dawn of the internet revolution. SEC Commissioner Hester Pierce sits down to discuss the regulatory future of cryptocurrencies, what role the U.S. should play in the future of Web3 innovation, and more. […]

Steve O'Keeffe
Steve O'Keeffe [moderator]
Founder
MeriTalk
Hester Peirce
Commissioner
Securities and Exchange Commission
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Kevin Cummins
Kevin Cummins [introduction]
Senior Director, Government Affairs
Zscaler
Khanna
D-CA
U.S. House of Representatives
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John Curran
John Curran [moderator]
Executive Editor
MeriTalk
Gary Shapiro
President and CEO
Consumer Technology Association
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Ross Nodurft
Ross Nodurft [moderator]
Executive Director
Alliance for Digital Innovation
Mina Hsiang
Administrator
U.S. Digital Service
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White
Jenn White [moderator]
Host, 1A
WAMU
Krishnamoorthi
D-Ill.
U.S. House of Representatives
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In 2020, government services not only ranked dead last on the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) – Uncle Sam beat all segments to the bottom by more than 10 percent. Surprised…I bet not. The Federal government has never embraced customer experience excellence. COVID-19 underscored just how dangerous this indifference can be – considering citizens were left waiting for critical benefits for weeks and months due to outdated systems or trying desperately to find accurate information on testing protocols and locations. […]

James-Christian Blockwood
Executive Vice President
Partnership for Public Service
Robin Carnahan
Administrator
General Services Administration
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White
Jenn White [moderator]
Host, 1A
WAMU
Gerry-Connolly
Chairman, Subcommittee on Government Operations
U.S. House of Representatives
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Catering holistic consumer experiences remains as a stumbling block for Federal agencies – citizens continue to clamor for more user-friendly digital tools, yet many are left struggling with inadequate solutions. The President’s Management Agenda sets forth new requirements aimed at improved customer service, critical at this time as agencies are forced to accelerate their digital transformation. Barton Phillips, Vice President of Public Sector at DocuSign, will discuss how agencies can meet the objectives codified in the Customer Experience Executive Order and achieve outcomes that are faster, simpler, smarter, and greener. […]

Joseph Franco
Joe Franco [moderator]
Director of Programs
MeriTalk
Barton Phillips
Vice President of Public Sector
DocuSign
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The bipartisan infrastructure law seeks to infuse new life into our nation’s collapsing roads and bridges, while also ensuring broadband access to millions of Americans lacking reliable internet. Its implementation, however, reveals just how far the United States lags in advancing critical technical infrastructure. America’s continued economic superiority, talent pipelines, and ability to innovate all rely on governmental investments and supportive policies. John Roese, Global Chief Technology Officer for Dell Technologies, will expand upon the role technical advancement and organizational collaboration plays in keeping America front and center in the global competition. […]

John Roese
Global Chief Technology Officer
Dell Technologies
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Cyber criminals stole $6 trillion in 2021 – a sum greater than the GDP of every nation with the exception of the U.S. and China. But, that’s table stakes compared to the cost to our democracy – namely confidence in our government and society – all at the hands of increasingly sophisticated and determined state sponsors. Unless we fix the cyber security and integrity issues, democracy may fall. […]

David M. Wennergren
David Wennergren [introduction]
Chief Executive Officer
American Council for Technology & Industry Advisory Council
Boas Hayes
Senior Advisor for Technology and Innovation
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
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Erik Raven
Under Secretary of the Navy
U.S. Navy
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Register

Event Enquiries

Questions? Interested in getting involved? Please contact us at meritocracy@meritalk.com