Beyond SOPA/PIPA - Moving Forward with Engine Advocacy
SOPA and PIPA were neither the first time nor the last time entrepreneurs and innovators got involved in policy matters, but it can be a watershed moment in a sustained approach to active policy interaction and development. Engine Advocacy, a new group based in San Francisco is creating new ways for members of the startup community to get involved with their government, and help create a better environment for startups and high-growth business to thrive.
Presenters
Political and Social Entrepreneur, Professional Doer. Founder of Personal Democracy Media, Senior Advisor to the Sunlight Foundation, Chairman of NY TechMeetup
Laurent Crenshaw currently serves as the Legislative Director for Representative Darrell Issa (CA-49).
In this role, Laurent oversees all legislation produced by Rep. Issa's office, and specifically handles the telecomm, intellectual property and judiciary committee portfolios. He served as the lead staffer under Rep. Issa in the fight against SOPA and PIPA earlier this year in the House of Representatives and helped to craft the OPEN Act.
Laurent holds a BA in International Relations from Stanford University and a Juris Doctor degree from American University’s Washington College of Law
Mark Stanley is the New Media Manager at the Center for Democracy and Technology, a nonprofit public policy organization in Washington, DC working to keep the Internet Open, Innovative & Free.
He has worked on the communications teams for Investigative Reporters and Editors, Newsy.com, and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. Mark received a BA and Master's from the Missouri School of Journalism.
Michael McGeary is the Co-Founder and Director of Engine Advocacy, a working group of people in the entrepreneurial sector, based in San Francisco, working to connect those leaders with government to effect change on issues important to high-growth entrepreneurial tech businesses. McGeary also serves as a Strategist with Hattery Labs, a San Francisco-based seed-stage venture fund and creative consultancy, working on high-level social and brand strategy. Previously, McGeary worked with Silicon Valley startup TuneIn as their social brand ambassador and evangelist, as well as stints with two Presidential campaigns, and work with a leading California law firm specializing in political compliance and disclosure. A Gloucester, Massachusetts native, McGeary holds a B.A. in Political Science from Tufts University, and resides with his wife, Sarah, in San Francisco.
Saturday, March 10
