Startup Advocacy: A Guide to Navigating D.C.

#sxsw #DC

For many innovators and startups, DC is a world that is ignored or associated with gridlock. In this panel, we’re bringing together folks with on the ground experience - startups that have been to DC and have worked with policy folks. Additionally, our representatives from DC as well as staff from Capitol Hill will share their experiences and best practices for those trying to navigate DC. Sponsored by Glen Echo Group.

Presenters

Josh Mendelsohn

Founder Engine

Engine Advocacy

A veteran of a number of Silicon Valley companies, Josh’s career has been largely focused on helping startups and nonprofits scale to support growing customer and user bases. He is also board member and acting executive director of Engine, an organization focused on bringing policymakers and high-tech, high-growth technology startups together. Before Hattery and Engine, Josh, while working with one of the nation's top venture firms, held several roles including Director of Business Operations at TuneIn, a best selling mobile music application. Josh also led Colligy, an innovative project in which machine learning and linguistic algorithms were used to derive relationships among seemingly disparate news content. Josh started his career with the Federal Government at the Department of the Treasury and Department of Defense, and worked as a Program Manager at Google for six years. He is currently building his second investment firm, based in New York and San Francisco.

Laurent Crenshaw

Public Policy Mgr

Yelp

Laurent Crenshaw is the Public Policy Manager for Yelp DC and is their first D.C. hire. Prior to joining Yelp, Laurent served as the Legislative Director for Rep. Darrell Issa, the Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and worked in the offices of then Rep. Roy Blunt and former Rep. J.C. Watts. He has a strong background in technology policy issues, particularly in the areas of intellectual property and telecommunications law. Additionally Laurent is an avid traveler and loves to draw. Laurent obtained his J.D. from American University's Washington College of Law and his undergraduate degree from Stanford University.

Michael Beckerman

Pres & Ceo

The Internet Association

Michael Beckerman is the President and CEO of The Internet Association, a Washington D.C. based trade association representing the leading global Internet companies.

Prior to his appointment as CEO, Beckerman served 12 years as a top congressional staff member, serving as the Deputy Staff Director and chief policy advisor to the Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which oversees America’s Internet policies.

Beckerman is the go-to source for updates on the Internet industry’s movements in Washington. He was recently named “Tech Titan” by The Washingtonian. He is regularly cited as an authority by major daily newspapers and industry publications, and has appeared as a guest on multiple national radio and television networks to offer the internet industry’s perspective.

Tiffany Moore

Strategic Consultant

Twin Logic Strategies

Tiffany M. Moore is a principal at Moore Consulting and strategic consultant with TwinLogic Strategies. In these roles, Tiffany advises corporations, trade associations, and coalitions on how to influence technology and innovation policy before Congress and the Administration. In addition to her passion for technology and social media, Tiffany brings a powerful network of relationships and policy expertise. Her career in Washington, DC has spanned seventeen years in a variety of different roles including stints as a senior advisor to Congress, a corporate government relations executive, an appointee at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and a strategic consultant to a number of companies and trade associations. A proud native of Detroit, Michigan, Tiffany earned her M.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, and her B.A. from Western Michigan University.