Innovation Gatekeepers of the Digital World
In today’s digital world, entrenched incumbents from the past are still bumbling around, getting in the way of creativity. We see music labels get in the way of artists and listeners, internet service providers purposely keeping speeds limited. At the same time, we have had an influx of new organizations, thinkers, and users take the helm in developing platforms to facilitate a direct form of creativity and consumption. Whether its through organizations like CASH Music, or the new crowdfunded websites such as Kickstarter or indiegogo, the internet has also allowed creators of any size to have a chance at a global impact. In this panel, we’ll discuss the ancient incumbents and explore the impact of their gatekeeping. Sponsored by Glen Echo Group.
Presenters
Ali Sternburg
Policy Counsel
Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA)
Ali Sternburg is Public Policy & Regulatory Counsel at the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA). She initially joined CCIA as a Legal Fellow in June 2011, and focuses on online copyright issues and other areas of intellectual property policy. She is also one of the main contributors to CCIA’s innovation-centered online initiative, the Disruptive Competition Project, dubbed DisCo.
She received her J.D. in 2012 from American University Washington College of Law, where she was a Student Attorney in the Glushko-Samuelson Intellectual Property Law Clinic, President of the Intellectual Property Law Society, Senior Symposium Chair and Senior Marketing Manager for the Intellectual Property Brief, and a Dean’s Fellow at the Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property.
She graduated from Harvard College in 2009 where she studied Government and Music, wrote her senior honors thesis on “Theoretical and Legal Views on U.S. Government Involvement in Musical Creativity Online,” and interned at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School.
Ali is a singer/songwriter.
Elizabeth Frazee
Co-Founder
TwinLogic Strategies LLP
Elizabeth Frazee is Co-Founder of TwinLogic Strategies. With over twenty years of government affairs and industry experience, including Vice President of Public Policy at AOL TimeWarner and also Director of Government Relations at the Walt Disney Company, Elizabeth has earned a reputation of providing valuable government relations representation to companies and nonprofits of all sizes.
Through the years Elizabeth has developed a wide network of contacts on the Hill and in Federal agencies as well as in the Washington government relations, technology and entertainment communities. Her clients have included TRUSTe, Chevron, Dell, Goodmail, TimeWarner, the United Way of America and others.
Ms. Frazee earned her law degree from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America, while working full-time for Congress. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Katie McAuliffe
Federal Affairs Mgr
Americans For Tax Reform
Katie McAuliffe is Federal Affairs Manager at Americans for Tax Reform and Executive Director of its affiliate group, Digital Liberty. Her research and advocacy efforts focus on intellectual property issues, such as copyright and patent reform, and telecom and technology issues, such as spectrum allocation, Internet taxation, electronic communications privacy reform, and tech/telecomm reform.
Rachel Wolbers
Legal Counsel
US House of Representatives
Rachel attended The George Washington University for her undergrad where she majored in International Economics and then went on to Case Western Reserve University School of Law. At Case Western, Rachel served as the Managing Editor of the Journal of Law, Technology and the Internet, where she focused on Intellectual Property law. She was also President of the International Law Society and served as Managing Editor on the War Crimes Prosecution Watch newsletter. Since returning to Capitol Hill, Rachel has worked for the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade and as Legal Counsel for Congressman Blake Farenthold. As Legal Counsel, Rachel specializes in technology, trade, intellectual property, and immigration issues.