TheBridge profile: Jennifer Atala

Name: Jennifer Atala

Current city: Washington, DC

Current job: Digital Equity Accelerator Lead, Aspen Institute & Founder, Inara Strategies

Past job: Strategic Partnerships for Tech Companies; IFC; USAID; Booz Allen; Data Scientist +

Q. How are you currently bridging the gap between innovation and regulation? Our mission at Aspen Digital is to empower policy-makers, civic organizations, companies, and the public to be responsible stewards of technology and media in the service of an informed, just, and equitable world. A program of the Aspen Institute, we shine a light on urgent global issues across cybersecurity, the information ecosystem, emerging technology, the industry talent pipeline, tech and communications policy, and innovation. We then turn ideas to action and develop human solutions to these digital challenges.

In my work as Inara Strategies, I lead systems-level assessment, project design and partnerships between public, private and nonprofit sectors to ensure sustainability and impact, primarily in the areas of inclusive tech innovation and economic growth. As a Chapter Director for the Truman National Security Project, I curate high-level policy discussions on emerging technology and national security, in order to create space for mutual learning, interaction, and subsequent collaboration.

Q. Job advice in three words? Confidence. Calm. Clarity.

Q. What can innovators learn from policymakers? Policymakers are great at viewing the long-game and broader, systems-level strategies to reach an end-goal within an interconnected, global society. Innovators can learn from this by taking a moment to assess where their idea fits into ongoing initiatives led by policymakers, both as a means to contribute to innovative policy making and to ensure that policies that are passed in the next 1-3 years are relevant to the communities they seek to serve.

Q. What can policymakers learn from innovators? Explore where commitment to a process might get in the way of both innovation itself and speed to innovation. See if you can streamline processes to meet the needs of agile innovation, and if not - consider creating new ones. Understand the cost of potentially losing out on solutions that can make a real impact in our communities if process gets in the way, figure out who in your structure has incentive for the innovation to succeed and get them to champion an alternative, context-driven approach, and A/B test final products.

Q. Can you describe a skill you have carried throughout your career that has always proved to be valuable? I am a natural connector. Building and maintaining networks has always come easily to me because I am a genuinely curious person and love learning about other people, their motivations, their passions and their career paths. Early in my consulting career, I was taught to always see the "WIIFM" from the perspective of the client - "What's In It For Me?". That constant check to shift my perspective to consider and learn what incentives, motivations and needs really drive the prospective partner or client across the table have allowed me to quickly "translate" priorities, align incentives, mobilize champions, and achieve deals and partnerships across a diverse community of private, public and nonprofit stakeholders.

Q. What is the best job interview question you have ever been asked? Tell us about a time you were unable to convince your boss to move forward with your idea.

Q. Favorite spot for a coffee meeting? La Colombe, Blagden Alley - Washington DC

Q. Favorite book/podcast/long-form article you recommend? Three-way tie! I love the podcasts How I Built This, On Being, & Ten Percent Happier. The former provides a unique opportunity to be a part of a longer conversation with founders that goes beyond a present-day success story to their journey, motivations and failures along the way. The parallels among founders from various industries is telling - often a combination of curiosity, tenacity, hard work, sacrifice, agility, and some luck. The latter two satisfy deeper interests in learning from examples of how our spiritual lives and a mindfulness approach create space for connection that transforms relationships and bridges political, social and other divides.

Q. Why are you part of TheBridge community? Why do you think it's important this community exists for tech, policy and political professionals? We are an ecosystem, and actions within tech, policy and political institutions directly or indirectly affect one another. Similarly, one actor within this system may have a fantastic, innovative idea, but unless they have also investigated how it will be adopted, implemented and perceived, it might completely fail. Ensuring these communities are able to learn from and interact with one another is key to more sustainable, impactful work across the entire system.

Q. Everyday is probably different, but are there certain skills you think are essential to your job? The abilities to simultaneously think strategically and execute tasks, and within that to prioritize, delegate, and manage internal and external client expectations along the way. It is also important to listen to and learn from colleagues, and to both be open to new ideas or a different approach and also to advocate for your approach when required.

Q. If you had to live in another city, which would it be? Either my family home in Haifa, Israel or finally making the move out to the San Francisco, CA area.

Q. Best advice you have received? Focus on what questions to ask when approaching any problem you're hoping to solve.

Q. Piece of advice you're trying to master? Cultivating strong mentor relationships. I have an amazing network of peers through my professional networks, and am at that mid-career stage where I am re-assessing what success will look like for the rest of my 40s and 50s. I am seeking to strengthen mentorship from strong women leaders who have come before.

Q. Morning routine? Wake up, drink a large cup of water, feed my cat, often a short Headspace meditation + yoga movement, always a cup of freshly-ground black coffee.

Q. Living person you admire? There are many! Definitely my father. He comes from a Palestinian family who were internally displaced refugees in Israel, and immigrated to the US for college as he was discriminated against at university in his home town for being Arab. He only had a suitcase with mostly books, some cash, a hard-work ethic and a dream, and is now the SVP of a global engineering firm. Beyond that, I admire how he's adapted to each new reality, and always puts a positive and sometimes playful spin on any difficulty.

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