TheBridge profile: Lilybelle Davis

Name: Lilybelle Davis

Current city: New York, NY

Current job: M&A Associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Past job: Judicial Law Clerk for the Hon. Joseph R. Slights III, Delaware Court of Chancery

Q. Favorite spot for a coffee meeting? It's been so long since I had a true coffee meeting since the lockdown, but I do love Citizens of Chelsea.

Q. Describe how a skill you learned in a previous job helped you in your current job. When I was a law clerk, initially I was daunted by the idea of drafting long opinions. A former clerk told me that instead of envisioning I'm writing for entire corporate law community, imagine I'm talking to my grandma. That worked! It taught me that a task is only as intimidating as I make it and it helps if I envision support (e.g., my grandma) while doing.

Q. Job advice in three words? Do good work.

Q. How are you currently bridging the gap between politics and tech / innovation and regulation? I volunteer with the Harlem chapter of Rising Leaders, Inc, a mentorship organization for underserved middle school students. Through Rising Leaders, I, along with many talented, young professionals, mentor and teach students advocacy, financial and academic skills that we bring from our respective fields. Though the "gap" will only dissipate if we see systemic change, organizations like this help build bridges along the way.

Q. Why are you part of TheBridge community? And, why do you think it's important this community exists for tech, policy and political professionals? Interning at Google gave me an appreciate for tech's influence in nearly every facet of modern-day life. No matter the industry, intersectional communities like this are needed. I'm so excited to learn from the members of TheBridge and be a part of it's continued growth!

Q. What can innovators learn from policymakers? Understanding how a product or idea will have unintended ripple effects.

Q. What can policymakers learn from innovators? Sometimes it's better to actually do the thing and iterate, than to plan for doing the thing and never making progress.

Q. Favorite book you recommend? The Warmth of Other Suns. It felt like a homecoming for me, as a descendant of African American slaves from the South. It was also the only time I've seen a form of my name in a book (p. 239, "Miss Lilybelle Nelson").

Q. Everyday is probably different, but can you describe a "day in the life" of your job? Each day, I typically have a larger assignment I am working on (like a contract, SEC filing, etc.). So I will budget time between that and the many unexpected tasks that come up throughout the day.

Q. If you had to live in another city, which would it be? London. I fell in love with London as a student at the London School of Economics, my junior year of college. So much so that, while in law school, I went back as a student at Oxford (which was close enough to London for me).

Q. How do you unwind after work? My grandfather was a pastor in Baltimore, and his church started uploading his sermons to YouTube this year. It's the perfect 30 minute block of time that gets me outside of head and centered.

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