TheBridge profile: Sheila Warren
Name: Sheila Warren
Current city: San Francisco, CA
Current job: Head of Blockchain and Distributed Ledger at World Economic Forum (WEF)
Past job: General Counsel and VP of Strategic Alliances at TechSoup
Q. Favorite spot for a coffee meeting? Samovar
Q. Describe one way how a skill you learned in a previous job helped you in your new job: When I was a first-year associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in Manhattan, I regularly had to teach a room full of law firm partners about changes in international tax law. The partner I worked for was all about trial by fire, and I got very little guidance. It was pretty terrifying. But I developed the ability to translate complex concepts into plain English, and this skill serves me extremely well in the blockchain space!
Q. Job advice in three words? Change is constant.
Q. How are you (or your company, org, nonprofit) currently bridging the gap between politics and tech? The World Economic Forum is seeking to shape the trajectory of the Fourth Industrial Revolution by working with its vast network of stakeholders to co-design and pilot innovative approaches to policy and governance. I focus on piloting standards, protocols, and regulation around blockchain and distributed ledger, with an emphasis on digital identity, supply chain, and legal frameworks. The potential for impact (and regulatory mistakes!) is enormous with such a nascent technology, and having informed governments who are doing their own experimentation with the tech is critical to the development of a healthy ecosystem.
Q: Most underrated virtue in an employee? Sense of humor. Gets you through challenges like nothing else.
Q: Favorite app? Mr. Chilly- I live and work in two different neighborhoods, and my older kid goes to preschool in a third, so I need a way to figure out each morning what the weather is in each microclimate!
Q: How do you unwind after work? A glass of excellent wine and cuddles with my kids (4 and 2)
Q: Favorite restaurant? Hawker Fare. Fun atmosphere and great food. Plus I went into labor with my second child while dining there, so it has a special place in my heart.
Q. If you had to live in another city, which would it be? Toronto. Great food, art, people.