TheBridge profile: YJ Fischer

Name: YJ Fischer

Current city: Los Angeles, CA

Current job: Senior Director for Global Partnerships at Bird

Past job: Senior International Business Development Lead, Virgin Hyperloop One; Assistant Coordinator for Iran Nuclear Implementation, US Department of State

Q. Favorite spot for a coffee meeting? Zinque in West Hollywood

Q. Describe one way how a skill you learned in a previous job helped you in your new job. You can't get anything done in government by working alone. Understanding how to run a process to get key players on board is a skill you have to learn when working with government agencies and Congress. It's also critical for success in the private sector. From navigating internal decision-making to building partner ecosystems and everything in between, being consultative will get you better results.

Q. Job advice in three words? Feed your passion

Q. How are you (or your company, org, nonprofit) currently bridging the gap between politics and tech? Governments are our clients and we're bringing them cutting-edge technology. It's been exciting to see just how many governments around the world want to be at the forefront of what's coming next.

Q. What can innovators teach policy makers? You have to deliver results. It's not enough to say we tried or blame the other guy.  

Q. What can policy makers teach innovators? You don't have to disrupt government. There is much more to be gained by working with government than trying to end-run it. 

Q. Favorite app? Circa. It's a life saver for scheduling meetings across time zones. 

Q. Favorite restaurant? A.O.C. in West Hollywood.

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