Modernizing Government: Open Data, Innovation & the Future of AI with Natalia Olson | Shekhar Natarajan

15. september 2026 · 1h 20m

Tomorrow Today with Shekhar Natarajan

What happens when technology moves faster than the systems designed to govern it?

In this episode, Shekhar Natarajan speaks with Natalia Olson, former White House innovation advisor to President Barack Obama and a leading voice in open data, government innovation, collaborative economies, and technology policy.

Natalia takes us through her unconventional journey from growing up across Latin America as the daughter of an architect involved in building U.S. embassies, to working in public service, leading innovation initiatives, advising the Obama administration, and later moving into entrepreneurship and global policy.

Together, Shekhar and Natalia explore:

• How upbringing, culture, and adaptation can shape an entrepreneurial mindset
• What Natalia learned from working inside the Obama administration
• The challenges of modernizing legacy government systems
• Why government cannot simply be run like a business
• How business principles can still improve public-sector efficiency
• The role of open data in creating transparency and empowering communities
• The sharing economy and its potential to improve last-mile efficiency
• Blockchain and new approaches to public transparency
• Differences between U.S. and European approaches to technology regulation
• The rise of sovereign technology infrastructure
• AI regulation and its potential impact on democracy
• Entrepreneurship, failure, resilience, and building a strong support system
• The future of technology, governance, and global collaboration

This episode goes beyond technology.

#NataliaOlson #TomorrowTodayShow #ShekharNatarajan #GovTech #OpenData #Innovation #WhiteHouse #PublicPolicy #SharingEconomy #ArtificialIntelligence #SiliconValley #Blockchain #UrbanPlanning #FutureOfWork #GlobalLeadership #TechPolicy #Sustainability #Entrepreneurship #Democracy #Estonia #Leadership

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