EPISODE · Sep 15, 2026 · 1H 20M
Modernizing Government: Open Data, Innovation & the Future of AI with Natalia Olson | Shekhar Natarajan
from Tomorrow, Today · host Shekhar Natarajan, Natalia Olson
Tomorrow Today with Shekhar NatarajanWhat 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 collaborationThis 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 Subscribe to Tomorrow Today Show by SKN for more transformative global conversations. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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What this episode covers
What does it really take to modernize government in an age of rapid technological change? In this insightful episode of Tomorrow Today, Shekhar Natarajan sits down with Natalia Olson, former White House innovation advisor to President Barack Obama, global policy expert, and pioneer in open data, collaborative economies, and government innovation. From growing up across Latin America to working inside the Obama administration, Natalia shares how her experiences shaped her approach to innovation, public service, entrepreneurship, and risk-taking. The conversation explores why governments cannot simply be run like businesses, how open data can improve transparency and public services, the potential of blockchain and sharing-economy models, and what the future of AI, regulation, and democracy could look like. A wide-ranging conversation about technology, governance, innovation, resilience, and building systems that work better for people.
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Modernizing Government: Open Data, Innovation & the Future of AI with Natalia Olson | Shekhar Natarajan
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