The AI Policy and Digital Democracy Leader Will Address I School Graduates at the May 19 Ceremony
The School of Information announced today that Vera Zakem, the first woman to serve as California’s chief technology innovation officer, former chief digital democracy and rights officer at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and UC Berkeley executive fellow in applied technology policy, will deliver the commencement address at the School’s commencement ceremony on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
Zakem brings deep experience at the nexus of technology, democracy, industry, and public interest that resonates closely with the I School’s mission. She previously served in the Biden-Harris Administration as the U.S. Agency for International Development’s first-ever chief digital democracy and rights officer, where she led an agenda focused on rights-respecting technology, global coalition building, and AI for more than 100 lower- and middle-income countries.
“Spending the past year at UC Berkeley as an Executive Fellow in Applied Technology Policy, I have seen firsthand the creativity, ingenuity, intellectual rigor, and passion of the I School students and community to design and build technology that improves the world.”
Earlier in her career, Zakem led a public interest technology practice focused on AI and democracy, directed strategy and research in the private sector, and worked at the intersection of technology policy, society, and national security. She has also served on the Bipartisan Task Force to Support Democracy. Originally from California, her personal and professional story is shaped by ways that technology can be a force multiplier and a strength that brings society together from all paths, including academia, civil society, industry, and governments.
“Vera has spent her career working to ensure that technology serves the public good — from shaping digital rights and the digital agenda on a global scale to digital transformation and emerging technologies in California,” Dean Eric Meyer said. “Her commitment to equitable, people-first innovation is exactly the kind of leadership we hope will inspire our graduates, and we are thrilled to welcome her participation in this important milestone.”
“We are living in a moment of vast technological change, where technology touches every aspect of our lives,” Zakem said. “Spending the past year at UC Berkeley as an Executive Fellow in Applied Technology Policy, I have seen firsthand the creativity, ingenuity, intellectual rigor, and passion of the I School students and community to design and build technology that improves the world. As they embark on their personal and professional journeys, I am excited to cheer on I School graduates as they follow their shining stars and shape our collective digital future.”
As the first woman to lead technology innovation for the state of California, Zakem currently leads digital services and the state’s emerging technologies work at the California Department of Technology, driving partnerships across California, the nation, and the globe — with a focus on ensuring that technology works for all Californians. She was appointed by Governor Newsom.
Zakem was a 2025–26 Executive Fellow in Applied Technology Policy at the I School, joining a distinguished cohort of practitioners bridging technology and public policy at Berkeley. She holds an M.A. in government from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in politics from the University of San Francisco.
