Founding Officer, Filecoin Foundation
Clara Tsao
Technology · Policy · Impact
“How do we bring more democracy to the web? It’s an open network that everyone should have the fundamental human right to access.”
Founding Officer, Filecoin Foundation
Technology · Policy · Impact
“How do we bring more democracy to the web? It’s an open network that everyone should have the fundamental human right to access.”
Clara Tsao builds at the intersection of technology, policy, and social impact. As Founding Officer of the Filecoin Foundation, she champions decentralized storage, data ownership, and an open web. Previously, she served as a White House Presidential Innovation Fellow, CTO of the U.S. Countering Violent Extremism Task Force, and co-founded the Trust & Safety Professional Association.
Her career spans Microsoft, Apple, Google, Sony PlayStation, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Atlantic Council. She holds a BS from UCLA and an MBA from Imperial College London.
From the White House to Web3, Clara’s work spans the technology industry, government, national security, and the decentralized web.
Advancing data ownership and a user-controlled internet
Championing decentralized data storage through IPFS and Filecoin, advocating for digital authenticity, data ownership, and an open internet.
Bridging technology and government to protect democratic institutions
Entrepreneur-in-Residence tackling challenges at the convergence of technology, policy, and process.
Led technology strategy for the interagency task force focused on election security and countering terrorist use of the internet.
Advised on IoT and blockchain initiatives at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Pioneering the profession that defines the rules of the internet
Built the global professional community for trust & safety practitioners defining acceptable behavior and content online.
Supporting the development of trust & safety as a professional discipline.
Advising the UN-backed initiative on countering terrorist exploitation of the internet.
Over a decade across the world’s leading technology companies
Microsoft
Business Development & Strategic Partnerships
Apple
Product Marketing
Building tools and communities for social good
Promoting STEM education by recognizing young programming talent in a national competition.
Crowdfunding airline miles to provide free flights for social entrepreneurs and nonprofits.
Civic hacking hackathon series bringing technologists together to solve local challenges.
Clara has spoken at leading conferences worldwide and has been featured in major publications on topics spanning decentralization, AI, national security, and trust & safety.
“More and more companies are feeling the pull of users demanding healthier communities online. There continues to be the need for a human in the loop and for smart people to think about determining a way forward.”
— On the future of Trust & Safety
Recognized for data-driven approaches to fighting terrorism online as a Presidential Innovation Fellow.
Honored for founding Travel Angel, crowdsourcing airline miles for social entrepreneurs.
Won with SimpleText, built during TechCrunch Disrupt.
Won with MathMagic, a youth-focused education tool.
Interested in speaking engagements, collaborations, or just want to say hello.