
Megan Smith
tech exec
Megan Smith went into science and tech for one reason ~ to make the world a better place. No surprise, her first industry honor {winning a school science fair} was for an experiment on solar power.
After two decades working in Silicon Valley as a pioneering engineer and exec, the MIT grad left her last gig as a VP at Google to take up public service at the White House. As the 3rd chief technology officer in US history, Megan's shaping the future while changing the face of STEM. Her 21st-century priorities? Bringing coding into the classroom and ensuring everyone has access to tech. Creating policy that empowers innovators while protecting citizens. And, making sure the world hears the untold stories of women in STEM.
bringing the TQ to big government | a.k.a. "technical quotient" ~ a term dubbed by her team at the Office of Science and Technology
invention and innovation for the sake of social progress
energetic leadership + infectious enthusiasm for her work
advocacy + philanthropy | the Malala Fund + Vital Voices + the USAID Advisory Committee
1998 | named CEO of Planet Out
2003 | joined Google where she served as VP of business development for 9 years
2014 | appointed as the first female US chief technology officer {and 3rd overall}
her position then | her position now
winner of the high school science fair | top tech engineer, exec + policy leader
born on
October 1964
born in
Buffalo, New York
birth name
Megan Smith
citizen of
The United States of America
lives in
Washington, DC
daughter of
Joan Aspell Smith
~ director of the Chautauqua Children's School ~
educated at
City Honors School
~ Buffalo, NY | 1982 ~
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
~ Cambridge, MS | SB + SM | mechanical engineering | 1986 + 1988 ~
loved studying
science + tech
engineering
solar power + alternative energy
married to | separated from
Kara Swisher
~ journalist | married in 1999 ~
mother of
2 sons
advocate for
computer literacy + mandatory coding classes for elementary students
telling the untold story of women in science and tech
women's + gay rights
children's rights + universal education
in her spare time
tweets
@USCTO
"Find astonishing people and hang out with them."
The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing | october 2013
"How can you help build on an idea? Be 2/3 yes AND, 1/3 yes BUT."
Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing | october 2013
"Pursue science, math, writing, history—the 21st century demands a lot of cross-disciplinary thinking."
How Google's Megan Smith is Changing the World for Working Women | february 2014
"It's a mistake to get too narrow too fast."
How Google's Megan Smith is Changing the World for Working Women | february 2014
"Rosie is a mathematician, a code-cracker, not just a riveter."
How Google's Megan Smith is Changing the World for Working Women | february 2014
"Code is just a list of instructions."
How Google's Megan Smith is Changing the World for Working Women | february 2014
"The techie passion is its own thing; gay or straight, you're welcome here."
How Google's Megan Smith is Changing the World for Working Women | february 2014
"Those of us who love science and math should also do service through innovation and invention to make the world a better place."
MAKERS profile | 2014
"Eventually you get to a point where you have to become willing to let go of all of your most important relationships in order to be yourself . . . But you have to be your whole self. You just do."
MAKERS profile | october 2014
"Right now, as an industry, we're working hard on understanding bias against women and minorities that has been with us through all of history and trying to—in our tech way—debug that."
MAKERS profile | 2014
"The thing that motivated me and a lot of my colleagues to come into technology is the service . . . So, if you're teaching in this field, you need to start with impact and then get to the math."
MAKERS profile | 2014
"Science and tech is not Mount Everest. It begins with a few steps."
Washington Ideas Forum | october 2014
"Henry Ford was not trying to disrupt horses. He just had a new idea."
State of the Net Conference | january 2015
"I believe in surface area—more people doing things innovatively will solve more problems faster."
State of the Net Conference | january 2015
"The Great American Meetup needs to happen. We need to barn raise this country."
State of the Net Conference | january 2015
"Unconscious bias. It’s something we all have, and it’s something we have to really debug."
How Innovation Happens | march 2015
curated with care by Alicia Williamson {march 2015}
Megan Smith
After graduating from MIT, Megan worked in the Bay Area tech hub for many years with pioneering companies like General Magic, Planet Out + Google. Megan said in an interview with MAKERS ~ "Silicon Valley is such a meritocracy-based place, people were really accepting."
Joi Ito | CC BY 2.0
Ramesh Raskar, Astro Teller and Megan Smith
Megan earned her undergrad + master's degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ~ where she continues to serve on their board. Here, she confers with colleague's at MIT's Media Lab.
Joi Ito | CC BY 2.0
United States CTO Megan Smith | State of the Net 2015
After being named chief technology officer, Megan was understandably asked to be a keynote for the 2015 State of the Net held at DC's Newseum. As part of her interview {conducted by the first US CTO}, she discussed her belief that coding should be integral to everyone's elementary curriculum. And, that computer programming lessons should start at the same time we begin teaching children to read ~ in 2nd grade.
Internet Education Foundation | CC BY-SA 2.0