Megan Smith
Megan Smith
Megan J. Smith is the Chief Technology Officer of the United States. She was previously a vice president of Google at Google, was vice president of business development at Google for nine years, and was general manager of Google.org and the former CEO of Planet Out. She serves on the boards of MIT and Vital Voices, is a member of the USAID Advisory Committee on Voluntary Aid and co-founded the Malala Fund. On September 4, 2014, she was named as...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPublic Servant
CountryUnited States of America
across affection faces fun goes gratitude public watch
It's always fun just to watch the combination of humiliation and gratitude and affection that goes across people's faces when they are addressed in public in such a manner.
add corset costume dressed fun gowns last outfit people personally skirt sort top type wearing
Last year, people dressed nicely, but not wearing any sort of costume or anything like that. This year, we've got sonnet-delivering outfits: Renaissance gowns and some Restoration wear. I'm personally wearing this outfit with a big skirt and a corset type top -- that'll add a fun element.
faster gets natural ways
We're going to get her times down faster once she gets in shape. She still has a ways to go on that, but she has a lot of natural ability.
asked confidence hard pushed year
She's always pushed and pushed and always asked what she could do better. She's always been a hard worker, but this year she has the confidence to go with it.
against along girls outgoing practice push running themselves
She has a friendly, outgoing personality and the girls always get along with her, but they know if they're running against her in practice they'll have to push themselves a little harder.
determination heart mentality wish
I wish I could put her heart and determination into all of my girls. She has the mentality that this is my year.
amazon country digital facebook federal government services websites
If we're the country that makes Amazon and Facebook and Twitter, why can't the federal government have websites and digital services that are awesome?
second time
Second graders learn to read: that's a perfect time to make them code.
projects
We very much use a prototyping model, play with ideas, and then get stuff started that way, which is how the greatest projects get started.
operated principle time web
Net neutrality is such an important principle for the Web and for the Internet. It's how the Internet's operated for all this time.
amazing country operating
We are the only country with an operating rover on Mars. We are an amazing country on tech.
amazing change highest holding innovators locked people regulation talent talented whether work wrong
To me, there's so much talent in the world that's locked out for the wrong reasons, whether it's innovators at the highest end where we need to change the regulation systems, or whether it's the talented people who work here who the bureaucracy's holding back, or the amazing American people.
computer core curriculum great including optional programs robotics science
We need to have making, including computer science, shop, etc. as part of the core curriculum from the beginning, not just an optional afterschool thing. Things like First Robotics and all of those great programs need to become mainstream.
history interested kids might stay
We have two boys, and one of our kids is much more interested in history and stories, so if you want him to do some calculations about lenses, you would start talking to him about Galileo... Then he would be into the lenses, but if you just start talking to him about lenses, he might not stay with you.