Putting the Power in Voters' Hands
Diverse Leaders Form Board to Launch Digital Democracy Project
When the majority of voters cry out to be heard, Big Problem solvers step up — to put the Power in Voters' Hands.
Orlando, Florida — Reimagining a democracy that works for everyone, the nonpartisan Voting Rights Brigade Board of Directors unites to launch the Digital Democracy Project in Florida this Fall.
Digital Democracy Project — a free mobile voting app and online tracking system — puts the power to influence legislators right in voters’ hands.
"Information and access have always been the most powerful forces in government. Voters will now have that power in their own hands—literally."
— Ramon Perez, Founder
Leaders from AI and neuroscience to startups, branding and politics have come together to launch this first-of-its-kind voter access and accountability tool.
Meet our Board of Directors!
We are thrilled to introduce you to nine talented leaders dedicated to a voter-driven system of government.
Juleanna Glover — Founder/CEO of Ridgely|Walsh, Juleanna has extensive experience shaping high-stakes corporate public affairs strategies, including advising many of the world’s largest and most innovative companies and causes. She previously served on the senior staffs of then-President-elect George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and presidential candidates Steve Forbes, Senator John Ashcroft, and Senator John McCain. Juleanna founded the Ashcroft Group, LLC, a corporate integrity consulting company, with former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, and is former Director at Clark and Weinstock. The New York Times, Washington Post, Bloomberg, National Journal, the Financial Times, the London Daily Telegraph, Elle, Marie Claire, GQ and Washingtonian Magazine, etc. have profiled Juleanna over the years. She writes on policy and political issues for these and other top-tier, international publications.
“The integrity of our political system depends on representatives’ hearing and responding to all of their constituents.”
Shannon O'Brien — Former Massachusetts State Legislator, State Treasurer and Receiver General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Shannon has served as a business development consultant and strategic advisor to numerous early and growth stage technology companies, including her current advocacy for mobile voting as an advisor to Voatz. The first woman nominated by a major party for Governor in Massachusetts, she has worked as an Emmy nominated television journalist and served as the CEO of the Girl Scouts in Greater Boston. Shannon earned a B.A. at Yale and J.D. at Boston University School of Law. She is currently the Chair of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission.
“Mobile voting helps every community gain access, such as disabled voters, so that the potential good that government can do is maximized for all people.”
Cyrus Hodes — A leader in AI, ClimateTech, technology policies and Venture Capital investor communities, Cyrus serves on the boards of startups leveraging technologies for the greater good; he is hosting the World Climate Tech Summit in Miami in 2023. Cyrus also serves as an advisor to multiple nonprofit organizations and new technology ventures. Working with the United Nations and the European Union in Afghanistan, he endeavored to foster civil society with existing elder leader groups, and was an Advisor to the UAE Prime Minister’s Office. Cyrus is originally from France where he was educated at Sciences Po Paris and where he later lectured; he is also a graduate of Harvard Kennedy School. Cyrus is a long-time U.S. Permanent Resident and a Florida resident.
“Innovative technological solutions are not only key to good government, but essential to solving the Big Problems of our times.”
Wasim Q. Malik, PhD — A career spanning diverse leadership roles in healthcare, technology and investments, Wasim’s common theme has been maximizing both business and social impact. He currently serves as Managing Director at Iaso Ventures, a Boston-based life sciences venture capital firm. Dr. Malik also serves on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. Previously at Roivant Sciences, he led digital strategy for biopharma research and development. His current board and advisory roles include Honeywell, Epilepsy Foundation, Scaffold Therapeutics, Altimate Health, and ClexBio, among others. Wasim received his doctorate in electrical engineering from Oxford, postdoctoral training in neuroscience from MIT, and finance education from Harvard Business School.
“Accelerating technological solutions should provide the most benefit to the most people. Digital Democracy will do just that.”
Vinay Orekondy — An elections lawyer originally from Australia, Vinay immigrated to the U.S. after having founded a number of Australian advocacy organizations and the Australian Progressive Party. He also co-founded Australia’s largest ever social media campaign to date. Vinay holds a background in the labor movement as well as organizing for the Bernie Sanders Presidential Campaign. Keen to channel his experiences into electoral reform, Vinay currently works for FairVote promoting ranked choice voting.
“Innovation in the electoral process will result in greater voter access and bring about a more representative system.”
J Mark Barfield — A Libertarian Leader for many years, Mark was the former Vice-chair of the Libertarian Party of Florida until resigning in 2021. He is now an active advocate for ranked choice voting as Vice-chair at the Rank My Vote Florida Educational Fund. Formerly a journalist specializing in policy reporting, Mark now provides political consultation to local candidates and advocacy organizations.
“A well-informed citizenry, given clear and unbiased information, is the most capable of making sound policy decisions beneficial to democratic society.”
James “Chip” Byers — An Orlando native, small business owner and Disability Change Agent, Chip faced challenges and discrimination when applying for work as an Autistic person. Thus motivated to go into business for himself, Chip has since been awarded the State of Florida’s Exceptional Employer of the Year for People with Disabilities. An outspoken supporter of the Autism Rights Movement and of Disability Self-Advocacy, Chip is the first (openly) Autistic person appointed by Governor DeSantis to serve people with all disabilities on The Able Trust Board of Directors (Florida Endowment Foundation for Vocational Rehabilitation), a position historically held by a non-disabled person. Likewise, Mayor Demings appointed Chip to the Orange County Disability Advisory Board. “Visit Orlando,” local media, and CBS’s “Undercover Boss” have showcased his advocacy work. Chip received the Stephen R. Wise Advocacy Award from the Florida Rehabilitation Council, Florida’s highest honor for Disability Employment Advocacy.
“Autistic and Disabled voices should always be a part of the conversation, particularly in matters of government, and I am happy to dedicate time to ensuring that our elected officials hear all Floridians’ voices.”
Charles Belle — A Fellow at Stanford's Center for Internet and Society, Charles has worked extensively in the fields of privacy, open data, and open source technology. His work has been supported by grants from the Hewlett Foundation, Blackstone Charitable Trust, and Kauffman Foundation. Since 2014, Charles has served as a publicly appointed member of San Francisco Committee on Information Technology (COIT), which is responsible for strategic planning of information and telecommunications architecture in San Francisco. Additionally, he founded Startup Policy Lab in 2016, promoting innovative policies oriented towards openness and data-driven governance. Previously, Charles served as Executive Director of UC Hastings' Center for Innovation (formerly called the Institute for Innovation Law). There, he created the Privacy and Technology Project which promotes privacy-awareness among policymakers and technologists. Recently, Charles has been serving as COO of a layer-1 blockchain startup.
"A healthy democracy requires everyone to have a voice — and that's exactly what Digital Democracy provides."
John Duffield — Driving marketing innovation at the intersection of technology and creative experience for digitally ambitious brands, John is a 3x founder and global ad agency leader. He has a strong track record in linking some of the biggest brands with digital experiences that drive impactful business results. John has held senior roles in many of the world’s largest advertising agencies in Australia, the UK and the US. He also co-created and sold a product for the travel and hospitality space. John is an outspoken advocate of web3 and metaverse technologies for the future of business and consumer experiences.
“A voter-driven system of digital democracy for the 21st Century. Now, democracy is digital. Are you ready?"
Welcome to our Board of Directors!
Let’s hear what Florida voters have to say, shall we?
Digital Democracy Project — A voter-driven system of government for the 21st Century.
It’s a FREE mobile voting app and online tracking system.
Voters cast their own, secure ballots on the same bills as their legislators — right on their phones.
We compare what voters WANT to what representatives DELIVER — available to legislators, the media, and the public — online, in real time.
National Model — Currently beta testing, Voting Rights Brigade rolls out Digital Democracy Project this fall in Orange County, Florida, with plans to expand across Florida next year, then expand nationwide.
Voting Rights Brigade is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization 501(c)(3) dedicated to a voter-driven system of government through Digital Democracy.
In partnership with Voatz.