Uma Kalkar (EU)

Uma Kalkar is a socio-technical researcher focused on AI governance and emerging and critical risks posed by new technologies.

Uma recently finished a year-long secondment as a Policy Advisor in the Strategic Foresight Unit at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). At the OECD, she applied futures methods to support Member State policy actions on emerging global risks and promote democratic governance and international cooperation.

In 2020, Uma relaunched 18by Vote, a U.S. nonprofit dedicated to engaging young and rising voters, serving as Director of Strategy & Innovation. To date, 18by Vote has reached over 3.5 million people and has been featured in media, including The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.

Uma previously consulted for the Peace Innovation Institute in The Hague to design high-impact peace technology programmes and supported a 4.5M project funded by the Government of Canada to investigate the impact of COVID-19 and technological disruptions on skills-building and the future of work for Canadian youth.

Uma is the current Tech and Innovation Ambassador for the Aspen Institute UK. She is a Rising Fellow Leader alumna of the Aspen Institute UK, a former Aspen Ideas Fellow at the Aspen Institute U.S., and a former Presidential Fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress. She also sits on the board of New York City's Youth Civic Hub and is a Member of Citizen University, a U.S. nonprofit fostering a culture of responsible citizenship.

Uma is a sought-after keynote speaker and panellist on AI governance, civic tech, and public interest technology. She has spoken at high-level conferences such as the London Tech Leaders AI conference, EAGxNordics, and the World Summit Awards Congress, and on national television.

Uma holds a Master of Public Policy in Digital and New Technology from the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po) and a Master of Global Affairs in Innovation Policy from the University of Toronto.