#rp20 Speaker Bianca Wylie — Taking Back Public Power in Democracies

Canadian political scientist Bianca Wylie is an advocate for citizen-centric governments with a focus on public infrastructure and the concept of smart cities. She has been working in the tech industry for many years in the fields infrastructure, product management and corporate training. Because of having a background in the tech sector and a strong interest for operations and infrastructure of the public sector she advocates for open data public infrastructure and civic rights.

Bianca is a co-founder of Tech Reset Canada, an initiative for public innovation, as well as Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. In 2014 she founded the Open Data Institute Toronto. 

She is actively involved in the protests against Toronto’s commercial smart city project by Alphabet's subsidiary “Sidewalk Labs” where she sheds light on problematic aspects of smart cities. Bianca Wylie is also a columnist, guest lecturer and speaker on topics of public tech policy. 

You can find Bianca on Twitter here. 

ASAP—3 questions for … Bianca Wylie

We asked Bianca Wylie about her keynote at #rp20, the most pressing issues for her at the moment and her recommended readings, music or movies.

What topic will you talk about at re:publica?
Corporate capture of democratic systems and how in 2020 we continue the work of taking public power back.

True to this year’s motto—what’s the most pressing issue for you personally at the moment?
Building and rebuilding institutional power.

What’s your reading, movie or music recommendation that everyone should check out ASAP?
The book “The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex” by INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence.