Developing a Thriving and Inclusive Digital-First Economy

[Commentary] We are in the midst of a transition from an economy with a growing digital component, to an economy where digital issues are of first and foremost importance. Four months ago the Digital Economy Board of Advisors (DEBA) was charged with an ambitious agenda to advise the Department of Commerce on how to navigate and respond to this transition. We are honored to co-chair this accomplished group of leading technologists, business leaders, social sector executives and expert policy makers. This past week the Board convened for its second public meeting at the Mozilla offices in Mountain View (CA) to review the outputs of our work to date. Each of the working groups presented their initial discussion drafts, meant to create a space for broader conversation with the Board and to invite additional input from a variety of voices. Through our discussions insights emerged around several key issues, including encouraging the Department of Commerce to engage with the tech sector to:

Develop innovative models that better connect people to high-quality, minimal-time, and low-cost training programs for the most high-demand skills
Foster solutions that encourage and facilitate the growth and usage of digital platforms among SMEs
Protect the benefits that such platforms hold for businesses in the global marketplace
Develop more accurate measures for the impact of emerging digital activities on the economy.

[Zoë Baird is CEO and President of the Markle Foundation. Mitchell Baker is Executive Chairwoman of the Mozilla Foundation. Both Co-Chair the Digital Economy Board of Advisors.]