Broadband Conversations

The Federal Trade Commission has an important mission—protecting consumers and competition. On today's episode, FTC Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter discusses the ways the FTC carries out its mandate and works on behalf of consumers to protect our privacy and our data. Listeners will also hear her personal story about how as a new mom she employed a BYOB—bring your own baby—policy when she first joined the FTC and why she believes more women and mothers need to be at the table where decisions are being made.

In one week, 193 countries from around the globe will gather in Egypt for the World Radio Communications Conference. On this episode of Broadband Conversations, Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel speaks to the woman leading the United States' delegation: Ambassador Grace Koh. She is a dedicated public servant and a spectrum policy expert. She most recently served as Special Assistant to the President for Technology, Telecom and Cyber-Security Policy at the national Economic Council.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, this episode of Broadband Conversations features Sylvia Acevedo, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. She is a longtime advocate for STEM education, engineer, and author of "Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist." In her conversation with Commissioner Rosenworcel, Sylvia how it was her own Girl Scout troop leader who noticed her early interest in space and encouraged her to earn a science badge by building a model rocket. That experience led Sylvia down a path to eventually becoming a rocket scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Listeners will also hear how under Sylvia's leadership Girl Scouts are encouraged to take on science, technology, math, and engineering projects and pursue badges in areas like cybersecurity. In fact, as a result of her efforts, during the past six months over 84,000 Girls Scouts have earned cybersecurity badges.

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of Broadband Conversations, we flipped the script and had Commissioner Rosenworcel answer some of our big questions. Listeners will get to hear the Commissioner talk about some of her favorite conversations and also hear her share her story, her advice, and what she hopes for the future of digital life.

In 2016, NASA Astronaut Kate Rubins spent 115 days in space—or as she would say, 115 days "off planet." On this episode of Broadband Conversations, listeners will get to hear Rubins, a biologist by training, describe life on the International Space Station and the process of re-entering life back on Earth. As a NASA astronaut, Rubin's shares how she went from a little girl with a dream to be among the stars to the reality of spending nearly 13 hours of spacewalk time.

The very first live episode of Broadband Conversations focuses on the intersection of women, entrepreneurship, and technology. On this episode, Commissioner Rosenworcel sat down with a live audience and Congresswomen Davids and Finkenauer, two women who are breaking barriers and getting things done on the Small Business Committee, to discuss how women can and should build the next big thing online or open a store on Main Street. Listeners will hear the Congresswomen and the Commissioner cover a lot of ground in this episode, including how women need reliable broadband and access to capital necessary to start businesses and how things like student loan debt can hold female entrepreneurs back.

Minnesota Senator Tina Smith is a community organizer, entrepreneur, and a policymaker. In this episode of Broadband Conversations, listeners will hear her describe her path to the US Senate, which started as a community volunteer when she knocked on doors with her two children and a stroller in tow. She went on to serving in local government, including a stint as Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota, before her current role on Capitol Hill. As a US Senator, she's used her platform to fight for universal, affordable broadband coverage. As Senator Smith says in the episode, we should not take internet access for granted. She points out that when hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans do not have online access to jobs, education, and economic growth, families and communities are left behind.

Did you know Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey was also a professional basketball player? Learn about her history as a point guard, her work protecting consumers, and why she joined the fight to protect net neutrality in this episode of Broadband Conversations.

Sarah McBride is an author, an activist, and one of the most visible voices for trans equality. She's made history, too. She was the first openly transgender woman to serve as an intern at the White House and the first openly transgender person to address a major party convention. Sarah's conversation with Commissioner Rosenworcel focuses on the importance of internet connectivity for all and how it can be a lifeline for the LGBTQ community.

"Making the improbable possible." "Beat the odds." These are just a few of the quotes you'll hear from this episode of Broadband Conversations, featuring San Jose, California Chief Innovation Officer Shireen Santosham. From her parents' upbringing to her childhood to her career working on behalf of her community, listeners will be inspired by Santosham's personal story and commitment to digital equity.

California Congresswoman Norma Torres is the only former 911 dispatcher in Congress. She joined Commissioner Rosenworcel to share how one 911 call led her to activism and what Washington can do to give 911 operators the tools and respect they deserve to better serve their communities.

Victoria Espinel, an expert on the intersection of technology, innovation, and public policy joined Commissioner Rosenworcel for an in-depth discussion about her career as a lawyer, professor, and trade negotiator. She also discussed her time as President Obama's advisor on intellectual property, and her work at the helm of BSA | The Software Alliance. On the podcast, listeners will hear Commissioner Rosenworcel and Ms. Espinel discuss the growing impact of software on our civic and commercial lives, how we can build unbiased artificial intelligence, and what the future looks like for the use and deployment of AI.

Cecilia Munoz, Vice President of Public Interest Technology and Local Initiatives at New America Foundation, joined Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel for a conversation about her career as an advocate for change and how we can open government to new ideas and new technologies.

In this episode of Broadband Conversations, Commissioner Rosenworcel chats with Congresswoman Yvette Clarke. Commissioner Rosenworcel and Congresswoman Clarke discuss the importance of public service as well as the Congresswoman's work on broadband, diversity in media, and efforts to promote opportunities for girls and women of color.

In this episode of Broadband Conversations, Commissioner Rosenworcel talks with Samantha John and Jocelyn Leavitt, co-founders of Hopscotch, an app that allows users to code and design games, art and animations on their hand-held devices—two women who have revolutionized the way kids—and adults too—are learning how to code and build in the digital age. In this episode, listeners will learn from two women entrepreneurs about how they built Hopscotch, what challenges they faced along the way, and what advice they'd give anyone looking to start something new.