Kara DeFrias

Described by former US CTO Todd Park as one of "the baddest of the badass innovators," Kara's background is a unique mix of private and public sector experience, including 4 years with TurboTax and an appointment to the first class of White House Presidential Innovation Fellows. She currently serves as Senior Advisor to the head of 18F, a digital agency inside the federal government that's transforming it from the inside out. Previous experience includes the Oscars, Emmys, Super Bowl, and Women's World Cup. A do-gooder junkie, Kara does pro-bono PR, social media, and UX for the likes of TEDxSanDiego and Team Rubicon; spent 10 days in rural India teaching innovation and business skills to micro-entrepreneur women; and guest lectures at UCSD STEM Academy for high school girls. You can find her on Twitter at @CaliforniaKara.