Meet Senior Congressional Innovation Fellow Brandon Read. Brandon will be working in the office of Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) for the duration of his fellowship with TechCongress. As a technologist with experience in the private sector, Brandon will be focusing on responsible innovation and shared prosperity, with a focus on platform accountability, digital literacy, market fairness, and the implications of AI on workers and the economy.
Delve into Brandon’s career path from being an engineer at Lyft to a fellow on the Hill in his blog below:
I applied to TechCongress because it presented a unique and timely opportunity to align my work with my personal values. Previously, my career in the private sector involved working as a technologist, where I developed digital platforms for various markets such as rideshare, conversational commerce, and cybersecurity. It was only in recent years that I began to critically examine the larger systems I had been a part of. I took note of the vast economic forces that dictate how new technologies are commercialized and became starkly aware of their impacts on a wide range of human experiences, both positive and negative.
These reflections revealed the vulnerability of digital platforms, fueled by sophisticated algorithms, to exploitation or weaponization. Such platforms have the capacity to destabilize nations or direct collective anger towards a single individual. I also became aware of the way data extraction practices concentrate wealth and influence in the hands of a few.
Additionally, the capacity of both emerging and established tech firms to manipulate rules in
their favor was startling, as exemplified by California's Prop 22 campaign. This was a turning point for me, revealing just how limited the scope for democratic governance within these systems was. The lack of user control over algorithms and the dominance of profit motives often constrained technologists, like myself, who wished for firms to act ethically but were limited by prevailing business models.
After leaving Lyft, these dilemmas continued to trouble me. Though my understanding of these complex issues was limited, I felt a strong sense of responsibility to address them.This feeling was compounded by the fact that very few of my industry peers seemed to be discussing these critical issues, primarily due to the lack of economic incentive. However, some, including myself, were fortunate enough to have the means to step back and reassess our paths. This prompted me to question the ethical implications of my success and consider how I could use my newfound autonomy responsibly.
My journey of self-education involved reading extensively, which deepened my understanding and provided a more nuanced perspective of the world. However, I still felt disconnected, merely an observer on the sidelines. This realization led me to pursue a new social environment, one that would expose me to diverse ideas and inform my future direction. I enrolled in Harvard's Master in Design Engineering program, where I expressed many of these concerns in my application essay. Yet, as I progressed through the program, I realized that what I actually needed were new tools and frameworks beyond the realm of design and engineering. The courses at the Kennedy School fulfilled this need. More specifically, a class on Land Use and Environmental Law, taught by an engaging professor, introduced me to the toolkit I sought. This course illuminated how societal issues like property rights, public health, racial discrimination, and environmental concerns transition from observations to legal frameworks. It also highlighted the absence of regulatory mechanisms in private digital spaces, and consequently prompted me to consider how we could foster a more equitable online environment.
My interest intensified during Latanya Sweeney's course on Technology and the Public Interest. This course explored conflicts between technology and society, privacy concerns like the Weld Experiment, issues of algorithmic fairness, and the impact of social media platforms on democracy and mental health, as evidenced by the Facebook Papers. My classmates in this course, who came from diverse backgrounds in tech, government, and civil society, further enriched my learning experience with their insight.
These experiences convinced me that I could make the most impact in the federal legislative branch. However, I wasn't ready to re-enroll in another degree program. I knew that I learn best through hands-on experience, which led me to apply to TechCongress where I was selected as a Senior Congressional Innovation Fellow for the January 2024 cohort. In this role, I can apply my insights within the legislative domain, working with humility and entrepreneurial curiosity to support Members and Committees as they address the nation's pressing challenges.
TechCongress is not a stepping stone, but rather a place to develop cross-sector leadership skills. Whether my post-fellowship career lies in Congress, other government branches, civil society, or a more regulated private sector, my goal is to connect the technology ecosystem and the public sector. I aim to inspire young, ambitious individuals to critically examine the systems they operate in and to consider the potential consequences of their innovations. My hope is to foster discourse around government modernization and awareness in a way that presents public service as attractive and as esteemed as careers in leading tech companies. With this, we can attract talent to areas where securing public goods is both valued and rewarded.