Dr. Tomicah Tillemann leads Project Liberty’s effort to build alternatives to big tech. His work focuses on providing people with more agency over their data, a voice in how digital platforms operate, and greater access to the economic benefits of innovation. Prior to joining Project Liberty, he led policy for Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Haun Ventures. He also served as Senior Advisor to two Secretaries of State, directing a team of experts that built 20 major initiatives in 55 countries.

Tomicah joined the State Department in 2009 as Hillary Clinton's speechwriter and spent four years on the professional staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee working with Joe Biden, Tony Blinken, Barack Obama, and John Kerry. Tomicah also served as the Executive Director of the Digital Impact and Governance Initiative at New America, where he built and oversaw programs on asset allocation, technology, and democratic governance. He led teams that built and deployed technology solutions focused on strengthening democratic institutions and private sector accountability worldwide. He developed partnerships with a broad array of governments, universities, and Fortune 100 companies.

Tomicah is a co-holder of four patents. He has served as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Council for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the UN World Food Program’s Innovation Advisory Council, and the Lantos Foundation’s Board of Trustees. He received his B.A. magna cum laude from Yale University and holds a Ph.D. with distinction from the School for Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.