Omidyar Network: Creating an equitable economy, promoting responsible technology, and discovering the emergent issues that will shape our future

Omidyar Network’s CEO, Mike Kubzansky, sat down with Cody Switzer for this interview series on January 29, 2020, nine days after the first reported case of COVID-19 in the United States, and one month before President Trump announced travel restrictions.

In the midst of this global pandemic, the ideas expressed in these videos are more relevant – and more pressing – than ever. Kubzansky discusses the need for a new economic paradigm to replace “trickle-down economics;” what it means for people to have more power and voice in the workplace; and how to define a “good job.”

COVID-19 magnified the scale of an economy that is dramatically out of balance, one in which the rules have been manipulated at the expense of working people. The current situation clearly shows the importance, but also the fragile state, of worker rights, opportunities, and protections in the US. Our economic response to this crisis must first and foremost meet the immediate, dire needs of the people whose lives have been forever changed. But it also must acknowledge and remedy the unstable system, rules, and power imbalances that have made this crisis worse, as Kubzansky lays out. 

In his conversation with Cody Switzer about what Omidyar Network calls “Beneficial Technology,” Kubzansky talks about technology’s dualities – it can be a massive force for good – but it must also have appropriate guardrails. We are seeing this in real time. Rampant misinformation about COVID-19 is propagating online, costing human lives. People are moving many aspects of their daily lives online, but this raises a serious question about data protection. Another big question is the role of government in providing public digital infrastructure. And privacy concerns abound regarding digital contact tracing. COVID-19 is testing the boundaries of technology’s costs and benefits.

While many things continue to be uncertain and evolving rapidly during the COVID-19 crisis, Omidyar Network remains committed to seeking a more equitable economy, promoting responsible technology that improves lives, and discovering the emergent issues that will shape our future​.

The Power, Promise, and Perils of Technology

Towards A New Economic Paradigm

Defining a “Good” Job

The Future of Workers and Work

Established in 2004 by philanthropists Pam and Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay, ON has committed more than $1 billion to innovative for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations to catalyze economic and social change.