Event — Technology, Democracy & the Future of the Internet

McCourt, author of OUR BIGGEST FIGHT: Reclaiming Liberty, Humanity, and Dignity in the Digital Age, will discuss the growing civic movement to seize back control of our lives from corporate algorithms to build a safer, healthier, and more equitable internet. He will make the case for why we must act now to embed the core values of a free, democratic society in the internet of tomorrow; and how a “third-generation internet” could replace the status quo with a new model that empowers people over platforms and is marked by digital property rights, agency, and economic opportunity.

About the Speakers

O’Donnell is a multiple Emmy Award-winning journalist with nearly three decades of experience covering the biggest stories in the world and conducting impactful, news-making interviews. She has covered seven presidential elections and interviewed every living President of the United States.  Over the past year, she has interviewed major figures shaping politics, culture, and foreign affairs, including presidential candidate Nikki Haley, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, retired General Mark Milley, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, and global icon Dolly Parton, among others.

O’Donnell is the only woman to anchor an evening news broadcast. Before taking over that role, she anchored CBS News’ morning television program in New York for more than seven years. During her distinguished career, she has covered the White House, Congress and the Pentagon.

O’Donnell is a graduate of Georgetown University’s College of Arts and Sciences and received a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy as well as a Master of Arts in liberal studies. She is married to the bacon-loving Geoff Tracy, otherwise known as Chef Geoff, and is the mother of three children.

Founder, Project Liberty, and founding donor, McCourt School of Public Policy

Frank McCourt is the founder of Project Liberty, the executive chairman and former CEO of McCourt Global, and founding donor of the McCourt School of Public Policy.  He is also the author of OUR BIGGEST FIGHT: Reclaiming Liberty, Humanity, and Dignity in the Digital Age. A veteran and successful civic entrepreneur, McCourt has committed his career to building a better future through his work across the real estate, sports, technology, media and capital investment industries, as well as significant philanthropic activities.

A passionate supporter of multiple academic, civic and cultural institutions and initiatives, he is the founder and executive chairman of Project Liberty, a far-reaching, 0 million initiative that seeks to transform the internet through a new, equitable technology infrastructure and rebuild social media in a way that enables users to own and control their personal data. The project includes the development of a groundbreaking, open-source internet protocol called the Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP), which will be owned by the public to serve as a new web infrastructure. It also includes the creation of Project Liberty’s Institute (formerly The McCourt Institute,) launched with founding partners Georgetown University, Stanford University and Sciences Po in Paris, to advance research, bring together technologists and social scientists, and develop a governance model for the internet’s next era.

McCourt has served on Georgetown University’s Board of Directors for many years and, in 2013, made a 0 million founding investment to create Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. He expanded on this in 2021 with a 0 million investment to catalyze an inclusive pipeline of public policy leaders and put the school on a path to becoming tuition-free.

McCourt is a graduate of Georgetown University. He is married to Monica McCourt and is the proud father of seven.