Foundations for the Digital Commons 2-day event in Portland
Emmy
Foundations for the Digital Commons
Event description
This two-day in-person event unites leaders, builders, lawyers, and technologists to advance the future of tech, policy and digital infrastructure to benefit the common good. Together, we’ll tackle emerging challenges and bold opportunities in collective data governance, digital deliberation, democratic innovation, and the rapidly evolving landscape of AI, antitrust, and intellectual property.
Hosted by the Roux Institute in partnership with RadicalxChange, and Bernstein Shur, the event will feature:
Thought-provoking panels exploring the intersections of law, innovation, and civic technology.
Hands-on workshops to align on actionable legal frameworks and policy solutions.
A high-energy innovation sprint where participants will design data-driven tools and governance models that serve the public good—starting with Maine’s digital infrastructure.
Curated networking experiences connecting attorneys, technologists, policymakers, and entrepreneurs driving systems-level change.
Featured Workshops:
Information Innovations; Public <> Legislators
Citizens’ Assemblies 101: Designing Democratic Infrastructure for the AI Age
Digital Deliberation at Scale: Demonstrations
Data Intermediaries for the Public Good: Protecting Privacy, Empowering Publishers
Cooperatives in the Data Economy: Decentralizing Data, Democratizing Value
Accelerating Digital Civic Infrastructure in US
Speakers include:
Jeb Bell, Project Liberty Institute
Liz Barry, Metagov
Beth Noveck, The Burnes Center for Social Change
Elicia Wilson, Gitlab Foundation
Nathan Sanders, Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society
Jake Hirsch-Allen, The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University
Stuart Lynn, CrownShy
Lacey Strahm, OpenMined
Jerren Chang, Partners in Democracy
Matt Prewitt, RadicalxChange
Dave Lesher, CalMatters
Beth Goldberg, Google Jigsaw
Christine Kim, Mozilla Foundation
Axel Dauchez, MAKE.org
Agenda
Thursday, October 30 – Framing & Foundations
8:30–9:00am | Check-in & Coffee
9:00–9:15am | Welcome from Roux Institute, Bernstein Shur, & RadicalxChange
9:15-10:15am | Information Innovations: Public <> Legislators
For democracy to thrive, citizens must know what government is doing — and government must know what citizens want. CalMatters shines light on legislative actions for the public, while Crown Shy channels public consensus back to policymakers. Grounded in expertise from congressional tech modernization efforts, this panel explores how completing both sides of the circuit builds trust and accountability.
Panelists: Stuart Lynn (Crownshy); Dave Lesher (CalMatters)
Intro/Moderator: Matt Victor (Bernstein Shur)
10:15- 10:20am | Break
10:20-11:20am | Citizens’ Assemblies 101: Designing Democratic Infrastructure for the AI Age
As emerging technologies reshape the economy and society, the question of “who decides” becomes more urgent. Citizens’ assemblies offer a proven model for engaging everyday people in complex public decisions, from climate policy to AI governance. Learn how and why citizens’ assemblies work, and to collaboratively explore how one might be used to address workforce development in the digital age.
Panelists: Zabrae Valentine (Public Good Group); Jennifer Chace (USM); Elicia Wilson (Gitlab Foundation);
Intro/Moderator: Jake Hirsch-Allen (the Dais);
11:20 - 11:30am | Break
11:30am- 12:30pm | Scaling Deliberation to Millions; Demo & Discussion
Digital tools are reshaping how citizens deliberate and how policymakers listen. Google Jigsaw brings insights from its work on online discourse and safeguarding democratic debate, while MAKE.org shares its experience engaging millions of Europeans in structured, large-scale participation. This panel explores what it takes to scale deliberation responsibly, and how different contexts are turning digital debate into actionable guidance for governments.
Presenters: Axel Dauchez (MAKE); Beth Goldberg (Jigsaw)
Intro/Moderator: Liz Barry (Metagov)
12:30 - 1:15pm | Lunch
1:15- 2:10pm | Data Intermediaries for the Public Good: Protecting Privacy, Empowering Publishers
AI has upended the relationship between publishers and platforms, raising questions of control, attribution, and fair compensation. This panel will explore how trusted data intermediaries (TDIs)—supported by privacy-enhancing technologies—can give publishers tools to manage their content, safeguard privacy, and negotiate collectively with AI developers. By shifting from extractive to collaborative models, TDIs offer a path toward a more sustainable and equitable digital information economy.
Panelists: Lacey Strahm (OpenMined); Matt Prewitt (RadicalxChange); Tom Cochran (Civic Sunlight)
Moderator: Nathan Sanders (Berkman Klein)
2:10- 2:20pm | Break
2:20- 3:20pm | Cooperatives in the Data Economy: Decentralizing Data, Democratizing Value
As data becomes one of the world’s most valuable resources, cooperatives offer a promising model for shared ownership and governance. Their decentralized, community-based structure makes them uniquely suited to steward data responsibly and to ensure that digital identity, personal information, and AI-era value creation benefit the many, not the few. Join us to explore the legal, technical, and organizational innovations that position cooperatives as essential infrastructure for the digital age.
Panelists: Jeb Bell (Project Liberty); Elettra Bietti (Northeastern Law); Christine Kim (Mozilla Foundation)
Moderator: Theo Skeadas (Humane Intelligence)
3:20- 3:40pm | Break
3:40-4:10pm | Keynote: Designing Institutions That Listen: The Future of Responsive Governance
Listening is the foundation of responsive governance. Beth Noveck will challenge us to think of listening not as a metaphor, but as an institutional capacity -- one that can be designed, built, and improved. Beth will explore how innovations like "broad listening" (as opposed to "broadcasting") and Public AI can help governments hear their citizens more clearly and respond more effectively.
Beth Noveck (The Burnes Center for Social Change, Northeastern University)
4:10- 5:00pm | Break & Walk
5:00-7:00pm | Evening Reception (Hosted at The Center for Law + Innovation at Maine Law)
Friday, October 31 – Innovation Sprint
Roll up your sleeves for a hands-on day of collaboration. Together, we’ll prototype digital tools, policies, and systems that turn Maine’s data into a force for the common good.
The challenge:
How might we tackle Maine’s urgent housing and workforce challenges by harnessing the power of data and digital tools?
8:00-8:30 | Legal Workshop Registration
8:30–10:00am | Breakfast & Legal Workshops
9:30am | Innovation Sprint Registration, Coffee, & Networking
10:00–10:45am | Innovation Sprint Kickoff: Inspiration & Problem Framing
Panelists: Hunter Morancy (Center for Workforce Research and Information), Laura Mitchell (Maine Affordable Housing Coalition), Meghan Grabill (Maine Connectivity Authority)
Moderator: Jerren Chang, Partners in Democracy
10:45–11:00am | Team Formation & Planning
11:00am–12:15pm | Workshop: Mapping, Data Cycles, and Systems at Scale
12:15–12:45pm | Working Lunch
12:45–1:45pm | Pitches & Group Feedback
1:45–2:00pm | Closing Circle
Travel
Flying into Portland
The nearest airport is Portland International Jetport (PWM), located just 15 minutes from downtown.
From the airport, you can take a bus, taxi, or use Uber/Lyft to get to the Roux Institute.
Flying into Boston
If you’re flying into Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), you have a few easy options to get to Portland:
Concord Coach Lines offers direct bus service from Logan Airport to downtown Portland.
Buses run multiple times daily, with pickup right at each terminal.
The trip takes about 2 hours and drops you off at Thompson’s Point in Portland.
From there, it’s a 10–15 minute ride to the Roux Institute by taxi, Uber/Lyft, or local bus.
Alternatively, you can rent a car and drive (approx. 2 hours north via I‑95).
Tip: Book Concord Coach in advance at concordcoachlines.com for best availability.
Location
- Sign up for the CMBA Newsletter HERE for regular updates on the Maine Cooperative Ecosystem!
- Become a CMBA Member - are you representing a co-op or just want to support the cooperative movement and development in Maine? Become a member of CMBA!
- CMBA on FB
- CMBA on Instagram