The Next Scientific Revolution Requires All of Us | Megan Smith | TEDxBoston

What if America's greatest innovation is still ahead—and it depends on including everyone? Former U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith explores how government, science, and technology have shaped America's greatest breakthroughs, from radar and computing to artificial intelligence. Drawing on the legacy of Vannevar Bush and the creation of the modern research enterprise, she argues that innovation flourishes when every person has the opportunity to contribute. From Hidden Figures and Ada Lovelace to student inventors and AI for social good, Smith makes the case that the next era of discovery must widen access to science, technology, and education. By empowering more people to solve meaningful problems, she believes we can build a future defined not only by technological progress, but also by peace, opportunity, and shared prosperity. Megan Smith is an award-winning entrepreneur, engineer, and technology leader. She is the founder and CEO of shift7, where she works collaboratively on systemic social, environmental, and economic challenges—scouting and scaling promising solutions and solution-makers through open, tech-forward practices. Smith served as the third United States Chief Technology Officer from 2014 to 2017, helping the Obama administration harness data, innovation, and technology on behalf of the American people. During her tenure, she recruited top technologists into public service and helped launch major capacity-building initiatives, including TechHire, Computer Science for All, and national campaigns to broaden participation in STEM, AI, and open-source innovation. Previously, Smith spent more than a decade as a vice president at Google, where she led early-stage partnerships and helped drive acquisitions including Google Earth, Google Maps, and Picasa. She later worked with the Google[X] team, co-creating initiatives such as Solve for X and Women Techmakers. Earlier in her career, she served as CEO of PlanetOut and worked on early smartphone technologies at General Magic and Apple Japan. Smith is an advisor to the MIT Media Lab and numerous global organizations, a co-founder of the Malala Fund, a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from MIT, with graduate research completed at the MIT Media Lab. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx