Uma Kalkar is a socio-technical researcher and serves as a Policy Advisor in the Strategic Foresight Unit at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), seconded through the Centre for the Governance of AI (GovAI) in Oxford, UK. She focuses on global risks associated with emerging technologies, such as AI and biotechnology, to promote democratic governance and international cooperation.

In 2020, Uma relaunched 18by Vote, a U.S. nonprofit dedicated to engaging young and emerging voters, where she served as Director of Strategy & Innovation. To date, 18by Vote has reached over 2.5 million people and has been featured in media outlets, including The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.

Uma is currently a Rising Leader Fellow at the Aspen Institute UK, a former Aspen Ideas Fellow at the Aspen Institute U.S., and a former Presidential Fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress. She also serves on the board of New York City’s Youth Civic Hub and is a member of Citizen University, a U.S. nonprofit fostering a culture of responsible citizenship.

Uma Kalkar holds a Master of Public Policy in Digital and New Technology from the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po) and a Master of Global Affairs in Innovation Policy from the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto.