Research Team - Academic Research (vol.)

Onur Bakiner, Ph.D., MSc, is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the Seattle University. His research and teaching interests include human rights, transitional justice, technology & society, and law & society. His current research addresses the impact of AI technologies on fundamental rights. Specifically, he has been examining stakeholder engagement in AI governance, the state of ai-related legislation in the world, and the usefulness of the human rights framework in regulating AI. his book ‘Truth Commissions: memory, power, and Legitimacy’ (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2015) was awarded the Best Book Award by the human rights section of the American Political Science Association in 2017.

Research Team - Legal (vol.)

With over 10 years of legal practice, Barakat has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in business and corporate law, technology law, and commercial law. She has a proven track record of success in advocating for clients and achieving positive outcomes in complex legal matters. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a commitment to providing clients with high-quality legal representation to meet individual needs from contract negotiations to employment disputes, and from complex business transactions to intellectual property matters. Her dedication to clients extends beyond legal representation, priding herself in taking the time to understand each unique situation, providing bespoke advice and guidance, and building strong, long-lasting relationships with clients and stakeholders.

Research Team - legal (vol.)

Femi Gbolahan is an internationally trained legal professional with a passion for exploring the intersection of law and technology. With a particular interest in internet-specific legal issues like content moderation, privacy, and transparency, he is committed to staying up-to-date with the latest developments in this dynamic field. Femi completed his Master's in Law and Technology from the University of Ottawa, where he gained a solid foundation in legal theory and its practical application to technology-related issues. He has also conducted research at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, exploring the impact of artificial intelligence on legal decision-making. femi is currently in the examination process to qualify to practice law in Ontario.

Research Team - Policy (vol.)

Mahtab Laghaei is a campaigner, researcher, and policy analyst with a particular interest in the relationship between global politics and international tech policy. She was previously a researcher and campaigner at Women Transforming Cities, a civic advocacy organization based in Vancouver where she led an issues-based campaign during the 2022 elections. She was also an intern at the World Wide Web Foundation as part of their alliance for affordable internet, researching the gender-digital divide. Mahtab is completing a master’s in global affairs with a focus on tech governance at the University of Toronto.

Research Team - Policy (vol.)

Khiran O’Neill is a public policy professional interested in the interplay of policy, work, and technology. He currently works as an associate at Springboard Policy and previously worked at the Information Communications Technology Council’s (ICTC) digital think tank. he holds a master's in public administration from the London School of Economics.

Cyber-Humanity Security Expert (vol.)

Jack Kengott is a technologist interested in minimizing harm and maximizing utility from the current technology ecosystem. As a former professional ethical hacker, he now designs systems that automatically analyze cyber-security attacks, and has been trained to identify and exploit weaknesses in computer systems. He also sees similar glaring weaknesses in the tech landscape. Jack aims to contribute to a world that views technology as a tool to maximize our potential, and a world that raises our expectations for organizations that build and maintain the tech that shapes daily life.

Research Team - Applied Research (vol.)

Sam Wollenberg has spent the past 10 years conducting applied research and designing digital interventions that improve information environments and access to information for marginalized populations. This includes documenting hate speech on Facebook in Myanmar, increasing understanding and tolerance between internet users in China, and building machine-learning models that identify coordinated inauthentic behavior on Twitter.

Social Media Manager (vol.)

With a background in business development, marketing, and project management, Hollis is passionate about growing the audience of organizations to optimize and reach their potential. hollis has a master of management from the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business. He currently works as a business development and marketing professional for a technology company in Vancouver and believes greatly in the importance of responsible tech governance.

Recruitment Lead (vol.)

Nataliia Zhembrovska moved to Canada one year ago from Ukraine. She has a Master's in International Relationships and 14 years of experience in recruitment, in both recruitment agencies and its companies. She is experienced in full-recruitment cycling, starting from candidate search using a variety of techniques, communication with hiring managers, and onboarding candidates. She has an optimistic, drive-for-results personality and she is passionate about her work at goodbot.

AI Policy Editor (vol.)

Shonottra is a lawyer from Mumbai who works in the development sector in different capacities. She holds a law degree from Mumbai University and masters in international and comparative laws from Trinity College Dublin, both of which have helped her harness her legal expertise to contribute to various facets of the social sector.

Within the development sector, Shonottra has had the opportunity of working as a counsel, legal researcher, content writer, outreach professional and digital marketer for initiatives that focus on building legal and civic awareness.

Her personal interests lie in advancing the field of gender justice, specifically in spreading awareness with a view to make justice mechanisms and the legal systems accessible for women and other marginalized genders.

Discovery Team (vol.)

With a software engineering background, Ian is passionate about ensuring that technology delivers on its oft-quoted promise of making the world a better place. Ian graduated from McMaster University with a degree in software engineering and management in 2021 and has since worked as a software developer, giving him first-hand knowledge of the software development industry's practices and problems. Ian is especially interested in topics such as mis/disinformation, AI ethics/safety, business practices, and the politics of technology regulation. He is excited to see the impact goodbot can have on reducing the negative societal impacts that technology and innovation currently create.

Program Operations Specialist (vol.)

Frederic Blouin holds an engineering degree from Université de Sherbrooke in Québec and works as a project manager in the technology sector. Over the past 20 years, Frederic has been involved in projects in healthcare design, telecommunications, digital security, and GPS monitoring. he has also completed a multi-year course of study in Buddhist philosophy and is passionate about creating a more equitable world.