New CEO at Omidyar Network, Which Seeks to Loosen Silicon Valley's Grip on AI Development

Former civil rights lawyer and Google executive at left-leaning organization, with a mission is to expand access to the digital revolution's economic opportunities.

New CEO at Omidyar Network, Which Seeks to Loosen Silicon Valley's Grip on AI Development
Photo of Michele Jawando, the next CEO of the Omidyar Network, at the company's office in Washington, Wednesday, March 11, 2026, by Moriah Ratner/AP

NEW YORK, March 15, 2026 (AP) — There will be a new leader at billionaire eBay founder Pierre Omidyar's philanthropic group that aims to expand access to the digital revolution's economic opportunities.

Omidyar Network President Michele Jawando takes over as CEO next month, according to a Wednesday announcement from the left-leaning organization that blends charitable grantmaking with for-profit impact investments. A civil rights lawyer and former Google executive who managed the company's public policy partnerships, Jawando will helm one of the best-financed technology organizations looking to loosen Silicon Valley's grip on artificial intelligence's development, deployment and regulation.

“Our focus will be making sure that there is a much more diverse set of views and people and coalitions and voices shaping the moments, the opportunities and the rules for the AI era,” Jawando said.

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