Victoria Espinel is a respected authority on the intersection of technology innovation, global markets, and public policy. As CEO, she leads strategic efforts at BSA I The Software Alliance that help shape the technology landscape in more than 30 countries.
Espinel also serves as the President of Software.org: the BSA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) independent nonpartisan international research organization created to help policymakers and the public better understand the impact that technology has on our lives, our economy, and our society.
Espinel speaks before audiences around the world on international economic and technology policy issues as well as on the need for greater diversity in technology and in policy. She has testified before Congress over a dozen times on a range of technology issues.
Espinel served for a decade in public service, for both Republican and Democratic Administrations. She created a new office at the White House while serving as President Obama’s advisor on intellectual property. At USTR, under the Bush Administration, she created a new office focused on innovative industries and served as the first ever chief US trade negotiator for intellectual property and innovation.
Between her White House roles, Espinel was a professor of international trade and intellectual property at the George Mason School of Law.
She is a founding and ongoing co-sponsor of Girls Who Code’s Washington, DC, summer immersion program, empowering young women to pursue careers in STEM fields. She also serves on the Board of Directors for ChIPs, a nonprofit organization focused on advancing women in technology, law, and policy.
Espinel was appointed by President Obama to serve on the Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiations (ACTPN), the principal advisory group for the US government on international trade. She is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Agile Governance and a former chair of the Digital Economy and Society Future Council.
She holds an LLM from the London School of Economics, a JD from Georgetown University Law School, and a BS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.
