World Economic Forum-veteran Martina Larkin begins tenure as Project Liberty’s first CEO, will lead the nonprofit’s comprehensive efforts to create a better internet for all.
LONDON, Dec. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Frank McCourt, executive chairman and founder of international nonprofit Project Liberty, welcomed Martina Larkin to the organization as its first CEO. Leveraging her deep experience in sociopolitical agenda setting, technology, governance and economics, Larkin will oversee Project Liberty’s operations currently spanning the U.S. and Europe.
“Martina has spent her career working at the intersection of global policy and innovation and continually demonstrated her skills as a leader, convener and problem-solver,” said McCourt. “We are thrilled to welcome Martina to the Project Liberty team as our first CEO and confident that her expertise, creativity and talent for bringing people together around common goals will strengthen Project Liberty’s momentum and positive impact.”
In this newly established role, Larkin will oversee the advancement and integration of the organization’s tech, governance, policy and movement tracks by implementing its strategic priorities and expanding Project Liberty’s broad coalition of supporters and interdisciplinary partners.
“We are at a precarious time of transformation for technology and the future of global democracies,” said Larkin. “Frank’s vision for Project Liberty offers inspiration, hope and innovation and is showing that technology with the right governance can strengthen democratic institutions and build a digital economy that serves people not platforms. I am excited to join the Project Liberty team and lead this ambitious, optimistic and much-needed initiative.”
Larkin most recently served as vice president for global issues at System, a global AI company. Prior to that, she spent more than 15 years at the World Economic Forum (WEF), including as regional head for Europe and Eurasia on WEF’s executive committee. Larkin serves on the board of The European Institute for Innovation and Technology and the EU Parliament’s Future of Science and Technology Advisory Board.
Last week, Project Liberty announced the appointment of Constance Bommelaer de Leusse as the new executive director of its McCourt Institute. These leadership additions build on Project Liberty’s strong momentum in constructing a more equitable internet, enabling individuals to own and control their personal data and repairing social media in ways that strengthen democracy, restore trust and empower people over platforms.
Last fall, Project Liberty released the groundbreaking decentralized DSNP protocol, which is open-source and accessible to anyone, to enable a more equitable web architecture. Since then, Project Liberty launched the McCourt Institute and distributed its first round of research grants; announced a partnership with Polkadot demonstrating the first implementation of DSNP, as well as collaborations with MeWe and Frances Haugen; and helped to convene more than 3,000 experts and engaged citizens at Unfinished Live 2022 to focus on creating a more equitable web and inclusive digital economy.
About Project Liberty
Project Liberty is an international nonprofit organization working to create a new civic architecture for the digital world that returns the ownership and control of personal data to individuals, embeds ethical values into technology, and expands economic opportunities for web users and developers alike. The initiative seeks to accelerate the world’s transition to an open, inclusive data economy that puts citizens in control—a future in which all people can benefit from their participation and contributions. Because the success of this effort depends on many people and organizations working together to shape a better future, Project Liberty is actively engaging diverse voices and equipping them to catalyze change. Project Liberty supports a groundbreaking open-source internet protocol called the Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP) to serve as a new infrastructure for the next generation of the web. Project Liberty is also bringing together networks of organizations that seek change, including through the formation of McCourt Institute, to ensure that digital governance is embedded and prioritized in the development of new technology.