This past spring, a volunteer from the Digital Democracy Project reached out to me about its founder and this week’s guest, Ramon Perez. I’d never heard of the project and as a podcast about the many dimensions of citizenship, this was a very necessary conversation exploring innovative ways to enhance citizen participation and reform democracy using technology like AI, blockchain, and mobile voting. As an AI technology executive and US military veteran, Ramon founded the Digital Democracy Project as an accountability system and mobile voting platform that connects voters directly with their legislative representatives to address systemic problems in the electoral system that result in hyper-partisanship and widespread voter alienation. To achieve better outcomes, he believes technology can be used as a catalyst for building a more modern, representative system of government giving greater control directly to voters. #Listenandlearn more as we discuss systemic challenges in US politics and how technology can create a more transparent, accountable, and inclusive democratic process.

Where to find Ramon and the Digital Democracy Project?
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Facebook
On Bluesky
On YouTube

What’s Ramon Listening to?
The Lord of the Rings Series Audiobooks
Empire Podcast

Other topics of interest:
On the Enduring Legacy of 9/11
About OneVirginia21
What is Gerrymandering?
About ranked-choice voting
What is Hyperledger Fabric?
Homomorphic encryption explained

Chapters
00:06 Intro and Guest Bio
01:54 Ramon Perez's Background and Motivation
03:14 Defining Democracy in the 21st Century
03:22 Limitations of Current Electoral Systems
05:30 Civic Responsibility and Voter Engagement
07:16 Educating Voters with Technology
09:50 AI's Role in Legislative Summaries
13:57 Systemic Problems in US Elections
16:16 Verifiability, Accountability, and Transparency
17:54 Ramon Perez's Career Path and Transition to AI
20:06 Public Perception of AI and Ethical Use
21:14 Tools and Innovations in Digital Voting
26:07 Global Examples of Democratic Success
35:34 Glocal Speak: Transparency as a Key Value
37:19 Organizing and Operating a Nonprofit Project
42:51 Historical Progress of Voting Rights
44:34 Future Goals and Expansion of the Project
46:44 Ramon Perez's Leisure and Personal Interests
47:42 Reflections on the Evolution of AI and Democracy

Special Guest: Ramon Perez.

For this week’s episode we’re back in West Africa with Nigerian-American journalist and author, Abi Ishola-Ayodeji. Her critically acclaimed debut novel, Patience is a Subtle Thief, was named one of BuzzFeed's best books of May 2022 and received a coveted Kirkus-starred review. As a journalist, she has showcased her talent across a diverse range of platforms, including http://ELLE.com, PBS, http://Ebony.com, CUNY TV, and more. Her career has seen her cover extraordinary people, communities, and events from New York City to Paris and from Nigeria to Ghana.

In 2017, Essence Magazine named her among its Woke 100 Women for launching Beyond Classically Beautiful, an acclaimed photo story and media platform celebrating women of color who defy traditional beauty standards which you’ll learn much more about in our conversation.

After years of struggling to write a complete novel, she adopted a winning plan that helped her finish her manuscript seamlessly. She landed a deal with HarperCollins upon her first submission to a publisher. As she continues to work on her second novel, she is also coaching aspiring authors on how to write and finish the novel of their dreams.

Where to find Abi?
www.aishola.com
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Facebook
On X
On Youtube

What’s Abi watching?
The Chi
Sex Education
Game of Thrones

Other topics of interest:
Revisit EP 74 Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond
All about Miami Gardens, Florida
About Ibadan, Nigeria
Why Ilesa? A visti with fellow Glocal Citizen, Funsho Ogundipe
About Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola and the stolen election
More about the Center for Black Literature @ Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn and the Wild Seeds Writers Retreat
About #imageactivitst, Michaela Angela Davis
About the film The Devil Wears Prada
James Baldwin, Toni Morrison and more about Abi’s Glocal Speak
About Supacel and sickle cell anemia

Special Guest: Abi Ishola-Ayodeji.