Moira Whelan is the director of the Democracy and Technology team at the National Democratic Institute. She brings a wealth of experience to the Institute bridging the gaps between technology, policy, and democracy and is a regular contributor to the global conversation around strengthening the information integrity space and fostering a digital ecosystem that supports democracy worldwide. She is a trailblazer championing the end of tech-facilitated gender-based violence, uniting survivors, policymakers, governments, and the private sector in the fight for a secure, inclusive, and accessible digital ecosystem that bolsters democratic resilience. She is a career communications professional, having served as the U.S. State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Digital Strategy, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Public Affairs at the U.S. Agency for International Development, and roles at the Department of Homeland Security. In each role, Moira spearheaded the early adoption of technology tools and helped build an information space that enhanced transparency and accessibility. She was a founding partner in BlueDot Strategies where she advised technology companies and worked with nonprofits in using digital tools to enhance citizen engagement. Early in her career, she was a founding staff member of the National Security Network, an advocacy organization dedicated to progressive national security principles. Prior to that, she held senior communications roles at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and on the House Committee on Homeland Security Democratic Staff. Moira started her career in editorial and legislative outreach roles at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Moira is a graduate of Regis University in Denver, Colorado, and completed her coursework for a master’s degree in international relations at Old Dominion University. Moira is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensics Lab.