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David T. Hsu is a Senior Director of Programs at Omidyar Network, the social change venture established by philanthropists Pam and Pierre Omidyar. A strategist, community builder, and political scientist with 20 years of cross-sector experience, he leads cultural and coalition-building efforts to promote wise societal governance of digital technology.

David managed the "Building Cultures of Belonging" portfolio team and was part of the firm's Exploration and Future Sensing unit. He previously worked at the Hollywood-based impact consultancy Propper Daley, community organizing startup NationBuilder, University of Pennsylvania, and the tech section of the US Department of Justice Antitrust Division. He wrote “Untethered: A Primer on Social Isolation” and speaks on human flourishing in the digital age.

David holds a Ph.D. in Politics (international political economy) from Princeton University and B.A. from Duke. He is board chair at Inclusive Action and vice chair at CoGenerate.

Areas of Expertise

  • Strategic Philanthropy: Strategy Development for Systems Change; Program Design; Portfolio Construction; Funder Partnerships; Emergent Issues & Strategic Foresight.

  • Cultural Strategy: Collaboration with Artists, Storytellers, and Creative Industries.

  • Community Builder: Team & Leadership Development; Coalition-Building, Network Weaving & Strategic Convenings.

  • Political Scientist: Societal Governance of Emerging Technologies; Belonging, Social Connection & Social Infrastructure; International Political Economy.

Recent Events and Projects

  • Speaker at SoCal Grantmakers Annual Conference

  • Speaker at MIT x Santa Fe Institute Workshop

  • Working Group Co-Chair, Council on Foundations’ Building Together national conference

  • Press Release, Trust for Civic Life

  • Speaker, Brookings Institution

  • Organizer, “Music in a Time of Discord” at the GRAMMY Museum

  • Featured, “Most Intriguing New Program, Inside Philanthropy Awards

  • Editor, “PORTALS to Beautiful Futures,” Omidyar Network x Guild of Future Architects

  • Author, “Untethered: A Primer on Social Isolation”