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David T. Hsu is a Senior Director of Programs and Policy 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 the “Coalitions & Culture” portfolio to build shared agency in the digital revolution and promote wise governance of artificial intelligence.

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 co-chair at CoGenerate‍ and has served on the boards of Inclusive Action for the City and L.A. Kitchen. He grew up in LA’s San Gabriel Valley.

Expertise

  • Philanthropy: Strategy Development; Program Design; Portfolio Management; Funder Partnerships; Governance.

  • Community Builder: Citizen-Led Strategies; Partnerships; Coalition-Building.

  • Social Scientist: Belonging, Social Connection, and Social Isolation; Civil & Social Infrastructure; Governance of Emerging Technologies; International Relations.

Service

  • Board Co-Chair, CoGenerate (2020-present)

  • Board Co-Chair, Inclusive Action for the City (2019-2025)

  • Board Secretary, L.A. Kitchen (2016-2018)

  • Steering Committee, Humanity AI

  • Managing Director, Pop Culture Collaborative

  • Co-Founding Funder, Trust for Civic Life

  • Co-Chair, Council on Foundations’ “Building Together” Annual Conference

Recent Events & Projects

  • Speaker at SoCal Grantmakers Annual Conference

  • Speaker at MIT x Santa Fe Institute Workshop

  • 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”