3 Women Form Australia's First Independent Tech Policy Think Tank

• TPDi, Australia’s first independent tech policy think tank, was founded by Weaver, Hawkins, and Kumar.
• It focuses on shaping tech through research and policy on issues like AI and privacy.
• TPDi’s board includes experts like Pounder, Feakin, and Haugen.

Johanna Weaver, Zoe Jay Hawkins, and Sunita Kumar founded the Tech Policy Design Institute to shape tech for humanity through research, education, and public commentary. Launched in Canberra, it’s Australia’s first independent tech policy think tank, building on three years of incubation as the Tech Policy Design Centre at ANU.

As Australia faces challenges with AI regulation, privacy, and digital platform accountability, TPDi aims to design research-based policies, establish a pipeline of leaders, and foster informed debate. The institute will also convene multi-stakeholder communities to co-design practical solutions, addressing global tech development races and rising geopolitical tensions.

Co-founder Johanna Weaver says the think tank will offer an independent voice on tech’s impact across society, security, economy, and environment. Australia’s first independent tech policy think tank is backed by government, industry, and civil society. “Young people’s use of social media, digital identity, cyber security, and technology’s impact on democracy, are just some of the tech policy issues on the national agenda in 2025,” she said.

The think tank is supported by the Tech Policy Design Fund, with founding members including government departments and companies like Adobe, Amazon, Apple, Atlassian, Microsoft, and Salesforce. Its board and advisors include Kate Pounder, Dr. Tobias Feakin, and David Masters, among other prominent figures in tech policy and cybersecurity.

Special advisors include Brett Solomon (Access Now), Rod Sims (former ACCC Chair), Audrey Tang (Taiwan’s Cyber Ambassador), Elanor Huntington (CSIRO), Julie Inman Grant (eSafety Commissioner), and Frances Haugen (Facebook whistleblower and online safety advocate).

Zoe Jay Hawkins said the institute will empower informed public conversations on shaping technology through policy.“Technology impacts every aspect of our lives. Given its rapid evolution, it’s easy to feel like we have little control over where technology is headed, but we don’t have to passively accept the status quo. We can – and must – shape technology through the power of policy,” she said.

The three co-founders bring diverse experience to the initiative. Johanna Weaver, CEO, previously established the Tech Policy Design Centre and served as Australia’s independent expert and chief cyber negotiator at the United Nations.

Zoe Jay Hawkins, Chief Strategy Officer, brings extensive experience in tech policy across government, big tech, academia, and think tanks. Sunita Kumar, Chief Operating Officer, offers entrepreneurial leadership and decades of experience in operations, governance, policy, and people management