Board

Board

Joel Valencia (he/him), Board Member - Bio

I grew up in the Belle Haven neighborhood of Menlo Park and hold a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Princeton University. I’m a first-generation Mexican-American with family from the southwestern Mexican states, Michoacán and Guerrero.

My professional background includes extensive program work at various nonprofits in the Bay Area that benefit low-income communities in Menlo Park and East Palo Alto. I’m passionate about ensuring that all people are presented with accessible opportunities and guidance they need to be successful. I have worked on a range of issues including: foreclosure and homelessness prevention, anti-predatory lending, small business development and financial literacy, and youth mentorship, and free tech education. I currently run Evergreen Collective, a nonprofit I founded to help BIPOC-led & serving nonprofits solve financial sustainability challenges.

Leonardo Wassilie (he/him), Co-Vice President & Treasurer - Bio

I am Yup’ik Eskimo and Indigenous person from Alaska.  I have grown up in Alaska all my many years of life.  I have a 20 year old daughter and 9 year old son.  I was involved in finance and accounting with a local CPA firm for 7 years before starting a nonprofit organization with two other Indigenous Alaskans.   I am excited to learn and help bring the internet to connect our communities.  I hope to continue to use my education, knowledge and experience with the Internet Society and people in a team who are different from me to build internet policy, data, and infrastructure to bridge the digital divide and bring resilience in resolving challenges that become opportunities to build friendships, communities, and bridges for our youth and elders to shape the future of the internet that keeps humanity informed with truth and facts, from reliable data, and connected with the people we care about.  I believe in the mission of the Internet Society and look forward to connecting in the space that’s always been.

Ronald Petty (he/him), Board Member - Bio

Ronald Petty is a consultant at RX-M, a global Cloud Native advisory and training firm. He has consulted, developed, and trained across many domains including academic research, government, high-tech, finance, and energy. Ronald is an advisor/board member for companies in high-tech research and energy. In addition, he authors and edits technical material around programming languages and software development techniques. He participated in the creation of certification exams such as the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) and Developer (CKAD). Helping companies and individuals succeed with technology has been an ongoing and a long term focus of his work. Working with the ISOC board and membership, he hopes to further the ISOC mission through education and action. Ron is also a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Linux Foundation (LF), and San Francisco Radio Club (SFRC).

April Lat (they/she/he), Board Member - Bio

April is a passionate advocate for teen online safety and mental health with a solid background in tech policy, mentorship, and youth engagement. As the Senior Manager for Innovation & Research at Healthy Teen Network’s In/Tend Incubator Hub, April is dedicated to infusing public health with innovation and human-centered design, striving to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health outcomes.

In their previous role as the Public Policy Specialist for Global Partnerships & Education at Discord, April led impactful initiatives such as the Safety Reporting Network, Safety Center, and Moderator Mentorship Community. They also served as the Project Manager for TechWomen, a U.S. State Department-funded global mentorship program for women in STEM.

Outside of work, April actively contributes to closing the digital divide by volunteering as a TechWomen mentor and Technovation judge, empowering women and girls in STEM globally.

April holds a dual Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Human Development from the United Nations University and Maastricht School of Governance.

Jesus Guerrero (They/them), Board Member - Bio

I am a first-generation Latine with a bachelor’s degree in Chicana and Chicano Studies, and a minor in Computer Science. One thing about me is that I moved around a lot growing up, after being born in Modesto CA, we then moved to Idaho, to Ontario (California, not Canada), to Pomona, to Stockton, and finally to San Jose. But because I moved so much, I don’t have a place to call my hometown.

In the many cities I lived in, I noticed differences in how school demographics and resources went hand-in-hand. The biggest difference between schools with a majority white population and schools with a majority Latine population is the technology available. Now, I am working to bring access to technology to the community and teaching how to use it to its full potential. Currently I am working with StreetCode Academy as an Operations Manager.

Fatema Kothari (she/her), Board Member - Bio

Fatema Kothari is the Senior Program Manager for Microsoft’s Airband Initiative within the Technology & Corporate Responsibility organization. With 10+ years in large-scale program execution, strategic management, and engineering, Fatema leads Airband’s global operations to expand internet connectivity to unserved rural communities in over 20 countries. As an advisor on digital empowerment, Fatema has also contributed her expertise to the Federal Communications Commission.

Fatema is an avid advocate for gender parity in technology. She served on the board for the global non-profit Girls in Tech SF for three years and currently, is an advisor to leading women entrepreneurs from Africa through the TechWomen program run by the U.S. Department of State.

An engineer by education, Fatema holds a Master’s degree in Telecommunications from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Caitlin Doyle (She/her), Board Member for 2023-2025 - Bio

Caitlin started her career in education before pivoting to technology over ten years ago. As a Scrum Master and Program Manager with Fitbit she led the delivery of Fitbit’s Sleep features, Smart Track, Reminders to Move, Meditation, and Period tracking apps. Following Fitbit, she continued work in smart fitness technology by launching Tonal’s initial slate of Programs and Classes. For the last three years Caitlin has been a Technical Program Manager at Great Place to Work, leading both US and Serbian development teams, managing the team’s SOC2 application, and serving as Jira administrator. Outside of work, Caitlin volunteers with TechWomen and Technovation to empower more women and girls to engage with technology.

Tom Thorley (he/him), Board Member for 2023-2025 - Bio

Tom Thorley is the Director of Technology at the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) and delivers cross-platform technical solutions for GIFCT members.

He worked for over a decade at the British government’s signals intelligence agency, GCHQ, where Tom specialized in issues at the nexus of technology and human behavior. Tom spent five years working in the US Government, Military and Intelligence agencies to coordinate intergovernmental relationships and providing expert consultancy on cyber issues, disinformation, technology strategy and operational planning. Prior to his deployment to the US, Tom built and operationalized Data Science teams to inform operations and discover threats, particularly focused on counter-terrorism.

As a passionate advocate for responsible technology, Tom is a mentor with All Tech Is Human and Coding It Forward and also volunteers with America On Tech and DataKind.

Tom is a graduate of the University of Liverpool (BA) and the University of Bath (PgC)

Gustavo Ortega - Board Member for 2023-2025 - Bio

Gustavo Ortega, a Senior Computer Security Researcher at Toyota Motor North America, holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Engineering and specializes in information system security. He is certified in Cybersecurity by (ISC)2 and holds multiple GIAC certifications, including GCIH, GCIA, GCCC, and GPEN. With expertise in application security, security architecture, penetration testing, offensive security, and red teaming, Gustavo has actively contributed to hands-on software development projects, improved application security, and implemented enterprise security architecture in the cloud within the private sector.

Beyond his professional responsibilities, Gustavo is dedicated to advancing security standards and participating in Internet governance initiatives. He has obtained a diploma in internet governance and is an engaged participant in various internet governance schools, including the North American School of Internet Governance (NASIG) and the South School of Internet Governance (SSIG).

Gustavo is a passionate advocate for cybersecurity, striving to promote a safer and more inclusive Internet for all individuals.

Zach Tyler (he/him), Board Member - Bio

With a diverse and extensive background in contract management and operations, I bring a wealth of experience to my role as a dedicated advocate for providing free internet access for all. As the Director of Contracts at Tanium, Inc., a cutting-edge security and systems management platform, I honed my skills in analyzing, drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex enterprise agreements, ensuring timely deal closures within corporate guidelines. Notably, I implemented a reseller metrics dashboard in Salesforce, enhancing sales effectiveness and revenue growth through data-driven decision-making.
My journey in the realm of contracts and operations also includes serving as Contracts Manager at SRI International, Contracts Manager and Facility Security Officer at AOptix Technologies, Inc., and Senior Contracts/Subcontracts Administrator at BAE Systems Inc. These roles equipped me with the ability to manage high-level escalations, lead negotiations, and draft contracts for bespoke software, systems engineering, and support services.
Outside of my professional life, I am an enthusiastic supporter of environmental conservation. In 2023, I regularly volunteered with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy’s Habitat Restoration Team and Save the Bay, contributing to invasive plant removal and native planting, demonstrating my commitment to preserving our natural world. My passion for technology, contracts, and public service drives me to actively engage in initiatives that bridge the digital divide, and I look forward to leveraging my skills and experience to advance the mission of providing free and secure internet access to all.

A list of our former Board members can be found here.

An overview of the founding Board members can be found here.