Julia Rhodes Davis, founding principal of Rhodes Consulting, is a leader and expert at the intersection of technology, democracy, and social justice. She is a recognized bridge-builder collaborating with advocates and tech developers,  philanthropic and movement building communities, grassroots and grass-tops organizations. Julia is lead author of Advancing Racial Equity Through Technology Policy, Senior Advisor to Data & Society Research Institute on the Datafied State Initiative, is a producer for Acts of Reparation, a forthcoming feature-length documentary film, and just wrapped up her final term as Chair of vote.org, the largest digital nonpartisan voter engagement platform in the U.S. Her work on technology policy has influenced organizations including the U.S. Government Accountability Office, Port of Seattle, and the European Commission. As a writer and organizer, Julia explores questions of identity, humanity, and how to lead a life of integrity during this time of increasing social upheaval.

Prior to Rhodes Consulting, Julia served as the inaugural director of partnerships at the Partnership on AI (PAI), where she grew a multi-stakeholder community of over one hundred members including large tech firms like Google and Apple, civil society organizations like the ACLU and PolicyLink, and academic institutions.  She led projects on highly complex and contentious technologies like facial recognition, which influenced policy discussions in the U.S. Government Accountability Office, Port of Seattle, and the European Commission. She also established PAI’s growing portfolio of algorithmic accountability projects with a focus on community engagement. 

Prior to PAI, Julia served as Managing Director of DataKind, an organization that brings the power of data science and AI to social sector organizations. While there, one of her favorite accomplishments was establishing the democratic freedom portfolio which empowered democracy building organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center. 

Julia holds a BA with honors from Columbia University. She has founded two companies prior to Rhodes Consulting, Production Collective, a mission-driven experiential agency, and Oakland Yard, a wine shop and tasting bar that excites your palate while building community.