Billionaire eBay Founder's Philanthropy Taps Civil Rights Lawyer to Lead AI Inclusion Efforts

Omidyar Network names Michele Jawando as new CEO to expand access to digital economic opportunities.

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

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Billionaire eBay founder Pierre Omidyar's philanthropic group, Omidyar Network, has named civil rights lawyer and former Google executive Michele Jawando as its new CEO. Jawando will lead the organization's efforts to make artificial intelligence development, deployment, and regulation more inclusive and representative of diverse perspectives.

Why it matters

Omidyar Network is one of the best-financed technology-focused philanthropic organizations, aiming to counter the outsized influence of major tech companies in shaping the future of AI. Jawando's appointment signals the group's commitment to ensuring the public's interests are prioritized as AI becomes increasingly pervasive.

The details

Jawando, a civil rights lawyer and former Google executive, will take over as CEO of Omidyar Network next month. The organization focuses on expanding access to the economic opportunities created by the digital revolution. Jawando says her role will be to build bridges across philanthropy to elevate the perspectives of working people in shaping the development and use of AI, which she says is currently dominated by a handful of powerful tech companies.

  • Jawando will take over as CEO of Omidyar Network next month (April 2026).

The players

Omidyar Network

A philanthropic group founded by billionaire eBay founder Pierre Omidyar that aims to expand access to the economic opportunities created by the digital revolution.

Michele Jawando

A civil rights lawyer and former Google executive who will be the new CEO of Omidyar Network, leading the organization's efforts to make AI development and deployment more inclusive.

Pierre Omidyar

The billionaire founder of eBay who established the Omidyar Network philanthropic group.

Mike Kubzansky

The outgoing CEO of Omidyar Network.

Shannon Farley

The executive director of Fast Forward, a nonprofit tech accelerator that helps organizations apply technology to social problems.

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What they’re saying

“Our focus will be making sure that there is a much more diverse set of views and people and coalitions and voices shaping the moments, the opportunities and the rules for the AI era.”

— Michele Jawando, Incoming CEO, Omidyar Network

“I just want people to feel agency and power in this moment. I hate the fact that most people feel like this technology is happening to them.”

— Michele Jawando, Incoming CEO, Omidyar Network

“The responsible and safe use of AI shouldn't be just one company's mantra. It's not that some companies are too responsible and others aren't. It's just that we don't have a public governance framework.”

— Michele Jawando, Incoming CEO, Omidyar Network

“She rarely jumps to the oppositional card first. She finds new partners for us and she brings people along.”

— Mike Kubzansky, Outgoing CEO, Omidyar Network

“We're asking nonprofits to solve 21st-century problems with 20th-century tech. They can't do that if funders aren't understanding AI and backing people with lived experience to solve the problems in front of them.”

— Shannon Farley, Executive Director, Fast Forward

What’s next

Omidyar Network plans to double down on consulting underrepresented communities, influencing state legislatures, and supporting research that applies AI technology for the benefit of everyday people.

The takeaway

Omidyar Network's appointment of civil rights lawyer Michele Jawando as its new CEO signals the organization's commitment to making artificial intelligence development, deployment, and regulation more inclusive and representative of diverse perspectives, in contrast to the outsized influence of major tech companies.