Former state official reflects on tech’s role in uplifting residents

Join the Aspen Policy Academy mailing list to learn more about us and our fellows (you’ll receive one email a week).

{"action":"swipe","clientId":"ac5a79b3-027f-4735-ad6e-8ed9a01adc94","controls":["submits"],"property":"newsletter","recipients":"","receipts":"","rules":[],"subject":""}

{"type":"email","format":[{"label":"month"},{"label":"day"},{"label":"year"},{"label":"hour"},{"label":"minute"}],"filetypes":[],"options":[],"title":"Email Address","description":" ","placeholder":"","helper":false,"abilities":["required"],"beacons":[],"preset":"","identifier":"email_address","evaluate":[],"minimum":0,"maximum":200,"expression":"^[a-zA-Z0-9.]{2,}@[a-zA-Z0-9]{3,}\\.[A-Za-z]{2,}$","count":1}

Email Address

{"type":"input","format":[{"label":"month"},{"label":"day"},{"label":"year"},{"label":"hour"},{"label":"minute"}],"filetypes":[],"options":[],"title":"First Name","description":" ","placeholder":"","helper":false,"abilities":["required"],"beacons":[],"preset":"","identifier":"first_name","evaluate":[],"minimum":0,"maximum":200,"expression":"(.|\\n){1,}?","count":1}

First Name

{"type":"input","format":[{"label":"month"},{"label":"day"},{"label":"year"},{"label":"hour"},{"label":"minute"}],"filetypes":[],"options":[],"title":"Last Name","description":" ","placeholder":"","helper":false,"abilities":[],"beacons":[],"preset":"","identifier":"last_name","evaluate":[],"minimum":0,"maximum":200,"expression":"(.|\\n){1,}?","count":1}

Last Name

{"type":"check","format":[{"label":"month"},{"label":"day"},{"label":"year"},{"label":"hour"},{"label":"minute"}],"filetypes":[],"options":[{"label":"I want to learn how to change policy"},{"label":"I am a journalist"}],"title":"Focus","description":"Description of field","placeholder":"","helper":false,"abilities":["multiple"],"beacons":[],"preset":[],"identifier":133436380,"evaluate":[],"minimum":0,"maximum":200,"expression":"(.|\\n){1,}?","count":1}

Focus

Description of field

{"type":"check","format":[{"label":"month"},{"label":"day"},{"label":"year"},{"label":"hour"},{"label":"minute"}],"filetypes":[],"options":[{"label":"Washington DC area"},{"label":"New York City area"},{"label":"San Francisco Bay area"},{"label":"Los Angeles area"},{"label":"I'm in another location"}],"title":"Select your location","description":"Description of field","placeholder":"","helper":false,"abilities":[],"beacons":[],"preset":[],"identifier":110134521,"evaluate":[],"minimum":0,"maximum":200,"expression":"(.|\\n){1,}?","count":1}

Select your location

Description of field

By submitting this form, I agree that the Aspen Institute can collect, process, and retain limited personal information for administrative purposes; and that the Institute can share this limited personal information with its trusted service providers for program administration purposes. I consent to receiving email communications from the Aspen Policy Academy. I understand I can withdraw my consent at any time by contacting DataPrivacyLegal@aspeninstitute.org.

I agree to the Aspen Institute’s Terms of Use Agreement and acknowledge that I have read and understand the Aspen Institute Privacy Policy which provides additional information about how the Institute processes personal information, as well as rights I may have regarding the personal information the Institute maintains about me.

Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox for our next weekly newsletter!

{"abilities":[],"action":"stack","className":"","columns":3,"controls":[],"exclude":[],"include":[{"custom.menu":"header-menu"}],"maximum":6,"property":"header","orders":["date","title","menu_order","post_type","post__in"]}

{"abilities":[],"action":"stack","className":"","columns":3,"controls":[],"exclude":[],"include":[{"custom.menu":"header-menu"}],"maximum":6,"property":"mobile","orders":["date","title","menu_order","post_type","post__in"]}

Former state official reflects on tech’s role in uplifting residents

Article Published September 29, 2026

This article was originally published on the Route Fifty website on September 29, 2026.

By Chris Teale

As California’s first chief digital strategy officer, Ivy Teng Lei helped lead the state’s efforts to use technology to make government more effective and accessible.

Those efforts included giving state residents more control over their personal data, making it easier to request vital records online after a natural disaster, and expanding paid family leave for state employees.

And now Lei, who came to the role after participating in the Aspen Policy Academy’s Tech Executive Leadership Initiative, is considering her next move after leaving state employment following about two years in the post.

Route Fifty caught up with Lei to discuss her career, her background and her thoughts on the evolving role of technology in government.

Read the Full Article

{"abilities":[],"action":"swipe","className":"wide","columns":3,"controls":["arrows"],"exclude":[{"starter.postid":"30127"},{"default.postid":"26818"}],"filters":[],"include":[{"starter.termid":"233"},{"starter.termid":"231"},{"starter.termid":"235"},{"starter.termid":"117"}],"maximum":6,"meta":[],"property":"box","searching":"","sorts":[{"ordering.label":"date","evaluation.label":"\u2193","display":"Most Recent","label":"date \u2193 Most Recent"}],"sorting":[{"ordering.label":"date","evaluation.label":"\u2193","display":"Most Recent","label":"date \u2193 Most Recent"}],"orders":["date","title","menu_order","post_type","post__in","relevance"],"filtering":"","refiner":false,"total":136}

Aspen Policy Academy

Aspen Policy Academy Demo Day

Digital States 2026 ‘A’ State Interview: Christine Sakuda, Hawaii

We’re Yet to Fully Grapple With the Threat of AI, Expert Says