Tomorrow, Today releases new interview with Natalia Olson on open data

Tomorrow, Today has published a new episode featuring former White House innovation adviser Natalia Olson, focusing on government modernization, open data and public-sector innovation. The conversation also ties technology to logistics, entrepreneurship and transparency, with the full episode available on YouTube.

Why it matters: - The episode centers on how governments can use data, technology and better operating models to improve public services. - Olson frames public-sector innovation as a practical issue with real-world impact on infrastructure planning, agency speed and transparency. - The discussion also connects government modernization to broader economic themes, including the sharing economy, small business recovery and logistics.

What happened: - Tomorrow, Today released a new long-form interview with Natalia Olson, a global policy and innovation expert who served as an innovation adviser in the Obama administration. - The episode was created and hosted by Shekhar Natarajan and published on November 7, 2026. - The conversation covers modernizing government legacy systems, open data, the sharing economy and technology’s role in public service. - The full episode is available on YouTube.

The details: - Olson discussed growing up across Latin America as the daughter of a Honduran American mother and a Norwegian American architect who built U.S. embassies in the region. - She traced her career through urban systems engineering and economics, work for the U.S. State Department in Central Europe, graduate studies in regional planning and business, and service as vice chair of Philadelphia’s zoning commission. - The episode highlighted using technology and data to put citizens at the center of infrastructure planning. - Olson pointed to open government data as a foundation for the sharing economy. - The discussion included hackathons as a way to help federal agencies solve problems in days instead of months. - Olson also discussed supporting small businesses and entrepreneurship as engines of recovery. - The episode touched on early uses of blockchain to improve transparency in government. - Olson said innovation inside government depends on empowering career civil servants. - She said, “You have to empower these people.” - Natarajan also discussed last-mile logistics and argued for more shared infrastructure in package delivery. - He said, “The most efficient last mile in your house is the water and the gas.”

Between the lines: - The interview presents government innovation as less about big speeches and more about internal systems, employee empowerment and practical tools. - The focus on open data and blockchain suggests a view that transparency can improve both trust and efficiency. - The logistics discussion broadens the episode beyond policy and into how infrastructure models from the private sector may influence public systems.

What’s next: - Tomorrow, Today will continue publishing long-form conversations with entrepreneurs, innovators, policymakers, scientists, educators and thought leaders. - The show’s episodes are available on YouTube and major podcast platforms. - More information is available through the company’s online channels, including Tomorrow, Today.