Cori Zarek is a lawyer, technologist, and civic entrepreneur with expertise in tech policy, civic tech, digital rights, open government, freedom of information, and press freedom. Currently, Cori serves as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Digital Service, the 200+ person technology team based at the White House that partners with agencies to implement policies and programs through design and technology. Previously, Cori served as Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer where she was part of the team that launched recent digital service transformation in government by creating new units including USDS and also led the U.S. government’s open government and open data efforts.

Outside of government, Cori has been on the faculty at Georgetown University and previously served as Executive Director of Georgetown’s Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation, a 50-person applied research center focused on using data and technology to improve public systems. Cori has also held roles with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, the Mozilla Foundation, and Code for America. In recent years, Cori co-founded new civic tech organizations including U.S. Digital Response in 2020 which pairs pro bono technologists with governments for emergency support, Technologists for the Public Good in 2021 which is the first professional association for the field of public interest technology, and the Judicial Innovation Fellowship in 2022 which partners technologists with state court administrations to improve access to justice with data and design.

In 2016, Cori was inducted into the U.S. Freedom of Information Hall of Fame. She is on the advisory council for the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law and the advisory board for the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She has trained journalists on media law issues through the National Press Club and as a visiting expert in several newsrooms. She is widely published and has edited legal compendiums on access to information.

Cori holds a B.A. and J.D from the University of Iowa and was named its Distinguished Young Alumna in 2020. She is admitted to practice law in the State of Illinois and before the Supreme Court of the United States. She has taught First Amendment law since 2007 and currently teaches Data for Social Impact at Georgetown.