Renée DiResta
Renée DiResta is a Technical Research Manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory, where she investigates the spread of misinformation and harmful narratives across social networks, and assists policymakers in understanding and responding to the problem. At Stanford, Renée studies abuse in information technologies, and examines how the information ecosystem is leveraged to exert influence on policy, education, and design responses. Renée has a decade of experience in technological, marketing, and business capacities in a variety of industries including supply chain logistics, venture capital, and derivatives trading. She has served as an advisor to the State Department, Congress, and other state and federal government institutions concerned with the spread of disinformation and propaganda. Renée is the Head of Policy for Data for Democracy, and Ideas Contributor for Wired magazine, and a Mozilla Fellow in Media, Misinformation and Trust. She is also a founding advisor to the Center for Humane Technology, an Emerson fellow, Council on Foreign Relations term member, and a Truman national security fellow.
Renée DiResta Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
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Technical Research Manager of Stanford Internet Observatory
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Term Member
Academic History
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B.S., Computer Science, Political Science
RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS
Renée studies disinformation and propaganda in the context of pseudoscience conspiracies, terrorism, and state-sponsored information warfare.
She regularly writes and speaks about the role that tech platforms and curatorial algorithms play in the proliferation of disinformation and conspiracy theories.
Renée is the author of The Hardware Startup: Building your Product, Business, and Brand, published by O’Reilly Media.
EARLY CAREER
Renée was the director of research at Yonder and a founder and head of marketing and business development at Haven.
She led SSCI in the investigation of the Russia-linked Internet Research Agency’s multi-year effort to manipulate American society.
She was also involved in the GRU influence campaign deployed alongside its hack-and-leak operations in the 2016 election.
She spent 7 years on Wall Street as an equity derivatives trader and market maker at Jane Street, a top quantitative proprietary trading firm in New York City.
CURRENT AFFILIATIONS
Ideas Contributor, WIRED
Co-founder, Vaccinate California
Leadership Council, The Resolution Project
MEDIA & APPEARANCES
Renée's work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and on CNN, among many other news outlets.
Her work has also appeared in CNBC, Bloomberg, Fast Company, Politico, TechCrunch, Wired, Slate, Forbes, The Economist and Buzzfeed.