Ava Smithing

Advocacy and Operations Director

Young People's Alliance

Ava is the director of advocacy and operations at the Young People's Alliance, a youth-led non-profit focused on leveraging youth perspectives into conversation about policy that affects them. Before graduating she worked with YPA in the North Carolina state legislature to introduce NC HR 644, a minor centered data privacy bill and was also a contributor on research projects relating to the 4th amendment right to privacy in the digital age. After graduating from Stevens Institute of Technology (with a bachelor of Business Administration with concentrations on the History and Philosophy of Technology and management with a minor in public policy) she immediately began working full time at the Young People's Alliance. She is currently working with congressional offices to strengthen users' protections from social media companies through data privacy legislation. Ava is from Nashville, Tennessee and is currently based in DC.