The Internet has transformed the modern economy, led to the development of new technologies, and given rise to digital trade. Internet-enabled companies are now able to reach users and customers across the globe without a brick-and-mortar place of business, but regulations and laws that differ country-by-country impose borders on the Internet and impact the ability of startups to compete. This first event in the series will explore these challenges at a high-level with an expert panel that has encountered these issues.

Panelists include:

Abby Vollmer, Director of Platform Policy, GitHub

Rachael Stelly, Policy Counsel, CCIA

Rishi Ranjan, Founder, GridRaster

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About the Series: The Internet and digitization of world economies has enabled startups to reach markets beyond their borders, but trade regimes and international agreements have not kept pace with innovation and the growth of digital trade. As startups grow and engage users outside of their home country, they must balance a smattering of incongruent regulatory requirements from one country or bloc to the next—domestic favoritism guised as security concerns, forced data localization, and various restrictions on user speech—all with a budget much smaller than a multinational company doing business abroad in days past. Through this series, we will explore how startups compete abroad, the varying requirements for those hosting content around the world, and the regulatory barriers they face from country to country.