What happens when a former White House innovation adviser sits down with a supply chain veteran to talk government tech? The result is a wide-ranging conversation that gets at the real challenge of modernizing public-sector systems—and it’s now available to stream. Tomorrow, Today, the interview series hosted by Shekhar Natarajan, has released a new episode featuring Natalia Olson, who served as an innovation adviser in the Obama administration and brings a global perspective on policy and technology. The episode dives into open data, the sharing economy, blockchain, and what it actually takes to drive change inside government.
Olson, whose background includes growing up across Latin America as the daughter of a Honduran American mother and a Norwegian American architect who built U.S. embassies, traces her own path through urban systems engineering, economics, and work for the U.S. State Department in Central Europe. She also holds graduate degrees in regional planning and business administration, and has served as vice chair of Philadelphia’s zoning commission. That blend of experiences gives her a unique vantage point on how technology can—and should—reshape public services.
The episode covers several key themes:
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- How technology and data can put citizens at the center of infrastructure planning
- The role of open government data in enabling the sharing economy
- Using hackathons to help federal agencies solve problems in days rather than months
- Supporting small businesses and entrepreneurship as engines of economic recovery
- Early experiments with blockchain to improve transparency in government
- Why business principles can make government more efficient, even though government cannot be run exactly like a business
“Innovation is driven not only by one person or two people or 10. It’s driven internally,” Olson said during the episode, emphasizing that lasting change depends on empowering career civil servants. “You have to empower these people.”
The conversation also touches on last-mile logistics, with Natarajan drawing on his own supply chain experience. “The most efficient last mile in your house is the water and the gas,” said Natarajan, arguing for more shared infrastructure in package delivery. Natarajan is a former senior executive at American Eagle, Walmart, Target, and Disney, where he led global technology and supply chain initiatives.
The full episode is available on YouTube at this link.
About Tomorrow, Today
Tomorrow, Today is a long-form interview series created and hosted by Shekhar Natarajan. The show features conversations with entrepreneurs, innovators, policymakers, scientists, educators and thought leaders on the technologies, ideas and decisions shaping the future, from artificial intelligence and business to leadership and education. Episodes are available on YouTube and major podcast platforms.
About Natalia Olson
Natalia Olson is a global policy and innovation expert who served as an innovation adviser in the Obama administration and later worked at the U.S. Small Business Administration. She has served as vice chair of Philadelphia’s zoning commission, worked with the U.S. State Department in Central Europe and advised on entrepreneurship programs with the World Bank. She holds graduate degrees in regional planning and business administration.
About Shekhar Natarajan
Shekhar Natarajan is the founder and host of Tomorrow, Today and a former senior executive at American Eagle, Walmart, Target and Disney, where he led global initiatives in technology and supply chain strategy.
Shekhar Natarajan
Tomorrow Today Media
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Why it matters: As governments at every level grapple with outdated systems and growing public expectations for digital services, conversations like this one offer a roadmap for change that doesn’t rely on top-down mandates. Olson’s emphasis on empowering career civil servants and using open data as a foundation for innovation suggests that the most durable reforms may come from within—if the right tools and culture are put in place.
