Andrew Byrnes’ Post

Today was my first public meeting of the Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB) at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration in Washington. The meeting focused on using artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to automate classification and declassification of national security information, for which the PIDB has long advocated. I appreciated the informative presentations on several AI declassification review initiatives by representatives of the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security, and the robust substantive discussion among my Board colleagues and attendees. You can find out more about the PIDB on our Transforming Classification blog: https://lnkd.in/eNRf_GtB.

Excited to connect with Will Nunziata and Ashley Jana, co-creators of London West End-bound “Figaro: An Original Musical,” over dinner in New York! For details about the show, including West End tickets, go to https://lnkd.in/e-kqDWip.

The Public Interest Declassification Board, of which I am a member, is holding a public meeting on Monday afternoon, June 24 at the National Archives Museum in DC on the use of AI in modernizing the declassification process. It is free to attend and open to the public. Details/RSVP: https://lnkd.in/eBSUM9Cv.

Connecting with performer-founders and fellow investors at the Yale Innovation Summit sponsored by Yale Ventures! Thanks to Frances Pollock and the Midnight Oil Collective team for inviting me and Adventures in Syncopation to participate in the Summit and also for their great work supporting arts entrepreneurship.

I am so pleased that Gebre Waddell, CEO and founder of Sound Credit and Secretary/Treasurer of The Recording Academy, is the latest Adventures in Syncopation Perfect Pitch profilee! Sound Credit is modernizing collaboration and attribution in the music industry, benefiting independent creators, big labels, and everyone in between. Thanks to Mara Lewis for introducing us to Gebre!

We're London bound! I'm ecstatic that FIGARO: An Original Musical is coming to London's West End next February 2025 at the iconic London Palladium! Tickets are now on sale at https://lnkd.in/eqMf34Gh. I joined the FIGARO team as a Co-Producer last fall because I fell in love with Ashley Jana and Will Nunziata's spectacular music, lyrics and book, and their vision and passion for the show and everything that they do. And then I met lead producer and Tony Award nominee Michael Lamon (who, proving it's a small world, had the same voice teacher as me in Moorhead, Minnesota) and executive producer, Tony and Grammy Award winner Van Dean. I quickly knew that this would be an experience of an lifetime. I hope you'll join us in London in February; first pint's on me! In the meantime, you can listen to the show's incredible music from the World Premiere Cast Recording (stay tuned for London casting announcements throughout the next few months): www.hype.co/@figaromusical

I met Chadwick Ho on our first day on the Stanford campus in our freshman dorm. Through college and then law school together at Harvard, his serving as the best man at my wedding, and many adventures before and since, he has been a good friend. Alongside Chad the friend has been Chad the brilliant lawyer, strategist and leader. I’m thrilled that he’ll be bringing his talents to Lumen Technologies as their next Executive VP and Chief Legal Officer. They couldn’t have made a better choice.

🚀 Exciting Announcement! Introducing Byrnes Impact - Driving Growth at the Intersection of Innovation, Business & Public Policy. 🌐 Innovation has always meant pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. More than ever, innovative companies need to navigate complex regulatory environments and engage with policymakers. Established companies need to map their strategy through the legal and regulatory landscape. Startups need to clear policy obstacles so they can focus on going to market. All companies need to minimize risk and find growth opportunities amidst policy changes. Byrnes Impact empowers businesses to minimize risk, expand opportunity and accelerate growth amidst regulatory complexities and public scrutiny. Byrnes Impact’s services include: 🔍 Legal and Regulatory Assessment and Navigation: Assess the implications of laws and regulations on growth plans and operations. Identify governmental incentives, collaboration opportunities and business blockers. Enable leaders to make informed decisions and strategic choices amidst shifting policy and political landscapes. 🏛️ Policy Development and Advocacy Strategy: Develop policy positions and advocacy strategies to achieve a favorable legal and regulatory framework. Engage with policymakers, build coalitions and craft communications. 🏗️ Capacity Building and Crisis Support: Help companies build and scale their public affairs functions, teams, systems and processes. Serve as a government affairs and communications strategist during high-risk periods. For over 25 years I’ve worked with innovative companies as a leader in legal, government relations, public policy, and corporate communications. I have also had the honor of serving as a senior federal government official and political leader at the local, state and national level. Whether you lead a startup needing to advocate for a legal or regulatory change, or an enterprise looking to optimize your public affairs strategy as you tackle new markets, Byrnes Impact is here to partner with you. If you’re interested in learning more about Byrnes Impact, please DM me or go to ByrnesImpact.com.

Congratulations to my Stanford University classmate Jon Levin on being appointed the next President of our alma mater. An excellent choice by the Board of Trustees.

Naomi McDougall Jones is not only a triple threat on the stage and screen, she's changing the game of film production and finance at The 51 Fund and reGEN Film. I'm excited that Naomi is the latest performer-founder profiled in the Adventures in Syncopation Perfect Pitch series! (And many thanks to my longtime friend Elisabeth Ness of Good Porpoise Productions, LLC for introducing Naomi to AiS!)