Insights from the World Economic Forum Panel on Digital Identity

As a participant in some of the ongoing discussions centered around digital technologies and digital identity during the World Economic Forum’s latest meeting in Davos, Hedera helped spark conversation on the importance of decentralized technology use cases. But what exactly did innovators and leaders around the globe talk about?

On the latest episode of Gossip About Gossip, Zenobia Godschalk, SVP of Communications with Swirlds Labs, welcomes Hedera Global Governing Council’s Chair and President Brett McDowell, to provide insight on WEF’s panel on digital identity.

The two discuss:

  • McDowell’s background in digital optimization, ICT coalitions, and security and how his experience led to his role with Hedera
  • What participating in the WEF panel on digital identity was like and how the forum helps to build community, connections, and strategic priorities
  • How decentralized technologies can blend into the future with current use cases

“…In general, happy to say that one of the themes that I believe is an outcome of some of the smaller room discussions with the leadership around blockchain, crypto, and Web3, has been to shift the focus from what the technology could be used for and to focus on what the technology is being used for…” said McDowell.

McDowell has been with Hedera Hashgraph for over four years and has helped shape the IT industry with over twenty years of coalition experience. He is the Founding Executive Director and Chair of the Hedera Governing Council. Previously, McDowell worked in executive leadership roles with FIDO Alliance and has led or advised numerous other future-forward companies, including PayPal and the Liberty Alliance Project. McDowell is a graduate of Alma College with a B.S. in Physics. He has also been awarded the Lemelson Fellowship for Innovation, Invention, and Entrepreneurship and worked as a Fellow for the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s National Center for Digital Government.

Recent Episodes

In this episode of Wavelengths, the Amphenol Broadband Solutions podcast, host Daniel Litwin sits down with Alex Rozek, Founder and CEO of Mac Mountain, to unpack the defining shifts that shaped the broadband industry in 2025 and what they signal for the years ahead.  As the industry approaches the end of 2025, broadband looks markedly different…

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape recruiting—from resume screening and job descriptions to candidate sourcing and interview workflows—the hiring process has become faster, more automated, and increasingly complex. According to the World Economic Forum, approximately 88% of companies now use some form of AI to filter or rank job applications, signaling how deeply embedded automation…

In this episode of Wavelengths, the Amphenol Broadband Solutions podcast, host Daniel Litwin connects with Carsten Engelke, Director of Technology at ANGA, to deliver a comprehensive primer on the European fiber market as it undergoes a major transformation ahead of ANGA COM 2026. As Europe accelerates its fiber-first strategies, operators, vendors, and policymakers…