About the IAPP

Delegate Michelle Lopes Maldonado represents Virginia's 20th House District in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As a former technology lawyer and tech leader, she is Founding Chair of the General Assembly's Technology & Innovation Caucus and a member of the Joint Commission on Science and Technology (JCOTS) and its Subcommittees on AI and Blockchain. She also serves on the NCSL Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity & Privacy.

Among Delegate Maldonado’s signature laws are Virginia’s first Online Child Data Privacy Act and key laws regarding the protection of seniors and vulnerable adults against fintech exploitation. While her notable AI legislation imposing assessment impacts to address algorithmic fairness passed the state legislature this session, it was vetoed by the Governor in March 2025. 

As a result of Delegate Maldonado’s tech and consumer protection work, she has become recognized as a go-to leader on issues related to Artificial Intelligence, data privacy, and new/emerging technology. She recently published “The Rise of AI Systems: An Introduction to AI Systems at the Intersection of Agentics, Governance & Safety,” in the Summer 2025 issue of The States Forum Ideas Journal. Delegate Maldonado also has been recognized as a "2024 Impact Maker" by Virginia Magazine, a “Legislative Champion” (2024) and “Rookie Legislator of the Year” (2022).

In her non-elected capacity, Delegate Maldonado has deep experience in strategic partnerships along with business, economic and workforce development. She was named “Woman of The Year,” “Top Corporate Leader," among the “12 Powerful Women in the Mindfulness Movement" (Worldwide) for her groundbreaking work and impact in leadership and organizational development at the intersection of neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness. Delegate Maldonado’s corporate work has also been featured in the DQ Institute in association with the World Economic Forum and the United Nations Global Engagement Summit.

Delegate Maldonado is a proud graduate of Barnard College at Columbia University and The George Washington University School of Law.