in jews the d cover story Michael with his parents, Susan and Marc, and sister, Olivia Better Democracy Through Technology Does Michael Brodsky have an algorithm to fi x our electorate? BRYAN GOTTLIEB SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS A s America counts down to next month’s midterm elections, a frenetic drive to bolster civic engagement is playing out across the republic and a transplanted Silicon Valley wunderkind named Michael Brodsky believes technology can provide the cure to our ailing democracy. The 29-year-old Metro Detroit native, a vice president at the San Francisco- based technology and media company Countable — a free, subscription-based information clearinghouse that informs users of upcoming legislation currently 12 October 4 • 2018 jn under consideration in Congress — believes the platform is the most effec- tive way to offer voters the information necessary to make informed decisions. Brodsky’s role is on the enterprise side of the company, which provides media outlets and various civic-minded com- panies the back-end infrastructure and related content that disseminates the information. His client roster includes media heavyweights like NBC and ABC. While the content itself is nonpar- tisan, given the nature of the work, it is inherently progressive. The site acknowledges that only legislation hav- ing a reasonable chance of receiving a floor vote is presented. It all aligns with Brodsky’s worldview, which can be summed up in a few fragments: more inclusion, more information and more engagement; it all makes for better democracy. “Democracy flourishes in daylight, which is what Countable offers users,” Brodsky explains by phone while walk- ing home from work. “The more people who truly understand what legislation is being considered in Washington make our democracy stronger and our repre- sentatives more accountable.” Brodsky is on a mission to make democracy stronger, and he thinks tech- nology is the tool to make that happen. He believes the intersection of social media and civic engagement is the sweet spot, or “nexus,” for capturing voters’ attention, especially millennials like him. Countable founder Bart Myers, who made his money after his first tech company SideReel was purchased by TiVo in 2011, and who is Brodsky’s boss, compares his young employee to the protagonist Truman from the 1998 movie The Truman Show; the two share an earnestness that sets them apart from others. “He believes in the best in people, wants to do his best and expects a ton from himself … extraordinary,” Myers explains. “He’s incredibly thoughtful and dili- gent in his work and interests, applying himself and challenging himself to do the best he can,” Myers adds. Brodsky will be honored this month with the New Generations award by the New Israel Fund during its annual Guardians of Democracy dinner Oct. 14 at the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco. For someone who has both achieved so much and is unarguably beloved by so many — and all before age 30 — Brodsky grew up in a self-described “unremarkable” way in 1990s West Bloomfield. His parents’ secret sauce in raising a mentsh? “We were loved,” he says matter-of-factly. THE BUSIEST MAN IN AMERICA As the oldest of Drs. Susan and Marc Brodsky’s two children — his younger sibling, Olivia, 25, is attending graduate school in New York and studying to becoming a cantor — the general agree- ment by his family is that young Michael was, shall we say, highly enthusiastic. “He was hyper,” Susan states, as only a mother could. “He would run from one end of the house to the other and talk nonstop.” However, never once did Susan, a retired dentist, express any exasperation when describing her son’s energy. In fact, she painted a picture of a little boy whose passion was endearing and appreciated — as only a mother would. “Michael has a special gift and it’s his personality,” Susan says. Brodsky’s mother shared several stories to color the picture of a young continued on page 14