Bert has over 15 years of experience starting, building, and operating successful organizations, initiatives, and campaigns across academia, the private sector, and the federal government in both Washington, D.C. and Silicon Valley. He has advised senior government officials, CEOs and senior executives of Fortune 500 companies, leading technology investors, and visionary start-up founders on strategic positioning, policy development, and profitable partnerships. 

In the private sector, he has advised firms and individuals on M&A activities, private equity financing, complex executive transitions, public listings and public policy / regulatory strategy. From 2016-2022, he served in senior roles leading communications, policy, and regulatory affairs at Zoox (acquired in 2020 by Amazon.com). Prior to joining Zoox as Head of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs, he served as Senior Advisor for Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker (2013-2016) in the Obama-Biden Administration, where he co-created and managed the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) initiative. In 2009, he co-founded Business Forward, where he served as executive director until 2013. He began his career as a judicial law clerk to a U.S. District Court Judge. Before graduate school he worked for CNN in both Washington, D.C. and London. He has a B.A., M.S., and J.D. from Syracuse University. He is a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia.