FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Rohan Sharma Joins Aspen Institute’s Policy Academy as Civic AI Governance Leader
Washington, D.C. | October 16, 2025
The Aspen Institute, one of the world’s most respected conveners of nonpartisan policy innovation, has announced that Rohan Sharma, global AI governance expert and CEO of Zenolabs.AI, has joined the Aspen Policy Academy as a Civic AI Fellow focused on AI oversight, regulatory alignment, and strategic export control frameworks.
Sharma, recognized as one of the world’s most influential voices in AI trust, compliance, and governance infrastructure, is the inventor of the Equitable AI Trust Index™—a civic benchmarking tool cited by the World Economic Forum, Nature, and OECD-aligned governance papers for its novel approach to quantifying institutional AI risk. He is also the founder of ConformityX.ai, a multi-jurisdictional compliance platform designed to help enterprises navigate the EU AI Act, NIST RMF, and global SAI (Safety-Aligned Intelligence) regulatory landscapes.
“AI governance is no longer a theoretical concern—it is the new scaffolding of global democracy,” said Sharma. “Aspen’s Policy Academy is where the brightest minds are shaping that future, and I’m honored to contribute frameworks that promote responsible innovation while safeguarding public trust.”
As part of his role, Sharma will collaborate with Aspen’s cross-sector policy cohorts—bringing his experience from boardrooms, global institutions, and technical infrastructure to advise on legislation, civic alignment, and national competitiveness in the AI era.
Rohan Sharma’s AI Governance Leadership:
- CEO & Founder of Zenolabs.AI, parent of ConformityX.ai and TrustworthyAIIndex.org
- Aspen Institute Civic AI Leadership Fellow (2025)
- Global Lead of AI & Consumer Data Platforms at Mattel, overseeing Fortune 500-scale transformations
- Former executive at Apple, Disney, Thermo Fisher
- Author of AI and the Boardroom (Springer Nature, 2024), cited across Tier-1 journals including Nature Humanities and Social Sciences Communications and Personnel Review
- Inventor on two U.S. patents in cryptographic AI trust & multi-regulatory compliance
- Advisor to regulators, sovereign wealth funds, and international coalitions on export control of foundation models
- Mentor at Stanford Seed, Techstars, UCLA Anderson, and UC San Diego
About the Aspen Policy Academy
The Aspen Policy Academy, housed within the Aspen Institute, cultivates high-impact policy leaders across domains such as technology, democracy, climate, and global development. With a strong emphasis on civic responsibility, institutional design, and governance under uncertainty, the academy engages scholars, practitioners, and entrepreneurs working at the intersection of public interest and innovation.