Jinyoung Lee Englund

Jinyoung Lee Englund’s path to the policy world began in Mozambique, where she worked after graduating from the University of Washington.

{mosads}When she came home, she found herself in politics, hoping to address the kind of poverty she’d seen overseas. A stint running a Republican field office in 2008 earned her a job on the leadership staff of Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.).

Englund now advocates for the digital currency bitcoin as vice president of strategy for the Digital Currency Council.

One draw is that she can help people who have been excluded from the banking system, such as the women she knew in Mozambique.

She noted that technologists are developing ways to conduct digital currency transactions through text messages.

“The reason why I’m so excited about digital currencies and bitcoin is because bitcoin, or digital currencies in general, allow for the potential for global financial inclusion,” Englund said.

— David McCabe