Building more inclusive, resilient and connected infrastructures
- with community at their core.
Parry Aftab is a globally recognized strategist, lawyer, cross-sector systems builder and local food sector advocate known for turning complex challenges into practical and effective solutions.
Over the course of her career, she has advised governments, industry, international organizations and the United Nations; created groundbreaking initiatives spanning nations and sectors; and brought together the people, insight, expertise and resources needed to create lasting change.
Today, she applies that same approach to strengthening local food systems, food security and building greater resilience, with community at its core.
"Community is more than an audience.
It is the engine."
The arena has changed.
The approach remains the same.
Parry Aftab
Parry has spent decades seeing around corners and building responses to emerging challenges before clear models existed.
Her work has moved from cyberlaw, digital trust and international policy to local food systems and community resilience. Across each field, she listens closely, identifies who needs to be involved and turns complexity into something practical.
Today, that work includes her weekly home-cooking column, community cooking workshops, promoting members of the local food sector and using food to help newcomers connect with Island life and community and publishing a cookbook to fund it all.
“Parry Aftab is part Wonder Woman, part Super Mom and part Oprah Winfrey!”
- Jules Polonetsky, CEO, Future of Privacy Forum
Experience and Expertise
Digital Trust, Safety and Policy
More than three decades of work across cyberlaw, privacy, online safety, digital risk and emerging technology policy, including authoring the first cybersafety book for parents in 1996.
Selected work: Interpol, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice, the RCMP, Homeland Security, Scotland Yard, the FTC, the National Sheriffs’ Association, Girl Scouts of the USA, Microsoft, Facebook, Cisco, Oracle, Google, the British High Commission and the United Nations.
Coalition Building
Bringing together governments, industry, NGOs, and communities, while ensuring that people with special needs, vulnerable populations, and differing cultures and values are represented.
Selected work: Billion Strong, People-Centered Internet, the Anti-Defamation League, WiredSafety, StopCyberbullying, the Urban League, Maliseet Nation at Woodstock, Girl Scouts of the USA, Love Is Not Abuse, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the UN.
Strategy, Standards and Systems
Designing frameworks, global standards and systems, and guiding industry, NGOs and nations in responding to complex challenges clearly, collaboratively and effectively.
Selected work: the U.S. government’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration and Harvard's task forces, the United Nations, IEEE, the Internet Society, Disney, Nickelodeon, MTV, Sesame Street, the MPAA and the Vatican.
Local Food Resiliency and Community Infrastructure
Applying systems thinking, collaboration and community engagement to strengthen local food networks, support producers and build stronger community infrastructures.
Selected work: PEI Food Strong, PEI Cooks at Home, PEI Good Eats, PEI Cooks, the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce, local farmers, fishers, food producers, markets, retailers, home cooks, hospitality industry, Acadian communities, seniors and newcomers.
Trusted on the World Stage
“Parry Aftab is the leading cybercrime expert in the U.S.”
- Boston Herald
Testified before the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, the Council of Europe, the FTC and Canadian Parliament. Appeared before the UN. Hosted events at the U.S. Senate, the House of Lords, UK Parliament and the UN.
Government & Global Forums
Global Media Reach
Featured in thousands of media stories worldwide and a frequent guest on Today, Good Morning America, CNN, BBC, CBC, CTV, MSNBC and Dr. Phil, as well as leading radio programs and news broadcasts on ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.
Creating Youth Experts
Created and ran programs that trained students from grades 4 through 12 as youth researchers, expert advisers and peer educators. They advised Procter & Gamble, Nickelodeon, MTV, Girl Scouts of the USA, the FBI, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, Dr. Ann Cavoukian, Verizon and Xbox.
Local Food Systems in Practice
Applying decades of experience in systems design and community engagement through PEI Food Strong, PEI Cooks and the PEI Good Eats community to help build a sector resiliency model that can work across Canada.
Programs at Scale
Designed the Girl Scouts of the USA’s cybersafety program for two million girls, led programs reaching hundreds of thousands of students, created national initiatives with Disney, Cisco, Microsoft, Facebook, MTV, Build-a-Bear and the United Nations, and developed doctoral programs and K–12 curricula.
Guidance & Recognition
Recognized by the FBI, White House, U.S. Congress and the RCMP, appointed to national Internet-safety task forces by Congress and the U.S. state attorneys general.
Author of several books, an award-winning columnist and contributor to the Council of Europe and UNESCO publications.