Democracy, Consumer Power & Economic Rights

Consumers today are vulnerable to corporate surveillance, dangerous products, and discrimination in the economy. President and CEO of Consumer Reports, Marta L. Tellado, offers a playbook for individual and collective action to create a fairer marketplace and stronger democracy for all. Join us for a conversation with Tellado, led by Dr. Peniel Jospeh, Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

This event is hosted by the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service, co-sponsored with the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life, and the Global Sustainability Leadership Institute.

About Marta L. Tellado:

Since joining CR in 2014, Tellado has transformed one of America’s most trusted brands and iconic social enterprises, uniting its rigorous research, consumer insights, award-winning journalism, and advocacy expertise to drive social impact. With a talent for innovation and a passion for public service, Tellado has guided CR to tackle the next frontier of consumer protections: digital rights. That focus has included everything from helping consumers prevent cyber breaches to fighting for people’s control of their own data.

Under her leadership, CR has also modernized to improve consumer products and services with renewed ways of testing connected products for privacy and security by standing up the CR Digital Lab, as well as launching CR’s Data Intelligence effort bringing consumer insights to manufacturers and regulators to influence product design and safety upstream. In recent years, CR has consistently been recognized with leading industry awards for its journalism, editorial design, and video content, such as the Society of Professional Journalism Award, numerous Webby Awards (including the Webby People’s Voice Award for best non-profit website), and an Emmy nomination for its first major network educational television program on NBC and Telemundo. In 2018, Folio Magazine named Marta one of the year’s ‘Top Women in Media,’ and for three consecutive years, from 2020-22, City and State named her one of the Top 100 most influential Latinos.

Marta is the author of “Buyer Aware: Harnessing Our Consumer Power for a Safe, Fair, and Transparent Marketplace,” published in 2022 by Public Affairs. It chronicles the scale of challenges consumers face today, especially in the digital marketplace, and what we must do to ensure consumer rights in the modern economy to strengthen democracy and promote economic equity. Marta came to CR following a rich career in public service, philanthropy, and mission-driven nonprofit management. At the Ford Foundation, she was vice president for global communications and an officer of the board. She led strategic communications and advocacy in the U.S. and across 14 regional offices around the world focusing on a range of issues including economic fairness, free and fair access to an open internet, and civil rights. 

Consumer Reports is an independent nonprofit that works side-by-side with consumers to create a fair and just marketplace.

Questions? Email sydney.wilburn@austin.utexas.edu