Kyla Williams Tate

Kyla Williams Tate is the inaugural Director of Digital Equity for Cook County Government in the Office of President Toni Preckwinkle. She previously served with the Smart Chicago Collaborative, supporting the City of Chicago’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, and has held roles advancing digital inclusion, organizational leadership, and community advocacy. Kyla is a Marjorie and Charles Benton Opportunity Fund Fellow with the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, where she contributes to the Equitable Broadband in Urban America Research Group and hosts the Digital Determination Podcast, exploring trust, digital discrimination, and adoption among descendants of the Great Migration.

She holds degrees from Northern Illinois University, Governors State University, Mississippi Valley State University, and others. In 2025, Kyla was named a Digital Equity Champion by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance. In her spare time, she writes poetry, reads, and leads the CollabARTive Community, a creative space for digital equity professionals and leaders who believe in the power of art to connect, heal, and transform.