Championing diversity and innovation
At the intersection of policy, technology and diversity, along a road that starts in Detroit and ends in Washington, D.C., lies A Tiffany M. Moore's remarkable career. The first in her family to attend college, she studied Spanish and Japanese at Western Michigan University, although her mother had hoped she would pursue a business major.
Moore is now a senior vice president for the Consumer Technology Association, best known for its internationally-renowned annual Consumer Electronics Show, which welcomes innovators from around the world. Her path to WMU was fueled by the commitment to education of her hard-working single parent.
"There was no question about it - I was going to college," she says, recalling that she and her mother even moved in with a friend to provide her the opportunity to attend school in suburban Rochester, where she credits a wonderful teacher for instilling her love of languages. When it was time to select a college, a campus visit to WMU sealed the deal.
"I found an incredible community at Western," she says, adding a special shoutout to the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Delta Chi chapter.
Another transformational visit was her first trip to the nation's capital, just after her freshman year, for the goth anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington. Thus began her love affair with Washington, D.C. - and although she has lived in Washington for many years, Moore still considers herself a Detroiter. A summer study abroad experience in Japan, sponsored by the Japan Center for Michigan Universities, reinforced her language skills and cemented her love of travel.
After graduating from WMU in 1996, Moore headed back to Washington, D.C., where she was hired by then-Michigan Congressman Fred Upton. Her one-course foray into political science at WMU had led her to believe politics "wasn't for me," but she loved the work, and credits Upton with providing her a major career boost.
"I didn't know him, and he didn't know me," she recalls. "But he gave me a chance, even though I didn't have a political background." Upton has since said that Moore was "one of the best hires I ever made."
Moving up through the ranks, Moore became legislative director, advising Upton on a range of policy matters. Foreshadowing a future in technology, she also launched the congressman's first website, at a time when email was still a novelty.
During her more than six years working with Upton, Moore earned a master's degree at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs. She subsequently became director of government relations for the Kellogg Co., serving as assistant U.S. trade representative for intergovernmental affairs and public liaison and as a legislative affairs consultant before landing a job with the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).
Moore returned to WMU in 2008 to accept an alumni achievement award, granted in recognition of her impressive career. In her acceptance remarks, Moore highlighted her strong belief in the tremendous value of studying languages.
"I have had the wonderful honor of working with a number of Latin American governments in crafting trade policy, and there is nothing like giving someone the respect of speaking to them in their language. And the ability to read Spanish newspapers in Colombia or Peru has given me a greater understanding and perspective of those countries, their internal pressures, and allowed for a richer experience."
Among her many accomplishments during her 10 years with the CTA, Moore is particularly proud of managing the organizations Innovation for All Fund, which has invested $10 million into venture firms and funds focused on underrepresented founders, entrepreneurs and diverse leadership teams, including veterans - investments that have helped launch and grow more than 260 companies since 2019. At January's Consumer Electronics Show, the organization announced an additional s5 million in funding for this initiative.
"For a lot of the work I do - lobbying and government affairs - it can be hard to point to exactly what's been accomplished, but this is different, and I'm very proud of that. Traditional venture capital networks are woefully homogeneous, and for the most part limited to the East and West coasts. But there is startup grit and great ideas throughout this country," Moore says. "Our Innovation for All Fund seeks to support women entrepreneurs and other traditionally underrepresented groups. We don't want to miss out on the next best idea or innovation because a woman wasn't able to access venture capital."
The fund represents part of Moore's commitment to maintaining a diverse and competitive workforce, "I am fortunate to have worked for incredible individuals and companies, making sure they take advantage of everyone in the workforce, which has always proven financially beneficial. If the U.S. wants to remain competitive and number one, then everyone needs to be off the bench and on the field. Diversity is about changing your default settings and opening the aperture, recognizing that the people you know may not be all the people who are qualified."
The 2025 Consumer Electronics Show highlighted the enormous influence of Al, with Moore reporting that "everything is Al-enabled now," among the products offered by more than 1,200 startups in attendance. She is a fan of the technology but understands being anxious about Al.
"I think it's the innate fear of the unknown, but I say, if you're going to hate it, you have to try it first. I use it almost every day to help with menial tasks so I can focus on higher level work. It can quickly summarize a 40-page paper so I can get the key points quickly for, say, a conversation on the Hill."
On a personal level, Moore noted that technology has helped her keep tabs on her elderly mother.
"I was able to see her in her room at her nursing home, and know she was okay. I could program a digital photo album so she could see pictures of us, and control the apps on her phone so she couldn't purchase anything she shouldn't."
Though she passed in 2024, Moore's mother was by her side as she arrived at WMU in 1992. They met with Dorphine Payne and Martha Warfield in the Division of Multicultural Affairs, where they "assured my mother they would take care of her baby - and they did. All my work study was in that office, where I was a counselor for the MLK program and an Upward Bound counselor among other assignments. Those women cared for me and took care of me," she recalls.
"I was so grateful for them, and I continue to be grateful for my time at WMU."
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