Kealiʻi Bright, undersecretary at the California Natural Resources Agency, explains how modernizing government is harder—and more urgent—across a decentralized agency of 27 departments with vastly different capacities. He highlighted modernization efforts, such as improving campground reservations, building a single statewide grants portal that uses data and AI to guide applicants, and the need to track outcomes and reduce administrative hurdles. Watch Bright’s 15-minute speech at the Forum on Emerging Technologies and Government Modernization on December 4, 2025.