Vass Bednar is a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation and host of The Globe and Mail’s podcast Lately. She specializes in dissecting how technology and policy shape Canadian consumer markets and labor trends.
“Her ability to make competition policy relatable to everyday Canadians is unmatched.” — Toronto Star
Vass Bednar is a leading Canadian journalist and policy analyst whose work intersects technology, business, and regulatory frameworks. As the host of The Globe and Mail’s podcast Lately and executive director of McMaster University’s Master of Public Policy in Digital Society program, she combines academic rigor with accessible storytelling to dissect complex socio-economic issues. Her Substack newsletter, regs to riches, further cements her role as a critical voice in Canadian public discourse.
Bednar’s career began in government and academia, with roles at Queen’s Park, the City of Toronto, and the University of Toronto. She later transitioned into journalism, leveraging her policy expertise to analyze emerging trends in technology and consumer markets. Key milestones include:
This podcast episode examines the rise of Canada’s “solo economy,” where 40% of adults now identify as unpartnered. Bednar interviews Dr. Yuthika Girme, a Simon Fraser University researcher, to challenge stereotypes about singlehood. The analysis highlights how businesses exploit this demographic through targeted services like solo travel packages and AI-driven dating apps, while policymakers overlook their unique financial burdens. Bednar’s use of longitudinal data from Statistics Canada and interviews with solo entrepreneurs provides a nuanced view of this societal shift.
In this op-ed, Bednar critiques dynamic pricing algorithms on platforms like Tinder and Bumble, which charge users based on perceived attractiveness or income. She argues these practices violate Canada’s Competition Act by creating “discriminatory marketplaces,” citing a 2024 Canadian Competition Bureau report. The piece advocates for regulatory frameworks to ensure transparency in algorithmic pricing—a hallmark of Bednar’s focus on tech accountability.
Co-authored with Denise Hearn, this investigative piece traces Amazon’s expansion into healthcare and housing sectors. Bednar reveals how the company leverages its logistics network to undercut Canadian SMEs, using case studies from Ontario’s pharmacy sector. The article influenced parliamentary debates on updating the Competition Act to address digital monopolies.
Bednar prioritizes stories where technology collides with regulatory gaps. For example, her analysis of dating app pricing models (iPolitics) demonstrates how she connects consumer tech to antitrust policy. Pitches should highlight underreported policy implications, such as AI’s impact on labor standards or blockchain applications in public procurement.
Her podcast episode on singlehood (The Globe and Mail) interweaves demographic data with personal narratives. Successful pitches will pair quantitative analysis (e.g., StatsCan reports) with qualitative interviews, particularly from underrepresented groups like solo parents or gig workers.
While Bednar engages with academic research, she consistently ties it to real-world outcomes. Note her use of case studies in the Amazon investigation (MoneySense). Avoid pitches about abstract regulatory concepts without clear examples of their impact on consumers or businesses.
Bednar was recognized for her innovative work on digital governance frameworks, particularly her proposals to modernize Canada’s privacy laws. This fellowship, awarded to only five Canadians annually, highlights her ability to bridge academic research and actionable policy.
Her leadership in developing Canada’s first national youth employment strategy demonstrated her knack for translating complex economic data into pragmatic solutions. The panel’s recommendations led to the creation of 15,000 subsidized internships nationwide.
“Regulatory policy isn’t about red tape—it’s the invisible architecture shaping our daily lives.”
— Vass Bednar, regs to riches newsletter
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Tech, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
