Madison Lee (she/her) is a Ph.D. student at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. She also recognizes her position as a settler on the traditional territories of the Neutral, Anishnaabe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. She completed her BA at Wilfrid Laurier University and her MA at the University of Waterloo. Madison’s MA focused primarily on cryptocurrencies and the current culture surrounding Bitcoin marketing. Through this research, Madison attempted to discover if the marketing of Bitcoin via Twitter was representative of the original aspirations of the trailblazers of Bitcoin. Madison dedicated her MA to understanding the inner workings and history of digital currency to prepare for her future research at the doctorate level.
Madison is interested in the consequences of the increasing role that Big Tech has on the international political economy. She hopes to understand the significance that Meta will have on the global financial system. Madison is passionate about unravelling how hypercapitalism is influencing the rise of Big Tech corporations. She presented her paper ‘Rise of the New Capitalists: Applying Neo-Marxist Though to the Dominion of Big Tech’ at Carleton’s 22nd annual graduate conference. She is excited and grateful for the opportunities the Balsillie School of International Affairs will provide her.