Why I’m joining Code for America
In my career I have been focused on making people’s lives better through technology. I most recently served as Vice President of Software at Jawbone. There, I had the opportunity to lead a team that built technology to help people make healthier choices and avoid the onset of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
Making that kind of an impact on people’s lives was incredibly fulfilling, so when it came time to consider my next role, I started by asking myself one question: how can I make the biggest positive social impact possible?
It’s clear to me that technology improves our lives everyday. From financial planning to healthcare, communications to clean tech, there is no shortage of opportunity for technologists to make an impact on the world around us. But when I think of scale, government is one of the biggest levers, and has the greatest potential, for improving our lives and our communities.
It’s with hope and optimism about the power of technology and government that I join Code for America as Chief Technology Officer.
I’m joining Code for America at a unique time. We’re evolving from a startup showing what’s possible through smaller projects, to an operation that can support and partner with hundreds of local governments to deliver services that meet the 21st century needs of their communities. We’re going deep to serve the people who need it most — helping people put food on the table, building more safe and just communities, and giving people the support they need to find meaningful careers.
For me, Code for America’s vision of government that works for the people, by the people, in the 21st century, is about understanding what people who want to live better lives are really going through. It’s about putting people’s needs at the center of delivering key services like food assistance. Code for America does this so well already, but we need to better leverage all the great people in our community to help us solve problems and scale those approaches.
In the coming months, my goal is to build out a team that is as diverse as the communities we serve. And even before we start talking about tech, my job will be to create clarity across the organization as we expand and build on our product portfolio.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be learning more about Code for America’s history, the needs of our partners and their clients, and the larger ecosystem. I’m particularly looking forward to speaking with many of you at the Code for America Summit. If you see me wandering the conference halls, please don’t hesitate to say hello and chat with me about a project you’re working on!
