Dcoding HR: Fall into Dcode with our Interns
by Michelle Chang, Talent Acquisition and Engagement Manager
As Dcode continues to work from home, this unique opportunity allowed us to expand our horizons for a fully virtual fall internship/fellowship, with Dcoders located all across the country. We’re thrilled to introduce this fall’s class, full of ambitious individuals ready to learn all about the intersection of tech and government, build meaningful connections, and have fun along the way.
Ajani Skeete, Graduate from American University, Masters in Public Administration
Intern on Government Team
What do you like to do in your free time? Watch scary movies, play with my cat, play tennis, go swimming, travel, eat savoy food, and shop!
What made you want to intern with Dcode? The culture! Dcode’s unique culture brings diverse, brilliant minds together to help the government be better. I love what I do and I feel inspired and supported by the entire Dcode family everyday!
Describe your internship role. I’m the Research Intern for the Government Team. In this role, I help build our cloud of external market research which will enhance current Dcode programs, identify new government opportunities, and increase collaboration between Dcode teams. I support the GovHub team by tracking and responding to inquiries made by contacts through our “Ask Us Anything” feature and I pinpoint potential leads who can bring value and revenue to Dcode.
What would you like to learn? What makes Dcode products so unique and hard-hitting? I would like to learn more about the procurement and acquisition process the government undergoes. I would also like to learn more about the emerging tech companies we support through our accelerators. How can we scout ethical tech companies and ensure the government is receiving the best technology to help civilians? I hope to become a subject matter expert in the government procurement field and understand what agencies are looking for from the future of tech.
Caterina Prestia, Junior at Brown University, majoring in Applied Mathematics-Economics and Art History
Intern on Tech Team
What do you like to do in your free time? I love exploring contemporary art museums, skiing, spending time with friends, and trying new restaurants.
What made you want to intern with Dcode? I was drawn to Dcode simply because I really resonate with the mission. As someone with an interest in tech and finance, it is hard to find companies that want to tap into this industry and use what it has to offer for good. Dcode’s goal of connecting great tech with the government for positive outcomes is quite commendable given the good that can come out of these partnerships.
Describe your internship role. I am working on tech scouting and Dcode Capital. This entails looking for up and coming tech that might have use cases in the government, as well as seeing if these companies would be a good fit for an investment from Dcode. I have gotten the opportunity to speak with founders, write reports on startups, and create market maps to better understand any given tech landscape.
What would you like to learn? I am hoping to learn what makes a great startup and how they can thrive in both the public and private sectors. Entrepreneurship and becoming a founder is something that might interest me in the future, and I think the best way to create a successful company is to learn from those who came before you! On the other hand, the venture capital process has always fascinated me, so learning the decision making process and how investments go through the pipeline is really interesting.
Keri Chen, Sophomore at UCLA, majoring in Communications
Intern on Marketing Team
What do you like to do in your free time? In my spare time, I work on data visualization and longforms for the Daily Bruin (UCLA’s student newspaper) and serve as a staff member for Nikkei Student Union, a Japanese-American cultural club. I love to play Animal Crossing, try new recipes, exercise outdoors, and binge comedy specials on Netflix!
What made you want to intern with Dcode? Growing up in the Sacramento area, I was always immersed in youth civic engagement programs, and became interested in government operations. At UCLA, I was exposed to the whole tech startup world, but I was drawn more towards marketing and design. With the pandemic, I wanted to take advantage of opportunities that existed in a remote capacity, leading me to find Dcode! I’m thrilled to be able to intern at a DC-based company and to learn more about B2B marketing across vastly different sectors.
Describe your internship role. Right now in marketing and communications, we are in the process of expanding our reach on social media and trying out new lead generation methods to publicize our new accelerator model and bring in more tech companies!
What would you like to learn? I would love to learn more about brand image and messaging across the tech and government sectors, and how to best capture the market that exists in that information gap.
Sean Tran, Senior at the College of William & Mary, majoring in Finance with a Business Analytics concentration
Intern on Operations Team
What do you like to do in your free time? I love to dance! Performing is a big stress reliever for me, and I love being a part of a team and dancing with others, or just freestyling for fun! During COVID it’s been harder to do this, so I’ve recently picked up streaming shows, which I never did before. Now I can’t stop binge watching RuPaul’s Drag Race.
What made you want to intern with Dcode? The two main factors that originally drew me to Dcode was its growth and its impact. I believe that being able to support both commercial businesses and the government maximizes the impact we can have on innovation and productivity. Having had previous experience in entrepreneurship, I am super excited to be a part of the team as we’re scaling the business and trying new things, and I look forward to seeing what comes next. Of course, what really convinced me to intern with Dcode was the people — everyone is so smart, funny, kind and supportive at Dcode, and I knew from my first interview that these were the type of people I would want to work with.
Describe your internship role. I’m supporting talent and operations at Dcode, which is a totally new journey for me. Some of my responsibilities include screening candidates for open roles (check out our website for opportunities on our Government and Tech teams!), planning out future Dcode dialogues on diversity, equity and inclusion, centralizing company-wide resources on responsibilities, and backing up the Ops team where I can (shoutout to my AMAZING managers, Michelle and Whitney!). I’m really excited to be revamping Dcode’s onboarding experience, which is the main project I’m owning, as it’s the first thing new Dcoders see when they join the team, and it’s allowed me to work across all of our Dcode teams.
What would you like to learn? I’m so excited to be working at the intersection of technology, public sector, and operations, and I’m really excited to gain a better understanding of where I want to start my career once I graduate. Being able to meet everyone from Dcode has been so easy, as everyone is very accessible (even though we’re not in the office!), and I’ve already absorbed so much of their wisdom in terms of understanding career progression and skill development. I am really excited to get experience working in a talent role, and I definitely hope to have full working-knowledge of the full-cycle recruiting process, utilizing talent management systems, and being able to plan strategy around our most important asset: the people at Dcode! Working at a startup is an adventure, and I’m really open-minded to see where it takes me.
Mya Zemlock, Graduate from American University, B.A. in International Studies and a minor in Russian language
Fellow on Product Development & Delivery Team
What do you like to do in your free time? I spend a lot of my free time sewing, reading, playing video games, and watching tv with my roommates (we are currently making our way through Arrested Development as a household).
What made you want to intern with Dcode? I spent every research opportunity in college trying to understand the relationship between tech (especially in the cybersecurity field) and various government entities all over the world. When given the opportunity to work for a company whose entire mission is connecting tech to the government to promote innovation, I jumped!
Describe your internship role. I’m working as a Fellow for the Product Development and Delivery Team. I spend my time ensuring that the products and services that we provide are of the highest possible quality. I also work towards making sure that the tools our team needs to develop high quality products and services are easily and readily accessible.
What would you like to learn? During my Fellowship, I’d like to learn more about how tech resellers promote innovation in the federal government by teaming up with smaller tech companies. I would also like to make some new and interesting contacts to expand my personal network!
Sound like a team you want to join? Check out our careers page to see our open full-time positions or reach out to info@dcode.co to be notified when internship applications open up.
Michelle is Dcode’s Talent Acquisition & Engagement Manager, leading the company’s recruiting and onboarding, as well as making sure employees are proud and thrilled to be at Dcode. When Michelle isn’t exploring and seeing the fall foliage, you can find her baking bread or cookies to satisfy her large appetite.
