USDS + Lesbians Who Tech
We are excited and proud to be a part of the Lesbians Who Tech Summit in San Francisco, which brings together over 5,000 lesbians, queer women and allies across all areas of technology. Eight talented members of our team will be attending the summit as speakers, panelists, recruiters, and allies! Meet them below, connect with us at the summit and learn more about USDS:
- Tweet us @USDS or message us at usds@omb.eop.gov for more details on how to meet up at the summit!
- Come listen to our panel, ‘If Not Us, Then Who?’, at 12:15pm PST on Friday, March 2nd.
- If you’re ready to join, submit an application at usds.gov/join.
Grace McKinney, She/Her/Hers, Talent Operations Lead at USDS HQ
I am on the USDS talent team working on convincing people to come make government services work better for citizens. I also help them navigate all the many side quests they need to actually onboard into the government. I am excited to hear some of the amazing speakers lined up for LWT and connect with other queer people working in and around the tech sector.
Seema Daryanani, She/Her/Hers, Sr. Technical Recruiter, Diversity & Inclusion at USDS HQ San Francisco
I am based in San Francisco and am working on recruiting talent mainly based in Silicon Valley. Over the past 10 years, I have been very involved with an organization that helps survivors of human trafficking called International Sanctuary. Joining USDS combines the best of both worlds for me, I get to do the job I love and see how those hires can work on projects that will positively impact so many. I specialize in Diversity and Inclusion and that is why I am most excited about the Lesbians Who Tech Summit.
Kasia Chmielinski, They/Them/Theirs, Product Manager at USDS HQ
I am a Product Manager working at the U.S. Digital Service to reduce friction in government technology projects. My current focus includes research relating to e-prescription for controlled substances, as well as streamlining work at Census 2020. While at LWT, I hope to connect with others who believe that the public deserves better technology. Learn more about working in government in 2018 at my panel, ‘If Not Us, Then Who?’.
Andréa Viza, She/Her/Hers, Technical Recruiter at USDS HQ
I am always working on identifying top technical talent nationwide to join our team! At the Lesbians Who Tech, I am most looking forward to hearing all of the speakers and panels. There is such a wide range of talented technologists with different perspectives, so I am excited to hear and learn from them. I love meeting and networking with people, so if you are at the summit you should come say hi! USDS is a great home and I would love to chat with anyone who has any questions or interest :)
Marvo Dolor, She/Her/Hers, Deputy Director at USDS Veterans Affairs
I am currently working on supporting the team at VA as we work on tools for VA employees to more efficiently tackle the backlog of appeals Veterans have filed; as well as developing tools for Veterans to more easily apply for the benefits they’ve earned e.g. disability claims. I am really looking forward to the USDS panel “If Not Us, Then Who: Working in Government 2018” on Friday and meeting the amazing, accomplished attendees and future USDSers! People should come say hi because I’d love to hear about their work and to exchange podcast suggestions — I have a great list going.
Julie Meloni, She/Her/Hers, Director of Product Management & Strategy/Operations at USDS HQ
I’m the Director of Product Management & Strategy/Operations at the U.S. Digital Service, which means I try my best to hire and empower people who then design, develop, and deliver tools that make a difference in the lives of millions of people every day. The most important and rewarding job I have is to make sure that 50+ technical product managers and strategy/operations folks are working on the most impactful projects they can (and are happy doing so). I am super excited to attend Lesbians Who Tech not only to meet a ton of new people at the top of their game, but also to remind folks that just because Megan Smith isn’t the U.S. CTO anymore, the U.S. Government doesn’t lack for smart queer techies trying their very best to build products and experiences that represent the needs of all Americans (and those wanting to become Americans). We need help — YOUR HELP — please come to our panel “If Not Us, Then Who?” to learn more about the people and projects in the U.S. Digital Service!
Amanda Miklik, They/Them/Theirs, Director of Design at USDS
This is my first LWT summit and I am excited to meet other badass queer folks who are passionate about building tech that makes the world a better place. I am looking forward to telling stories with my teammates about the United States Digital Service before lunch on Friday at Midnight Sun! If you want to talk about how we’re currently transforming some of the U.S. government’s most critical digital services for the better (especially using our design & UX superpowers), come talk to me!
Stephanie Neill-Payne, She/Her/Hers, Executive Director at USDS Department of Homeland Security
At the Lesbians Who Tech Summit I am excited to share stories about how our government is changing for the better — in how it is delivering its services to you. I’m super inspired by the Lesbians Who Tech movement — we need more diverse voices in tech!
