Our story
Skylight was launched in June of 2017. We’re currently made up of 93 people and one ferret. A lot of us originally worked for civic-oriented groups such as 18F, the U.S. Digital Service, and the Presidential Innovation Fellows. Now, as part of Skylight, we’re working hard to cultivate an incredible team and culture.
What brings us together is a passion for creating better outcomes for the public through great government digital services. We’re basically impact junkies. But we’re also engineers, developers, designers, product managers, consultants, writers, speakers, inventors, roboticists, gamers, authors, veterans, entrepreneurs, parents, and more. Such a diverse team always gives us a unique perspective on things.
Our official headquarters is in sunny Sarasota, Florida, but we’re a distributed and remote-friendly team currently spread across 26 different states. Sometimes the nature of our client work calls for closer proximity to their location. So far, we’ve worked with clients located in places like Washington DC, Hartford (Connecticut), Montgomery (Alabama), Baltimore (Maryland), and Ottawa (Canada).
Meet the team
Chris Cairns
Chief Executive Officer
Chris served as a Presidential Innovation Fellow, and co-founded 18F and Technology Transformation Services, both housed within the General Services Administration. He specializes in digital leadership and transformation, digital procurement, and product development and management. Chris lives in Florida.
Sean Johnson
Principal Software Engineer
Sean’s built and exited two tech startups, one of which was bought by IBM. He’s been programming since he was six years old, and specializes in software engineering, product management, and cloud computing. Sean lives in South Carolina.
Robert Read
Principal Software Engineer
Robert served as a Presidential Innovation Fellow and co-founded 18F. He’s been programming since he was 13 years old, and holds a PhD in computer science. Robert builds robots, among other things, for public good. He specializes in software engineering, data science and engineering, engineering management, and agile practices. Robert lives in Texas.
Geoff Mulligan
IoT Practice Lead
Geoff served as a Presidential Innovation Fellow, and has developed standards that power the internet, including IPv6 and 6LoWPAN. He specializes in Internet of Things, distributed and embedded systems engineering, networking technologies, and privacy and security. Geoff resides in Colorado.
Josh Dorothy
Chief Information Officer
Josh’s a former member of the U.S. Digital Service, with an interest in building both great platforms and great products. He specializes in DevOps engineering, cloud computing, and user-focused software development. Josh resides in Virginia.
Nick Bristow
Staff Software Engineer
Nick’s a former member of 18F, who relentlessly pursues creating products that are fully accessible and meet the needs of all users. He specializes in accessibility, software engineering, frontend development, and cloud computing. Nick resides in Virginia.
Brandon Mader
Senior Data Scientist
Brandon loves using data for public good. He specializes in data science, data engineering, and software engineering. Brandon graduated from Dartmouth College, where he earned a double major in Math and Computer Science. He lives in Ohio.
Becca Bartola
Senior Product Designer
Becca’s a former Etsy designer, with a passion for creating positive change through great user experiences. She specializes in user research, user experience design, and visual design. Becca lives in Pennsylvania.
Laura King
Staff User Researcher
Laura’s a researcher, strategist, and designer. She loves to solve complex problems by empathizing with and understanding the needs of users. Laura lives in Colorado.
Peggy Chau
Staff User Researcher
Peggy’s a researcher and designer who transitioned from clinical neuroscience research. She’s worked on various projects, from researching robot vacuums with Samsung to redesigning a pain communication app with UPMC. Peggy lives in Massachusetts.
Zack Gehin
Staff Product Designer
Zack’s certified in UX by the Nielsen Norman Group and specializes in complex application design. His entrepreneurial spirit adds a unique approach towards empathizing for users and identifying the right problems to solve. He’s helped form design teams, and served as a design leader in the non-profit, financial investments, and healthcare industries. Zack lives in Florida.
Nick Clyde
Staff Software Engineer
Nick’s a software engineer with a passion for using technology to solve the right kinds of problems. He especially enjoys building APIs, designing and optimizing databases, and crafting system architectures. He has experience working on and improving high-traffic government digital services. Nick lives in California.
Tomi Obikunle
Senior User Researcher
Tomi’s a researcher who strives to meet and honor people where they are. Previously, she studied human development and led hands-on engineering projects with kids. She now specializes in continuous discovery, usability testing, and human-centered design. Tomi lives in Illinois.
Elisa Lee
Senior Software Engineer
Elisa’s a software engineer with a desire to use technology to support positive change in communities. They previously worked in the developer tools, education technology, and non-profit spaces. Elisa lives in Minnesota.
Nicole Campbell
Chief Operating Officer
Nicole’s a product manager with a passion for building technology that solves complex user problems. Most recently she worked as a consultant at Pivotal Labs/VMware to help transform the way large enterprises and startups build software. She specializes in extreme programming, lean product management, and user-centered design. Nicole lives in Illinois.
Kenny Nieh
Senior Product Designer
Kenny’s a product designer, inclusive systems thinker, and people person. They work through the whole gamut of product design to create experiences that fit into people’s lives. Kenny lives in California.
Gianna Buda
Software Engineer
Gianna’s a software engineer who’s passionate about leveraging technology and partnering with communities to improve the lives of others. She was a 2018 Civic Digital Fellow at the State Department and graduated from Brown University with a degree in Computer Science. Gianna lives in Indiana.
Leslie Garner Franklin
VP of Human Services
Leslie’s a product manager with nearly two decades of experience leading teams and change efforts across the non-profit and public sectors. She’s passionate about the role technology and design play in delivering great services. She specializes in cross-functional team leadership, user experience research, and service design. Leslie lives in North Carolina.
Tiffany Nieh
Staff Product Designer
Tiffany’s a product designer who loves understanding people’s needs and creating solutions that have a positive impact. Most recently, she worked at Pivotal Labs / VMware Tanzu where she helped startups, large enterprises, and government organizations build software using modern practices. Tiffany lives in California.
Nathan Carter
Senior Software Engineer
Nathan’s a software engineer driven by building digital services for public good. Prior to becoming an engineer, he ran his own bakery. Nathan lives in North Carolina.
Matt Goldberg
Senior Content Designer
Matt’s a content designer and storyteller with a background in clean tech innovation. He enjoys making complex information accessible to everyone. He also cares deeply about improving people’s lives and livelihoods. Matt lives in Pennsylvania.
Nick Blake
Product Designer
Nick’s a multidisciplinary designer and researcher. Nick’s process is informed by cross-functional collaboration and research. He’s passionate about facilitating connections between and within communities. Nick recently graduated from Washington University in St. Louis. Nick lives in New York.
Bob Zhao
Software Engineer
Bob’s a software engineer in pursuit of solving large-scale problems that matter. In 2020, he served as Civic Digital Fellow at the National Institutes of Health, and is currently pursuing a masters degree in computer science at Washington University in St. Louis. He lives in Missouri.
Ashton Tu
Product Designer
Ashton’s a product designer, who recently graduated from the University of Southern California. As a 2020 Civic Digital Fellow with the General Services Administration, she discovered her passion for civic tech. Ashton lives in California.
Pri Kiser
Staff Product Designer
Pri’s a product designer who draws on her background in neuroscience and human-computer interaction to create delightful user experiences. She previously worked at Pivotal Labs / VMware Tanzu where she built high-impact products and scaled design practices across various types of organizations. Pri lives in Texas.
Taylor Graue
Interim VP of Defense Services
Taylor’s an Air Force Veteran who’s passionate about delivering value and bringing highly effective solutions to the Department of Defense. She most recently worked as a product manager and designer at Kessel Run. She specializes in strategy, human-centered design, and building relationships. Taylor lives in Texas.
Laura Kerry
Staff Content Designer
Laura’s a content designer who specializes in content strategy, design, operations, and governance. She loves distilling complex information into human-centered content, and enjoys empowering others to do the same. Most recently, Laura worked at the NYC Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity. She lives in Hawaii.
Emma Stephenson
Staff Software Engineer
Emma’s a software engineer with a passion for creating user-centered products. She previously worked at Google, and is experienced in a number of different technical areas, including APIs, microservices, and DevOps. Emma lives in California.
Mina Cairns
Head of Corporate Development
Mina possesses nearly 20 years of consulting, technology, and leadership experience in the public sector. She specializes in corporate strategy, corporate development, and large-scale program management. Mina lives in Florida.
Sarah Tress
Senior Product Designer
Sarah’s an engineer and social scientist who loves to work at the intersection of technology and public service. She recently graduated from Oxford with a Master’s in Development Studies as a Rhodes Scholar after studying Mechanical Engineering at MIT. Sarah lives in New York.
Gordon Farrell
Senior Software Engineer
Gordon’s a software engineer specializing in government tech. He built his career in civil service with the Department of Defense, where he focused on software modernization in the U.S. Air Force’s Kessel Run program. Gordon’s a champion for automated testing, high cadence CI/CD, and working directly with users to provide great software. Gordon lives in Colorado.
Jennifer Herzberg
Staff Product Designer
Jennifer’s a product designer who specializes in user-centered design. Previously, she led design at early- to mid-stage stage startups in the healthcare, education, and real estate industries. Jennifer studied Cognitive Science with a specialization in Human-Computer Interaction at UC San Diego. She lives in California.
David McClatchey
Senior Software Engineer
David’s a software engineer who strives to create simple and robust solutions to complex problems. He’s most recently worked at Home Depot where he helped migrate its product data to the cloud and built highly-visible APIs from that data. David lives in Georgia.
Rin Concordia
Staff DevOps Engineer
Rin’s a software engineer-turned-SRE, with a penchant for public service. She’s an active member of the United States Air Force Auxiliary — the Civil Air Patrol — where she serves as a search and rescue aircrew member and command officer. She previously served with the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary as its National Division Chief of Software Engineering. Rin lives in Illinois.
Alis Akers
Senior DevOps Engineer
Alis is a DevOps engineer interested in building reliable products using the latest cloud technologies to improve the lives of users. They’ve established integrations for patient engagement and monitoring across several large health systems and led the development of infrastructure and software pipeline requirements and tooling. They live in Oregon.
Ryan Gaddis
Staff Product Designer
Ryan’s a designer and researcher who’s ready to apply his decade of industry expertise to civic tech. He strives to make thoughtful decisions and challenge assumptions. He’s also a volunteer firefighter in his community. Ryan lives in Colorado.
Kyle Planeaux
Senior Product Manager
Kyle’s a product manager with several years of experience in the government defense space. Previously, he was a civilian product manager working for the Space Force. Kyle studied chemical engineering at the University of Southern California and is working on a graduate degree in Computer Science from Georgia Tech. He lives in California.
Zedd Shmais
Staff Software Engineer
Zedd’s a software engineer with several years of experience across a range of industries. Most recently, he worked at Pivotal Labs / VMware Tanzu where he helped companies of all sizes with their digital transformation journeys. Zedd has a masters degree in computer science from Georgia Tech. He lives in Texas.
Mike Brown
Senior Software Engineer
Mike’s a software engineer passionate about using technology for the public good. He worked on water affordability as a 2019 Code for America Fellow and has experience in the public and non-profit sectors. Mike graduated from the University at Buffalo with a degree in Computer Science and Political Science. He lives in New York.
Merethe Hansen
Senior Software Engineer
Merethe’s a software engineer who gets most excited about solving puzzles and working on projects that bring about a positive impact. Merethe comes from the enterprise software industry, where she built analytics pipelines and reports. She lives in California.
Jayna Wallace
Staff Product Manager
Jayna’s an outcomes-driven product manager who’s spent the last two decades on distributed teams building social media and streaming platforms. She moved into the civic tech space to work on a project for the Department of Defense. Jayna lives in Ohio.
Dan Sass
Senior Software Engineer
Dan’s a software engineer with a background in FinTech. He’s focused on system design, DevOps, and cloud native applications. Dan lives in Ohio.
Johanna Del Pino
Staff Software Engineer
Johanna’s a full-stack engineer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. Her main focus is on web applications and front-end technologies. She has worked for different government entities like the Veterans Affairs and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Johanna lives in Pennsylvania.
Bobby Wells
Software Engineer Apprentice
Bobby’s an engineer and data nerd who has a passion for working with tech that actively makes the world a better place. In 2021, he served as a Civic Digital Fellow at the Census Bureau and graduated from Tufts University. Bobby lives in Colorado.
Kenneth Chow
Senior Software Engineer
Kenneth’s a software engineer who specializes in building cloud-based applications. He advocates for serverless design to help scale up systems while reducing costs. Kenneth lives in California.
Camille Villa
Senior Software Engineer
Camille’s a full-stack software engineer who loves working with collaborative and service-oriented teams. She previously built open source software and managed developer communities for libraries, archives, and museums at Stanford University. Camille lives in California.
Dan Paseltiner
Staff Data Engineer
Dan’s a data engineer passionate about helping others through a thoughtful understanding of data. After years working on physics and neuroscience research funded by NIST and the NSF, he’s begun helping public health departments use their data better. Outside of work, Dan’s an avid hiker and sailor. Dan lives in Maine.
Ann Millspaugh
Staff Product Manager
Ann’s a product manager who loves to solve customer problems. As a former engineer, she likes to understand the details of technical products and translate technical concepts to all stakeholders. Ann specializes in productizing and scaling APIs and data pipelines. Ann lives in California.
Lina Roth
Staff Software Engineer
Lina’s a software engineer with experience in cloud computing and DevOps, along with building APIs and robust applications. For nearly seven years, she worked with the Veterans Affairs developing benefits management software. She enjoys making the world a more inclusive space for everyone. Lina lives in South Carolina.
Josh Nygaard
Senior Software Engineer
Josh’s a full-stack software engineer passionate about making tools, big and small, that can have a positive effect. He has several years of experience working in govtech, and values having a broad range of technical experiences and knowledge. Josh lives in Pennsylvania.
Amrita Kaur Bhatti
Staff Product Manager
Amrita’s a product manager who enjoys working with people and technology to create meaningful solutions. Previously, she was a product manager at McMaster-Carr and has experience as a software engineer. She lives in California.
Brady Fausett
Staff Data Engineer
Brady’s a data engineer with a passion to improve healthcare data interoperability. Brady has 20+ years experience working in healthcare informatics, including clinical decision support applications, NHSN reporting, and FHIR and HL7 APIs. He previously worked with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as a FHIR specialist for the Blue Button API. Brady lives in Idaho.
Jill Fromewick
Staff User Researcher
Jill’s a user researcher with 20+ years of experience at the intersection of outcomes-driven research, program evaluation, and user experience. She’s passionate about conducting feasible, actionable research that’ll be used to improve outcomes and advance equity. Jill lives in North Carolina.
Marcelle Goggins
Senior Data Engineer
Marcelle’s a data engineer with a background in applied statistics and public policy. Marcelle’s previously worked as a data engineer/scientist at civic tech non-profits and academic institutions, focusing on workforce development and education research. She lives in Washington.
Robert Mitchell
Senior Data Engineer
Robert has spent his career in the non-profit and government tech space bootstrapping analytics in under-resourced environments to bridge the gap between data and insight. Adhering to a data-for-good ethos, he centers the mission in orienting solutions to problems. Robert lives in California.
Joe Reynolds
Operations Associate
Joe’s an operations specialist with financial services, IT, mortgage, and fintech industry experience. He loves unlocking value for businesses and their customers through operational excellence. Joe lives in California.
Angela The
Software Engineer Apprentice
Angela’s a software engineer who’s passionate about building human-centered tools that can improve access to public benefits and services. She pursued a master’s degree in computer science and public policy and previously served as a Civic Innovation Corps Fellow for the City of San José. Angela lives in California.
Emmanuel Nwakire
Senior DevOps Engineer
Emmanuel’s a DevOps engineer with years of experience in the travel tech, fintech, and lifestyle industries. He’s also a certified Scrum Master, where he excels at understanding and addressing the needs of clients and stakeholders alike. Emmanuel lives in Maryland.
Boban Ljuljdjurovic
Senior Software Engineer
Boban’s a software engineer who’s always excited to work on new and challenging problems. He has experience with building scalable APIs and DevOps, and is actively expanding his front-end expertise. Boban lives in Michigan.
Mike Judd
Chief Operating Officer, Human Services
Mike’s a technologist, community builder, and bureaucracy hacker with over 10 years of experience at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He’s passionate about improving the ways that government interacts with and provides value to the American people. Mike lives in Georgia.
Mary Yeh
Senior User Researcher
Mary’s a researcher, strategic thinker, and user advocate who loves working collaboratively. She has experience as a research consultant, non-profit manager, and middle school science teacher. Mary lives in California.
Arin Kulshi
Staff Data Engineer
Arin’s a data engineer who specializes in building applications focused on health technology. He has a background in improving healthcare interoperability and addressing diverse data needs. Arin lives in California.
Bruce Jacobson
Principal Engagement Manager
Bruce is an engagement manager and software leader with deep product management expertise. He has a passion for fostering innovative cultures to create breakthrough products. Bruce lives in Illinois.
Miringu Kiarie
Senior User Researcher
Miringu’s a researcher with a focus on the intersection of humans and technology. He specializes in human-centered design, including user experience research and usability testing. Miringu lives in California.
Alex Hayward
Data Scientist
Alex is a data scientist who’s passionate about using data to create more equitable public outcomes. Previously, they used machine learning to help public water systems identify and remove lead pipes at the National Institutes of Health. Alex lives in California.
Mary Crawford
Senior DevOps Engineer
Mary’s a DevOps engineer who enjoys creating, monitoring, containerizing, and observing various technical processes. She takes pride in being an intricate part of securing applications. Mary lives in Washington.
Monica Qiu
Staff Product Manager
Monica’s a product manager who loves leveraging people’s strengths to solve complex problems. She previously worked at Amazon, where she specialized in ecommerce. Monica lives in California.
Eileen Ruberto
Senior User Researcher
Eileen’s a user researcher who loves collaborating on systems that solve real-world problems and reduce toil for the people they serve. She applies her expertise in qualitative research and library science to help teams make decisions grounded in empathy and evidence. Eileen lives in New York.
Rob Mitchell
Senior Data Engineer
Rob’s a data engineer with experience in the education and civic tech space. He uses his technical knowledge to help others, provide insight, and advance social good. Rob lives in Massachusetts.
Janki Kaneria
Staff Product Manager
Janki’s a product manager with a passion for modernizing software to improve people’s access to health services. She specializes in big data problems and genetics. Janki lives in Massachusetts.
Eric Buckley
Staff Software Engineer
Eric’s a software engineer with 20+ years of experience in designing and building web applications and ETL pipelines. He’s devoted to developing simple systems that are intuitive for users and easy for organizations to evolve. Eric lives in Oregon.
Roger Ruiz
Staff Software Engineer
Roger’s a software engineer that specializes in full-stack web development, API design, and developer experience. Coming from private and public sector companies like 18F and HashiCorp, Roger loves approaching complex problems from a holistic perspective. He lives in Illinois.
Dana Nelson
Staff User Researcher
Dana’s a user researcher dedicated to improving healthcare experiences. She’s helped redesign electronic medical records, led product design teams, reimagined offerings for hospitals, and launched a brand new mental health app for teenagers. Dana lives in Oregon.
Karina Wernecke
Staff Product Manager
Karina’s a product manager who enjoys collaborating with others to solve challenging problems through delightful solutions. She received her MBA from Northwestern Kellogg and has previous experience in marketing and software development. Karina lives in Illinois.
Amy Kintner
Staff Software Engineer
Amy’s a software engineer with experience in software development and higher education. An academic at heart, Amy’s passionate about pursuing knowledge of all types and levels. She lives in Oregon.
Brandon Sanchez
Senior User Researcher
Brandon’s a researcher and product strategist with over eight years of experience driving accessibility and ethical practices in technology. At companies like Meta and Spotify, he shaped product development with user-centric design to ensure digital experiences are engaging and inclusive. Brandon lives in Texas.
Holly DeWolf
Staff Product Manager
Holly’s a product manager with a robust background in user experience research and design. She’s dedicated to streamlining government services so teams can focus on their missions. Holly lives in Virginia.
Austin Brown
Staff Product Manager
Austin’s a product manager with a background in UX design and industrial design. He’s passionate about helping organizations make good on their transformation and modernization efforts. He’s at his best when coaching cross-functional teams to be exceptional and representing complex technology in simple terms. Austin lives in New York.
Anke Stohlmann
Principal User Researcher
Anke’s a design leader and educator, who uses a human-centered approach to design effective and equitable products and services. She’s dedicated to using her design skills to effect positive change and is deeply committed to building partnerships and including users in the design process. Anke lives in New York.
Andrew Kasper
Staff Data Engineer
Andrew’s a data engineer with wide-ranging industry experience. He has a background working with Silicon Valley startups, GIS, aerospace, and the Peace Corps. He’s an expert at transforming customer pain points into technical requirements. Andrew lives in Georgia.
Matt deClercq
Staff Software Engineer
Matt’s a software engineer with nearly 20 years of experience designing and building platforms across a myriad of verticals. He has a passion for big-picture strategic technical design, unlocking data through APIs, and using his skills for the greater good. Matt lives in Texas.
Katie Campbell Downie
Senior Software Engineer
Katie’s a software engineer who delights in building things that are both useful and beautiful. She most recently worked with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on web and API development, and was an arts administrator prior to her career in tech. Katie lives in Minnesota.
Laura Janisse
Principal User Researcher
Laura’s a results-driven user researcher with a passion for human-centered design. With expertise working at large, complex organizations, she’s helped lead and develop enterprise-wide digital experience design solutions. Laura lives in Oregon.
Mike Wales
Principal Digital Transformer
Mike’s a software engineering leader who loves to mentor and guide others in the field. He’s an U.S. Air Force Veteran and an entrepreneur at heart, building and selling his first company from his dorm room at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Mike lives in Texas.
Christopher Whitaker
Staff Engagement Manager
Christopher’s a civic technologist with a background in public administration and product management. He’s the co-founder of the Alliance of Civic Technologists and has served in both delivery and operations roles at the Defense Digital Service, U.S. Digital Service, and Code for America. Christopher’s also a Veteran of the U.S. Army, seriving with the mechanized infantry in Iraq. He lives in Illinois.
Brandon Chanco
Staff Security Engineer
Chanco’s a cybersecurity engineer and Marine Corps Veteran whose passion is to enable the warfighter. He’s previously worked at Cisco and IBM to bring modern solutions and capabilities to assist DoD service members and other civil servants. Most recently, he was at Platform One, an Air Force software factory. Chanco lives in Alabama.
Kyle Bond
Staff Software Engineer
Kyle is a software engineer with experience in both the consumer goods and civic tech sectors, most recently serving as CTO at a health tech startup. He leverages his skills to make a positive impact, both professionally and personally. Kyle is based in Georgia.
Lauryn Claassen
Staff Content Designer
Lauryn is a content designer with a diverse background in public health, human-centered design, and journalism. After years working in both the non-profit and private sectors, she’s excited to have transitioned into civic tech, where she’s focused on making public services work for everyone. Lauryn lives in California.”
Always at your service
If you have a question for us, or would just like to get in touch, drop us a message at [email protected]. If you’d like to inquire about hiring us for a job, fill out this short form. If you’re interested in joining our team, check out our career opportunities. If you’d like to explore forming a partnership to pursue government opportunities, let’s talk business.
We love to share our thoughts on technology, design, procurement, business, culture, and more with the world. You can read up on our latest thinking at our company blog.
You can also follow along on Twitter, LinkedIn, or YouTube.
Feel free to reach out directly to one of our leaders — Chris Cairns or Nicole Campbell.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about us.