Our story
Skylight was launched in June of 2017. We're currently made up of 58 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 21 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.
Nicole Campbell
VP of Defense Services
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.
Victor Zapanta
Research & Design Practice Area Lead
Victor co-founded the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Design+Tech team, and served as a member of 18F. His design leadership spans multiple high-profile projects, including data.gov, foia.gov, my.uscis.gov, and cloud.gov. He specializes in design leadership, service design, user experience design, and design research. Victor resides in New York.
Maya Benari
UX Designer
Maya's a former member of 18F where she worked on improving the user experience of government and developed the U.S. Web Design System. She specializes in front-end development, UX design, accessibility, and design systems. She's also a former Code for America fellow. Maya lives in California.
Shashank Khandelwal
VP of Human Services
Shashank's a former member of 18F, where he held multiple leadership positions, including Director of cloud.gov. He's also a former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Design+Tech fellow. Shashank specializes in digital leadership and transformation, digital procurement, software engineering, and cloud computing. He lives in Maryland.
Laura King
UX Designer
Laura's a UX researcher, strategist, and designer. She loves to solve complex problems by empathizing with and understanding the needs of users. Laura lives 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.
Abby Raskin
Product Manager
Abby's a former member of the U.S. Digital Service, who's drawn to complex problems and passionate about improving the human experience of technology. She specializes in product management and UX research. Abby lives in Texas.
Gabriel Ramirez
Software Engineer
Gabriel's a former member of 18F and Pivotal, who's passionate about coaching, mentoring, and technical excellence. He specializes in software engineering, APIs, DevSecOps, cloud computing, data engineering, and data science. Gabriel lives in Texas.
Robert Read
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.
Nick Bristow
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.
Geoff Mulligan
IoT Architect
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.
Colin Craig
Software Engineer
Colin's a former member of 18F, who's passionate about coaching, mentoring, and leading. While at 18F, he served in technical leadership roles on products such as login.gov, analytics.usa.gov, everykidinapark.gov, and FBI Crime Data Explorer. He specializes in software engineering, APIs, DevOps, and data engineering. Colin lives in North Carolina.
Amelia Wellers
Product Manager
Amelia's a builder at heart. A recent graduate of Cornell Tech's MBA program, she has expertise in product management, digital strategy, and marketing. Amelia led digital transformation initiatives at the NYC Mayor's Office for Economic Opportunity and the Cambridge Innovation Center. She lives in New York.
Julia Hogan
Software Engineer
Julia's a software engineer excited that she's figured out how to use technology to help people. She's committed to the challenge of improving government services through the integration of smart digital solutions. She most recently worked as an employee of NYC government, building sites and services to increase data access. She lives in New York.
Andrew Wagner
Software Engineer
Andrew's a polyglot software engineer, with a passion for delivering technical excellence. He's worked in the govtech space his entire career, and specializes in software engineering, DevOps, microservices, APIs, and cloud computing. Andrew lives in Virginia.
Becca Bartola
UX 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.
Sean Johnson
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 North Carolina.
Brandon Mader
Data Scientist & Engineer
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.
Kin Lane
API Architect
Kin served as a Presidential Innovation Fellow, and is a world-recognized expert in APIs. Since 2010, he has written over 3,000 articles and spoken at over 50 events on API-related topics. Kin also specializes in software engineering, microservices, data science and engineering, cloud computing, and enterprise software. He lives in California.
Peggy Chau
UX Researcher
Peggy's a UX 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
UX 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
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.
Eric Richards
UX Researcher
Eric's a UX researcher and designer, with a passion for co-creation and tackling complex social challenges. He was a 2019 Civic Digital Fellow at 18F and graduated from UC San Diego with degrees in Human-Computer Interaction and Design for Social Innovation. Eric lives in California.
Charlye Tran
Product Manager
Charlye loves to solve complex problems. As a former software and data engineer, she now specializes in product management and is certified in UX by Nielsen Norman Group. Charlye lives in Texas.
Tomi Obikunle
UX Researcher
Tomi's a UX researcher and designer who strives to meet and honor people where they are. She specializes in continuous discovery, usability testing, and user-centered design. Tomi currently lives in Illinois.
Adam Weber
Software Engineer
Adam's a software engineer who likes to solve hard problems and build products that delight users. He's been coding since age 10 and specializes in fixing mystery bugs, integrating with legacy systems, and "just making stuff work." Adam lives in Oregon.
Phoebe Espiritu
Product Designer
Phoebe has over 20 years of product design, UX design, and leadership experience. She was named among the 25 Women Driving New York's Tech Scene. Previously, she served as a member of 18F, taught MFA Design Entrepreneurship at Parsons Design and Technology, mentored dozens of startups, and led design at a number of technology companies.
Elisa Lee
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.
Kyle Magida
Data Scientist & Engineer
Kyle specializes in data science and engineering. He's passionate about getting people solving complex problems the right data at the right time. He formerly worked for the Massachusetts Data Office, and was in the inaugural class of the University of Chicago's Computational Analysis & Public Policy program. Kyle lives in Massachusetts.
Jordan Guinn
Software Engineer
Jordan's devoted to building products and platforms that deliver great user experiences. He specializes in software engineering, data engineering, and DevOps. Jordan lives in Oregon.
Lucas Newman
Software Engineer
Lucas's a software engineer with an unflinching faith in the ethical potential of technology to solve big societal problems. He specializes in mobile application architecture and engineering. Lucas lives in Georgia.
Kenny Nieh
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.
Rebecca Lubitz-Marchena
UX Content Strategist
Rebecca's a content strategist with a background in product marketing, UX writing, and localization. She enjoys turning complex concepts into plain language and creating great experiences through human-centered content. Rebecca lives in Maryland.
Chris Smith
Chief Operating Officer
Chris' an experienced executive with nearly 20 years of leading technology consulting and delivery teams in support of government clients. He lives in Maryland.
Jamie Song
Product Manager
Jamie's a product manager with a passion for good, clean product experiences. She excels at leading and managing cross-functional teams across the entire product lifecycle. Jamie lives in Washington DC.
Ori Hoffer
Head of Marketing & Communications
Ori's a marketing, communications, and content specialist, who formerly worked for 18F and the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation. Ori's also worked in TV, radio, and digital media — on both the journalism and corporate communications sides. He lives in Virginia.
Elyse Brumfield
Administrative Assistant
Elyse's our amazing administrative assistant. She recently graduated from Transylvania University and is seeking a degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Hodges University. Elyse lives in Florida.
Gianna Uson
Software Engineer Apprentice
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.
Alex Curtis
Data Scientist & Engineer Apprentice
Alex's a data scientist and engineer who is thrilled about using his analytical and computational skills in the realm of public service. He was 2019 Civic Digital Fellow at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Alex graduated with degrees from Columbia University and New York University. He lives in Massachusetts.
Jesse Skeets
Software Engineer
Jesse's a software engineer with a background in federal health. He enjoys all aspects of software development and loves solving inefficiencies while building secure and robust applications. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from The California Maritime Academy and is a Naval Reserve Officer. He lives in California.
Derek Tam
Product Manager Apprentice
Derek's a product manager apprentice who's excited about using modern technological practices in public-facing work. He was a 2020 Civic Digital Fellow with the General Services Administration, where he worked on Vote.gov. He recently graduated with a degree in Systems Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Derek lives in Massachusetts.
Leslie Garner Franklin
Product Manager
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.
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 @skylight_hq.
Feel free to reach out directly to one of our leaders — Chris Cairns, Shashank Khandelwal, or Nicole Campbell.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about us.