Our story
Skylight was launched in June of 2017. We’re currently made up of 115 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 29 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. Chris 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 IBM acquired. Sean’s been programming since the age of six 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. Robert’s been programming since age 13 and holds a PhD in computer science. Robert builds robots — among other things — for public good and 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 developed standards that power the internet, including IPv6 and 6LoWPAN. Geoff 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 a passion for building both great platforms and great products. Josh 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. Nick 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. Brandon specializes in data science, data engineering, and software engineering. Brandon graduated from Dartmouth College with a double major in Math and Computer Science. Brandon 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. Becca 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 who loves solving 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 moved from clinical neuroscience research to product design. Peggy’s worked on projects ranging from robot vacuum research with Samsung to redesigning a pain-communication app with UPMC. Peggy lives in Massachusetts.
Nick Clyde
Staff Software Engineer
Nick’s asoftware engineer passionate about building scalable, open-source tools that make public health data more accessible and useful. With nearly a decade of experience developing web applications and data pipelines, Nick has led technical efforts for government agencies like the CDC, modernizing critical systems with cloud-native technologies. Nick thrives at the intersection of infrastructure, health, and public service, and enjoys mentoring teammates and shipping code that solves real-world problems. Nick lives in Sacramento, California, with family and three cats.
Tomi Obikunle
Senior User Researcher
Tomi’s a researcher who strives to meet — and honor — people where they are. Previously, Tomi studied human development and led hands-on engineering projects with kids. Tomi now specializes in continuous discovery, usability testing, and human-centered design. Tomi lives in Illinois.
Nicole Campbell
Chief Operating Officer
Nicole’s a product manager passionate about building technology that solves complex user problems. Nicole most recently consulted at Pivotal Labs / VMware, helping large enterprises and startups transform the way they build software. Nicole specializes in extreme programming, lean product management, and user-centered design. Nicole lives in Illinois.
Gianna Buda
Software Engineer
Gianna’s a software engineer passionate about leveraging technology and partnering with communities to improve lives. Gianna 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 leads Skylight’s Health + Civilian Services business unit as Vice President. With more than 20 years of experience spanning delivery, strategy, and team leadership, Leslie is passionate about building high-performing, human-centered teams that thrive in mission-driven environments. Based in Asheville, NC, Leslie is also a distance runner, aspiring pianist, and parent to two elementary-aged children and one spunky dog.
Tiffany Nieh
Staff Product Designer
Tiffany’s a product designer who loves understanding people’s needs and creating solutions with positive impact. Tiffany most recently worked at Pivotal Labs / VMware Tanzu, helping startups, enterprises, and government organizations build software with modern practices. Tiffany lives in California.
Nathan Carter
Senior Software Engineer
Nathan’s a software engineer driven to build digital services for public good. Before becoming an engineer, Nathan ran a 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. Matt enjoys making complex information accessible to everyone and cares deeply about improving people’s lives and livelihoods. Matt lives in Pennsylvania.
Bob Zhao
Software Engineer
Bob’s an engineer who loves bridging the gaps with design and product colleagues. Bob thrives in situations that allow cross-pollination of engineering training with approaches from other disciplines, believing this produces solutions that are more robust, delightful, and useful. Bob studied economics, computer science, and human-computer interaction at Washington University in St. Louis and lives in New York.
Ashton Tu
Product Designer
Ashton’s a product designer motivated by systems thinking and storytelling to develop scalable solutions. Ashton deeply rooted in grassroots organizations, and co-creates with local communities—from streamlining food equity processes to directing volunteer initiatives. Ashton lives in New York.
Pri Kiser
Staff Product Designer
Pri’s a product designer who draws on a background in neuroscience and human-computer interaction to create delightful user experiences. Pri previously worked at Pivotal Labs / VMware Tanzu, building high-impact products and scaling design practices across diverse organizations. Pri lives in Texas.
Taylor Graue
VP of Defense Services
Taylor’s an Air Force veteran passionate about building user-friendly products, delivering value to government clients, and leading high-performing teams. Currently serving as VP of Defense Services, Taylor drives strategic growth, leads multidisciplinary teams, and ensures mission success across defense engagements. Taylor lives in Dallas.
Laura Kerry
Staff Content Designer
Laura’s a content designer who specializes in content strategy, design, operations, and governance. Laura loves distilling complex information into human-centered content that considers the whole system. Laura most recently worked at the NYC Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity and lives in Washington, DC.
Emma Stephenson
Staff Software Engineer
Emma’s a product manager passionate about creating user-centered products that have real impact. Emma enjoys getting into the weeds of engineering, working with stakeholders, and creating happy, productive teams. Emma lives in California.
Mina Cairns
Head of Corporate Development
Mina’s got nearly 20 years of consulting, technology, and leadership experience in the public sector. Mina specializes in corporate strategy, corporate development, and large-scale program management. Mina lives in Florida.
Gordon Farrell
Senior Software Engineer
Gordon’s a software engineer specializing in government tech. Gordon built a career in civil service with the Department of Defense, focusing on software modernization in the Air Force’s Kessel Run program. Gordon’s a champion for automated testing, high-cadence CI/CD, and working directly with users to deliver great software. Gordon lives in Colorado.
David McClatchey
Senior Software Engineer
David’s a software engineer who strives to craft simple, robust solutions to complex problems. David most recently worked at The Home Depot, migrating product data to the cloud and building highly visible APIs. David lives in Georgia.
Alis Akers
Senior DevOps Engineer
Alis is a DevOps engineer keen on building reliable products with the latest cloud technologies to improve users’ lives. Alis has established integrations for patient engagement and monitoring across large health systems and led the development of infrastructure and pipeline tooling. Alis lives in Oregon.
Kyle Planeaux
Senior Product Manager
Kyle’s a product manager with years of experience in the defense and public health spaces. Previously, Kyle was a civilian product manager for the Space Force. Kyle studied chemical engineering at USC and has a graduate degree in computer science from Georgia Tech. Kyle lives in Los Angeles.
Zedd Shmais
Staff Software Engineer
Zedd’s a software engineer with experience across a range of industries. Most recently, Zedd worked at Pivotal Labs / VMware Tanzu, helping companies of all sizes on digital-transformation journeys. Zedd holds a master’s degree in computer science from Georgia Tech and lives in Texas.
Mike Brown
Senior Software Engineer
Mike’s a software engineer passionate about using technology for public good. Mike 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 and lives in New York.
Merethe Hansen
Senior Software Engineer
Merethe’s a software engineer excited by puzzles and projects that create positive impact. Merethe comes from the enterprise-software world, where Merethe built analytics pipelines and reports. Merethe lives in California.
Dan Sass
Senior Software Engineer
Dan’s a software engineer with a background in FinTech. Dan focuses on system design, DevOps, and cloud-native applications. Dan lives in Ohio.
Camille Villa
Senior Software Engineer
Camille’s a full-stack software engineer who loves working with collaborative, service-oriented teams. Camille 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, Dan’s begun helping public-health departments use their data better. Outside work Dan’s an avid hiker and sailor. Dan lives in Maine.
Ann Millspaugh
Staff Product Manager
Ann’s a product manager who loves solving customer problems. As a former engineer Ann digs into technical details and translates tough concepts for every stakeholder. Ann specializes in productizing and scaling APIs and data pipelines and lives in California.
Josh Nygaard
Senior Software Engineer
Josh’s a full-stack software engineer who loves building tools, big and small, that have a positive effect. Josh brings several years of govtech experience and values broad technical knowledge. Josh lives in Pennsylvania.
Amrita Kaur Bhatti
Staff Product Manager
Amrita’s a product manager who loves sitting at the intersection of technology, people, and business. With over a decade of experience in software and product, an MBA from Chicago Booth, and background in education and neuroscience, Amrita works with users and stakeholders to bring meaningful products to life, all while having fun along the way. Amrita lives in California.
Jill Fromewick
Staff User Researcher
Jill’s a user researcher with more than 20 years of experience at the crossroads of outcomes-driven research, program evaluation, and user experience. Jill’s passionate about actionable research that improves outcomes and advances 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 previously worked at civic-tech non-profits and academic institutions, focusing on workforce-development and education research. Marcelle lives in Washington.
Robert Mitchell
Senior Data Engineer
Robert’s spent a career in the non-profit and gov-tech space bootstrapping analytics in under-resourced environments to bridge the gap between data and insight. Guided by a data-for-good ethos, Robert keeps the mission at the center when solving problems. Robert lives in California.
Angela The
Software Engineer
Angela’s a software engineer passionate about building human-centered tools that improve access to public benefits and services. Angela pursued a master’s 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 travel tech, fintech, and lifestyle industries. Emmanuel’s also a certified Scrum Master — excelling at understanding and addressing client and stakeholder needs. Emmanuel lives in Maryland.
Boban Ljuljdjurovic
Senior Software Engineer
Boban’s a software engineer always excited to tackle new and challenging problems. Boban has experience building scalable APIs and DevOps pipelines and is actively expanding front-end expertise. Boban lives in Michigan.
Mike Judd
Chief Operating Officer, Human Services
Mike’s a technologist committed to modernizing how government serves the American people in the digital age. As Skylight’s COO for Federal Health & Civilian Services, Mike leads the growth and sustainability of Skylight’s public health portfolio through strategic partnerships, thought leadership, and delivery excellence. Recognized by leaders across the public and private sectors, Mike excels at forging innovative partnerships around emerging technologies in times of national emergency and guiding products and cross-functional teams through launch, growth, change, and crisis. Based in Atlanta, GA, Mike enjoys playing Ultimate Frisbee and spending time with family and two dogs.
Arin Kulshi
Staff Data Engineer
Arin’s an engineer with an expertise in backend systems, data pipelines, and healthcare IT, currently working on projects in the public health reporting space. With a background that spans software, data engineering, and product-focused innovation, Arin is especially interested in solving real-world problems at the intersection of AI, data infrastructure, and public health. Arin is based in Sunnyvale, California.
Bruce Jacobson
Principal Engagement Manager
Bruce’s an engagement manager and software leader with deep product-management expertise. Bruce’s passionate about fostering innovative cultures to create breakthrough products. Bruce lives in Illinois.
Miringu Kiarie
Senior User Researcher
Miringu’s a researcher focused on the intersection of humans and technology. Miringu specializes in human-centered design, including user-experience research and usability testing. Miringu lives in California.
Alex Hayward
Data Scientist
Alex’s a data scientist passionate about using data to create more equitable public outcomes. Alex previously used machine-learning models at the National Institutes of Health to help public-water systems identify and remove lead pipes. Alex lives in California.
Rob Mitchell
Senior Data Engineer
Rob’s a data engineer with experience in education and civic tech. Rob uses technical knowledge to help others, provide insight, and advance social good. Rob lives in Pennsylvania.
Janki Kaneria
Staff Product Manager
Janki’s a product manager passionate about modernizing software to improve access to health services. Janki specializes in big-data problems and genetics. Janki lives in Massachusetts.
Eric Buckley
Staff Software Engineer
Eric’s a software engineer with more than 20 years designing and building web applications and ETL pipelines. Eric’s devoted to creating 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 specializing in full-stack web development, API design, and developer experience. After work at organizations such as 18F and HashiCorp, Roger approaches complex problems from a holistic perspective. Roger lives in Illinois.
Karina Wernecke
Staff Product Manager
Karina’s a product manager who loves collaborating to solve tough problems through delightful solutions. Karina earned an MBA from Northwestern Kellogg and brings 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 learning of all kinds. Amy lives in Oregon.
Holly DeWolf
Staff Product Manager
Holly’s a product manager with a strong background in UX research and design. Holly’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 roots in UX and industrial design. Austin loves coaching cross-functional teams to excel and explaining complex tech in simple terms to support transformation and modernization. Austin lives in New York.
Andrew Kasper
Staff Data Engineer
Andrew’s a data engineer with wide-ranging industry experience — from Silicon Valley startups to GIS, aerospace, and the Peace Corps. Andrew’s an expert at turning customer pain points into technical requirements and lives in Georgia.
Matt deClercq
Staff Software Engineer
Matt’s a software engineer with nearly 20 years of experience designing and building platforms across many verticals. Matt’s passionate about strategic technical design, unlocking data through APIs, and using these skills for the greater good. Matt lives in Texas.
Laura Janisse
Principal User Researcher
Laura’s a results-driven user researcher with a passion for human-centered design. Laura has helped large organizations develop enterprise-wide digital experience solutions. Laura lives in Oregon.
Mike Wales
Principal Digital Transformer
Mike’s a software-engineering leader who loves mentoring others. A U.S. Air Force veteran and entrepreneur at heart, Mike built and sold a company from a dorm room at Eielson AFB, Alaska. Mike lives in Texas.
Brandon Chanco
Staff Security Engineer
Brandon’s a cybersecurity engineer and Marine Corps veteran whose passion is enabling the warfighter. Brandon worked at Cisco and IBM to deliver modern solutions for DoD service members and civil servants — most recently at Platform One, an Air Force software factory. Brandon lives in Alabama.
Kyle Bond
Staff Software Engineer
Kyle’s a software engineer with experience in the consumer-goods and civic-tech sectors — most recently serving as CTO at a health-tech startup. Kyle leverages skills to make a positive impact both professionally and personally and lives in Georgia.
Lauryn Claassen
Staff Content Designer
Lauryn’s a content designer with a background in public health, human-centered design, and journalism. After years in both non-profit and private sectors, Lauryn’s excited to work in civic tech — focusing on making public services serve everyone. Lauryn lives in California.
Andrew Schreiber
Staff Software Engineer
Andrew’s a software engineer with a long history of rapid prototyping to help explore a problem space. Andrew prides himself on reaching into an extensive bag of tricks and bringing solutions from a myriad of domains ranging from robotics to game design. Andrew believes that learning new things helps to find new ways to look at unrelated problems.
Austin Hall
Staff Software Engineer
Austin’s a software engineer with experience in the healthcare and insurance industries. Austin is passionate about advancing healthcare data interoperability and democratization to drive better patient outcomes. Austin lives in Kentucky.
Cara Pickett
Senior Content Designer
Cara’s a content designer and communications specialist who enjoys translating complex information into clear, accessible digital experiences. Cara’s approach to strategy, design, and relationship-building centers empathy and a commitment to equity. Cara’s previously worked in the tech, higher ed, and non-profit sectors. Cara lives in Ohio.
Cheyenne Meredith
Talent Acquisition Partner
Cheyenne’s a recruiter with 7+ years of experience in recruiting/talent acquisition and almost 3 years recruiting for digital service companies. Cheyenne is passionate about making the hiring process seamless and as comfortable as possible. Cheyenne lives in Illinois.
Corinne Barker
Talent Acquisition Partner
Corinne’s a Talent Acquisition Partner who specializes in sourcing top talent to establish and build diverse teams. Corinne focuses on designing creative recruitment strategies that are tailored for individual teams and business needs. Corinne loves partnering with stakeholders to create an inclusive interview process that not only fills positions but also enhances workplace culture.
Jackie Ostrowski
Staff Content Designer
Jackie’s a content designer who specializes in transforming complex information into accessible, human-centered user experiences. Jackie has led content design and strategy for projects that improved patient experiences and access to care, as well as redesigned educational websites for more equitable access. Jackie lives in Chicago.
Jake Wheeler
Staff Software Engineer
Jake’s a software engineer dedicated to streamlining complex processes and enhancing user experiences. Jake has expertise in modernizing legacy systems, developing full-stack web applications, and leveraging cloud environments while adhering to DevOps best practices.
Jeff Johnson
Principal Digital Transformer
Jeff brings a unique blend of product strategy and learning strategy to learning experience design. With a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology, Jeff has been developing learning solutions and bringing learning products to market over the last 15 years. Jeff lives in Washington.
Jennifer Wilhelm
Operations Director
Jennifer’s an operations leader passionate about building people-centered systems that make public services work better. Jennifer’s led civic innovation efforts in Pittsburgh and helped streamline government services to improve customer experience. Jennifer lives in Pennsylvania.
Khayeni Sanders
Staff Product Designer
Khayeni’s a multidisciplinary designer with experience in the end-to-end UX process. Khayeni has worked as an integrative designer focusing closely on digital and interface design over the past 12+ years. Khayeni has developed a keen interest in product, emerging tech, and civil service. Khayeni is passionate about social justice, human rights, and travel.
Kim Connelly
Staff Engagement Manager
Kim has worked primarily in the startup industry for nearly a decade, with a passion for delivering seamless, intuitive experiences. A guiding belief that technology should make lives easier informs much of Kim’s approach. Kim loves diving into tough, messy problems to organize and make sense of things. Kim lives in Chicago.
Laurel Lawrence
Staff Product Designer
Laurel’s a product designer with a focus on design, front-end development, and content management support. Laurel’s led design delivery for major public sector platforms like VA.gov, HealthCare.gov, Medicare.gov, and Wisconsin.gov. Laurel’s currently supporting the Air Force BESPIN team at Skylight. Laurel holds a BFA in Communication Design and a Master’s Capstone in User Research. Laurel lives in Wisconsin.
Lillian Tran
Senior User Researcher
Lillian’s a researcher who has helped clients across private and public sectors make sense of challenges and navigate pathways forward. Lillian draws on a background in public health and crisis counseling to get to the heart of complex issues while understanding broader contexts. Lillian lives in New York.
Mary McGrath
Staff Software Engineer
Mary’s a software engineer who loves learning and improving how systems work at both the human and technical levels. Mary has a wide-ranging background as a technology consultant, data scientist, research software engineer, and was most recently leading a team building a programming language. Mary lives in Rhode Island.
Michelle Kang
Staff Product Designer
Michelle’s a mission-driven product designer in New York City who brings clarity to complexity through fast, thoughtful iteration. Rooted in a background in Human Biology from Stanford and training from the d.school, Michelle has spent the last decade designing with empathy and precision for the public good. Michelle has also taught research and design at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, CivicActions, and Pivotal Labs — helping teams turn real-world challenges into actionable, human-centered solutions.
Mike Henderson
Senior Product Designer
Mike’s a designer and strategist with over a decade of experience driving digital transformations for private, non-profit, and government clients. Most recently, Mike worked with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, improving the enrollment experience at HealthCare.gov.
Mindy Huang
Principal Product Manager
Mindy’s a product manager who specializes in early-stage product strategy. Previously, Mindy worked at Google as an engineer and internal founder before moving on to lead U.S. Digital Response’s federal grants portfolio. Mindy is passionate about leveraging technology for the good of the community. Mindy lives in California.
Zach Thomas
Principal Engagement Manager
Zach’s a design strategist dedicated to transforming organizations through innovative technology and human-centered design. Zach specializes in research and design operations, striving to create accessible solutions that promote equity and enhance user experiences.
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.