Jennifer Anastasoff is the founding member of the U.S. Digital Service at the White House and served as Head of People until late 2017. She co-founded and served as founding CEO of Fuse Corps, the nation’s top executive fellowship bringing mid-career leaders from the private sector to serve as senior advisors to public executives, largely to mayors and governors. She is also the Founder and Executive Director of the Tech Talent Project, a nonpartisan, nonprofit project dedicated to increasing the ability of the U.S. government to recruit modern technical leaders. 

In the first episode of our Public Interest Technology (PIT) Series, we sit down with Jennifer to talk about what inspired her to start these initiatives, her work bringing in tech talent to the government, and what the future of civic tech looks like. 

Want to learn more about the Congressional Innovation Fellowship or Scholars Program? Interested in getting some tips about the 2022 application? Intrigued about how to break through into policy? Listen to a recording of one of our info calls, hosted by Founder and Director, Travis Moore, to learn all that and more! 

Mike Wacker is a 2021 Congressional Innovation Fellow who is serving with Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and working on tech issues relating to the Consumer Protection and Commerce subcommittee  Before joining TechCongress, Mike was a software engineer with both Goggle and Microsoft. He was also a fellow for the Lincoln Network's 2020 Policy Hackers cohort. 

In this episode, we sit down with Mike to talk about his journey from software engineer to TechCongress fellow and what being a civic technologist means to him.

Hakan Seyalıoğlu is a 2021 Congressional Innovation Fellow who is serving with Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and working on digital platforms, broadband, privacy, and algorithm issues. Prior to joining TechCongress as a fellow, Hakan was a Technical Lead Manager at Google and co-founded Thorny Games, a publishing company that explores the intersection of language, culture, and identity through play.

In this episode, we sit down with Hakan to talk about why he created Thorny Games, why he applied for TechCongress, and what being a civic technologist means to him. 

Geoff Cain is a 2021 Congressional Innovation Fellow who is serving with the House Foreign Affairs Committee Minority Staff and supporting a range of issues including China, tech sanctions, and investigative work. Before becoming a TechCongress fellow, Geoff was a technology journalist and foreign correspondent who has covered Asia, the Middle East, Russia, Europe, and Silicon Valley for The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Time, and other media outlets. 

In this episode, we sit down with Geoff to talk about why he applied for TechCongress, his first book, and pivoting from journalism to policy. 

Celeste Chamberlain is a 2021 Congressional Innovation Fellow who is serving with the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee Majority Staff and supporting issues of cybersecurity and federal IT procurement. Before becoming a TechCongress fellow, Dr. Chamberlain was taught cybersecurity at the University of Maryland Global Campus and Eastern Shore and worked as a government employee and contractor for federal agencies such as FEMA, DOJ, and DIA. 

In this episode, we sit down with Celeste to talk about why she applied for TechCongress, her passion for cybersecurity, and her nonprofit 3.14. 

B Cavello is a 2021 Congressional Innovation Fellow who is serving with Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and supporting a range of tech issues including privacy, labor, algorithmic accountability, and disability rights. Prior to becoming TechCongress fellow, B was the Program Lead for the Partnership on AI, where they focused on the labor and economic implications of AI development. 

In this episode, we sit down with B to talk about how their background in economics helps complement their work in tech policy, what it was like to pivot from the private to the public sector, and what the future of civic tech looks like. 

Alex Prokop is a 2020 Congressional Digital Service (CDS) Fellow who served with the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress and House Information Resources, where he supported efforts to modernize Congress' digital infrastructure. Prior to joining TechCongress as a CDS Fellow, Alex led teams to rebuild HealthCare.gov and implement major VA benefits legislation. 

In this episode, we chat with Alex about his work using his technical skills to help policy implementation, how he defines civic technology, and what motivated him to apply for the first Congressional Digital Service.

Genevieve Fried is a 2020 Congressional Innovation Scholar who served with Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and supported on issues of algorithmic accountability and justice. Before becoming a TechCongress Scholar, Genevieve worked at the AI Now Institute at NYU, where she researched the social and policy implications of artificial intelligence. 

In this episode, we talk with Genevieve about her work at the Oxford University and the AI Now Institute, the evolution of tech policy, and why she decided to apply for the Congressional Innovation Scholars Program.

Noam Kantor is a 2020 Congressional Innovation Scholar who served with the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation staff under Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), where he worked with the Consumer Protection Subcommittee. Before becoming a TechCongress Scholar, Noam worked as a Civic Digital Fellow and received his doctorate from Oxford University. 

In the first episode, we talk with Noam about his work as a mathematician, his previous fellowship at Coding it Forward, and his passion for civic technology and tech ethics.