USDS @ AfroTech 🙅🏿♀️🖥🇺🇸
We’re proud to be sponsoring AfroTech 2019 in San Francisco. Our work impacts all Americans including Veterans, military service members, immigrants, farmers, small business owners, students, Medicare patients, and many more.
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Since USDS serves all people in our country in some way, we strive to build teams that represent all of America. Unlike the tech industry, government has to serve everybody.
Read about some USDSers who’ll be attending and if you’re passionate about helping people and want to know how you can use your skills to serve, come say hi!
Join us November 7–11 at booth B41. You can also get in touch via usds@omb.eop.gov, on Twitter, and Instagram.
David Holmes (he/ him), Director of Engineering, USDS HQ. From: Staten Island, NY.
Where I grew up, it’s not common to work at the White House, and it’s an incredible honor to be able to be to show that it is possible to do that.
I’ve served at 4 different federal agencies, prior to becoming Director of Engineering. Through USDS, I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to projects that benefit small businesses, disaster survivors, social security beneficiaries, and people overwhelmed by student loan debt.
Hear more about my story on the latest episode of Black Tech Unplugged.
Fatima Noor (she/her), Product Strategy & Operations, USDS HQ. Washington, DC
I was born in Somalia and spent my childhood in a Kenyan refugee camp. At a very young age I got separated from my family (which is not uncommon).
After years of living life on different continents, our family was eventually reunited with the help of the US government and various international migration programs.
The warmth and kindness of the people that brought my family into this country inspired me to work for a refugee resettlement organization as my first job. When I became a US citizen I took a job within government to work on immigration policy.
While at the White House Domestic Policy Council, working on modernizing the experiences of new Americans (like myself!), I was inspired by USDS’ early projects focused on revitalizing the naturalization process. For obvious reasons, I was excited to get involved in any way.
My journey to government and eventually USDS is defined by the citizenship this Nation has afforded me.
I landed in tech by following my favorite USDS value: “going where the work is”. My current project is focused on stabilizing and securing the technology that supports the federal workforce so they can better serve on their mission and ultimately, deliver the American people the best civic experience.
Florence Kasule (she/her), Procuremenati, Defense Digital Service. From Simi Valley, CA.
Currently helping people bring awesome tech services into the government through better contracts.
I’m originally from Uganda, grew up in Southern California and have lived in DC for long enough to call it home (for now). I love wearing contemporary African fashion with a Cali-vintage spin to it!
For years, I was a Contracting Officer focusing on buying tech for different federal agencies. The more I negotiated and bought, the more I saw a need to train the federal procurement workforce to better leverage modern technology.
At USDS, I’m fortunate to get to work across many of our agency teams! I’m currently focused on helping military service members, civilians, and those seeking disability care. It’s all important to me because I believe people want access to information to be seamless so they can live fuller, less complicated lives. Bad tech just complicates things and slows people down! My current teams are alleviating many of these problems.
Sparkle Williams Capps (she/her), Strategic Operations, Department of Homeland Security. From San Francisco, CA.
In both my career and personal life, I’ve always been driven by looking for places where the work I do will have a tangible impact and make a difference in the lives of others. I have had the privilege to work in research in engineering and neurology at VA, impacting the lives of our Veterans. Prior to USDS I also led user-focused product work reaching millions at Facebook, and developed infrastructure programs at BetterUp.
Despite those amazing experiences, I leaped at the opportunity to join the U.S. Digital Service at DHS. It is some of the most challenging work I’ve ever done, and I am keenly aware the work we are doing has a significant impact on real people. It’s important we get it right!
Kayenda Johnson (she/ her), Human-Centered Design Specialist, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. From Baltimore, MD.
I got into tech via an undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering and my love for human factors and information systems.
As a Human-Centered Design Specialist at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, I advocate for agency-wide use of HCD and served a tour of duty with USDS’s Health and Human Services team. During my tour, I led user research efforts for the Quality Payment Program website. Now I work to strengthen my CMS colleagues’ ability to use HCD for policy development, product, and service design. My goal is to help CMS design, develop and support high quality healthcare solutions.
Michael Rivera (he/him), Technical Recruiter, USDS HQ. From: St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
I’m currently working on building platforms to better allow USDS to address where we falter when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Diverse voices and perspectives are often ignored as it relates to how our government’s use of technology can improve people’s lives. I’d like to make an impact in changing that approach during my time here.
Glennette Clark (she/her), Design Researcher, Department of Homeland Security. From: North Carolina.
I grew up in Elizabeth City, NC. It has the largest Coast Guard base on the east coast. I attended Howard University and I’ve lived in DC ever since. I’m married and have raised two children in the District.
My print journalism degree laid the foundation for my design career. Learning how to write, conduct interviews, do research, and page layout are the things that have served me well. I created my first web site using TextEdit and Mosaic.
Representation is important to me because “tech” is a big word and the default image is always white, male, computer science major. There are so many avenues to this space that are hidden to most.
The best of technology.
The best of government.
And we want you.
We’re looking for the most tenacious designers, software engineers, product managers, and more, who are committed to untangling, rewiring and redesigning critical government services. You’ll join a team of the most talented technologists from across the private sector and government.
If you have questions regarding employment with the U.S. Digital Service, please contact us at usds@omb.eop.gov or visit our Hiring FAQ.
