Jennifer Pahlka

American political advisor (born 1969)

Tim O'Reilly
​
(m. 2015)​
Children1

Jennifer Pahlka (born December 27, 1969)[1] is an American businesswoman and political advisor. She is the founder and former Executive Director of Code for America. She served as US Deputy Chief Technology Officer from June 2013 to June 2014 and helped found the United States Digital Service.[2] Previously she had worked at CMP Media with various roles in the computer game industry. She was the co-chair and general manager of the Web 2.0 conferences. In June 2023, she released the book Recoding America: Why Government Is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better.

Personal life

She was born in Port Deposit, Maryland, and raised in Austin, New Haven, and New York City. She is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science and Yale University. She married Tim O'Reilly in 2015, and has one daughter.[3] As of 2011[update], she lives in Oakland, California.[4]

Career

Pahlka spent eight years at CMP Media (now part of United Business Media), where she led the Game Group, responsible for the Game Developers Conference (GDC), Game Developer Magazine, and Gamasutra.com. She oversaw the dramatic growth of GDC from 1995 to 2003, and launched the Independent Games Festival and the Game Developers Choice Awards. She was also the executive director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), an independent non-profit association serving game developers around the world.

From 2005 to 2009, she was the co-chair and general manager of the Web 2.0 events for TechWeb, a division of United Business Media, in partnership with O'Reilly Media. In that role, she proposed the creation of the Web 2.0 Expo, and became the co-chair for the event. She also played a key role in managing the Gov 2.0 Summit and Gov 2.0 Expo.

Code for America

Pahlka founded Code for America, a San Francisco-based non-profit organization that aims to make government for all people.[5] According to the Washington Post it "is the technology world's equivalent of the Peace Corps or Teach for America… [offering] an alternative to the old, broken path of government IT."[6] In her 2012 TED Talk, Pahlka noted that we will not be able to reinvent government unless we also reinvent citizenship, and asked "Are we just going to be a crowd of voices, or are we going to be a crowd of hands?" [7]

Pahlka stepped down as executive director of Code for America on January 31, 2020, though remaining as an advisor and member of the Board of Directors.[8] She left the board in April 2023.[9]

United States Deputy Chief Technology Officer

In May 2013 Pahlka announced she was temporarily taking the position of deputy chief technology officer for government innovation for the US government's Office of Science and Technology Policy. She described the opportunity as her "own fellowship year of sorts."[10] Federal CTO Todd Park originally tried to recruit Pahlka to run the Presidential Innovation Fellows, a program loosely modeled on Code for America. In her role as Deputy US CTO she managed Round 2 of the program and organized the creation of Round 3,[11] but her principal goal during her year at the White House was to create something more equivalent to the UK's Government Digital Service. She set in motion the creation of the United States Digital Service within the Executive Office of the President.[12]

United States Digital Response

In March 2020, Pahlka co-founded United States Digital Response, a San Francisco-based non-profit organization to provide technology volunteers to state and local governments whose systems were unable to respond adequately to the new demands put on them by the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization has fielded thousands of volunteers.[13]

California Employment Development Department Strike Team

In July 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Pahlka to co-lead a strike team with California Government Operations Secretary Yolanda Richardson to make recommendations for modernizing the state's backlogged unemployment systems.[14] The strike team issued its report in September 2020.[15] Among the problems uncovered by the Strike Team was that poorly designed and outdated fraud protection techniques were denying benefits to millions. Minor discrepancies in documentation supplied by applicants, like a middle initial on the application when the full middle name appeared on a supporting document like a driver's license, would cause applications to be flagged for manual review. Adoption of a modern off-the-shelf identity verification system seems to quickly solve the problem.[16]

East Bay Mini Maker Faire

Pahlka is also a co-founder, with Sabrina Merlo and Corey Weinstein, of the East Bay Mini Maker Faire.[17] In comments to The Huffington Post, she made explicit the connection between her work on open government and the Maker movement, saying, "There is a certain generation who have grown up being able to mash up, to tinker with, every system they've ever encountered. So they are meeting their relationship with government in a new way, with a new assumption: We can fix it."[18] As of 2015[update], The East Bay Mini Maker Faire attracts around 7,000 people annually.[19]

Recognition

Pahlka was awarded an Internet and Society Award from the Oxford Internet Institute, in recognition of her contribution to digital open government in the US. For her work re-imagining government for the 21st century, Pahlka was named a 2011 HuffPost Gamechanger.[18] She was a celebrity judge for the Federal Communications Commission's Apps for Community contest, along with Marc Andreessen and Newark Mayor Cory Booker.[20] She was elected an Ashoka Fellow in 2012.[21] In 2012 She also gave a keynote speech at South By Southwest Interactive in 2012.[22] In the same year she featured in TechCrunch's list of "The 20 Most Innovative People in Democracy."[23] In 2018, Pahlka accepted the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship on behalf of Code for America[24] and she was featured among "America's Top 50 Women In Tech" by Forbes.[25]

Publications

  • Recoding America: Why Government Is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better. New York: Metropolitan Books. 2023. ISBN 978-1250266774.

References

  1. ^ "Jennifer Pahlka". CNBC. October 6, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  2. ^ Levy, Steven. "America's Tech Guru Steps Down—But He's Not Done Rebooting the Government". WIRED. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  3. ^ "Tim O'Reilly on Twitter: "Last night at the reception for my wedding to the incomparable @pahlkadot!". Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  4. ^ "Speaker: Jennifer Pahlka: Web 2.0 Expo San Francisco 2011 - O'Reilly Conferences, March 28 - 31, 2011, San Francisco". conferences.oreilly.com. Archived from the original on July 9, 2017.
  5. ^ Code For America Receives $1.5M Grant From Google To Help The Government Harness Technology, Leena Rao, Techcrunch, December 14, 2011
  6. ^ Code for America: An elegant solution for government IT problems, Vivek Wadhwa, The Washington Post, December 18, 2011
  7. ^ Coding a Better Government, TED.com
  8. ^ Freed, Benjamin (January 24, 2020). "Code for America chief Jennifer Pahlka to step down Jan. 31". Statescoop.
  9. ^ About Jennifer Pahlka, [LinkedIn.com]
  10. ^ Camille Tuutti (May 30, 2013) "Pahlka named deputy CTO of government innovation" Archived April 4, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Fed Scoop.
  11. ^ "Inside the Presidential Innovation Fellows program: A Q&A with the White House". Federal News Network. April 1, 2014.
  12. ^ Scola, Nancy (August 25, 2014). "How the U.S. Digital Service could upset D.C.'s 'IT vendor ecosystem'" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  13. ^ Reynolds, Rita (April 3, 2020). "U.S. Digital Response Program matches volunteers with county needs". National Association of Counties.
  14. ^ Johnston, Ryan (July 30, 2020). "California Gov. Newsom unveils unemployment-tech 'strike team'". Statescoop.
  15. ^ Douglas, Theo (September 20, 2020). "EDD Strike Team Recommends Immediate, Comprehensive Change, Technology Updates". Techwire.
  16. ^ Arnold, Chris (October 14, 2020). "'So Hard To Prove You Exist': Flawed Fraud Protections Deny Unemployment To Millions". WABE.
  17. ^ "East Bay Mini Maker Faire". East Bay Mini Maker Faire.
  18. ^ a b HuffPost's 2011 Game Changers: This Year's Ultimate 12, Arianna Huffington, The Huffington Post, October 26, 2011
  19. ^ O'Brien, Matt (April 16, 2015). "Jennifer Pahlka, founder of Code for America, talks 'civic hacking'". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  20. ^ "Apps for Community: Judging". Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  21. ^ "Jennifer Pahlka". Ashoka Fellows. Ashoka. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  22. ^ "Code for America's Jennifer Pahlka to Inspire with SXSW Interactive Keynote". Archived from the original on January 8, 2012. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  23. ^ "The 20 Most Innovative People in Democracy". Tech Crunch. November 3, 2012.
  24. ^ "Advice From 5 Women And A Guy Who Won $1.25 Million To Do Good". NPR.org. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  25. ^ "Jennifer Pahlka". Forbes.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jennifer Pahlka.
  • Code for America official website
  • Civic Commons, a project of Code for America
  • Changing Government and Tech with Geeks, Nick Bilton, The New York Times, July 6, 2010
  • How an Army of Techies Is Taking on City Hall, Anya Kamenetz, Fast Company, November 29, 2010
  • Innovator: Jennifer Pahlka, John Tozzi, Business Week, April 7, 2011
  • Remaking Government in a Wiki Age, Chrystia Freeland/Reuters, The New York Times, August 18, 2011
  • HuffPost's 2011 Game Changers: This Year's Ultimate 12, Arianna Huffington, The Huffington Post, October 26, 2011
  • Code For America Receives $1.5M Grant From Google To Help The Government Harness Technology, Leena Rao, Techcrunch, December 14, 2011
  • Code for America: An elegant solution for government IT problems, Vivek Wadhwa, The Washington Post, December 18, 2011
  • Possum problems and building better government: Jennifer Pahlka at TED2012, TED Blog, February 29, 2012
  • Jennifer Pahlka is named one of Government Technology's magazine Top 25: Doers, Dreamers and Drivers of 2012.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Office Name Term Office Name Term
White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel 2009–10 National Security Advisor James L. Jones 2009–10
Pete Rouse 2010–11 Thomas E. Donilon 2010–13
William M. Daley 2011–12 Susan Rice 2013–17
Jack Lew 2012–13 Deputy National Security Advisor Thomas E. Donilon 2009–10
Denis McDonough 2013–17 Denis McDonough 2010–13
White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Mona Sutphen 2009–11 Antony Blinken 2013–14
Nancy-Ann DeParle 2011–13 Avril Haines 2015–17
Rob Nabors 2013–15 Dep. National Security Advisor, Homeland Security John O. Brennan 2009–13
White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Jim Messina 2009–11 Lisa Monaco 2013–17
Alyssa Mastromonaco 2011–14 Dep. National Security Advisor, Iraq and Afghanistan Douglas Lute† 2009–13
Anita Decker Breckenridge 2014–17 Dep. National Security Advisor, Strategic Comm. Ben Rhodes 2009–17
White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Planning Mark B. Childress 2012–14 Dep. National Security Advisor, Chief of Staff Mark Lippert 2009
Kristie Canegallo 2014–17 Denis McDonough 2009–10
Counselor to the President Pete Rouse 2011–13 Brooke D. Anderson 2011–12
John Podesta 2014–15 White House Communications Director Ellen Moran 2009
Senior Advisor to the President David Axelrod 2009–11 Anita Dunn 2009
David Plouffe 2011–13 Daniel Pfeiffer 2009–13
Daniel Pfeiffer 2013–15 Jennifer Palmieri 2013–15
Shailagh Murray 2015–17 Jen Psaki 2015–17
Senior Advisor to the President Pete Rouse 2009–10 Deputy White House Communications Director Jen Psaki 2009–11
Brian Deese 2015–17 Jennifer Palmieri 2011–14
Senior Advisor to the President and Valerie Jarrett 2009–17 Amy Brundage 2014–16
Assistant to the President for Liz Allen 2016–17
Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs 2009–11
Director, Public Engagement Tina Tchen 2009–11 Jay Carney 2011–13
Jon Carson 2011–13 Josh Earnest 2013–17
Paulette L. Aniskoff 2013–17 Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton 2009–11
Director, Intergovernmental Affairs Cecilia Muñoz 2009–12 Josh Earnest 2011–13
David Agnew 2012–14 Eric Schultz 2014–17
Jerry Abramson 2014–17 Director of Special Projects Stephanie Cutter 2010–11
Director, National Economic Council Lawrence Summers 2009–10 Director, Speechwriting Jon Favreau 2009–13
Gene Sperling 2011–14 Cody Keenan 2013–17
Jeff Zients 2014–17 Director, Digital Strategy Macon Phillips 2009–13
Chair, Council of Economic Advisers Christina Romer 2009–10 Chief Digital Officer Jason Goldman 2015–17
Austan Goolsbee 2010–13 Director, Legislative Affairs Phil Schiliro 2009–11
Jason Furman 2013–17 Rob Nabors 2011–13
Chair, Economic Recovery Advisory Board Paul Volcker 2009–11 Katie Beirne Fallon 2013–16
Chair, Council on Jobs and Competitiveness Jeff Immelt 2011–13 Miguel Rodriguez 2016
Director, Domestic Policy Council Melody Barnes 2009–12 Amy Rosenbaum 2016–17
Cecilia Muñoz 2012–17 Director, Political Affairs Patrick Gaspard 2009–11
Director, Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Joshua DuBois 2009–13 David Simas 2011–16
Melissa Rogers 2013–17 Director, Presidential Personnel Nancy Hogan 2009–13
Director, Office of Health Reform Nancy-Ann DeParle 2009–11 Johnathan D. McBride 2013–14
Director, Office of National AIDS Policy Jeffrey Crowley 2009–11 Valerie E. Green 2014–15
Grant N. Colfax 2011–13 Rodin A. Mehrbani 2016–17
Douglas M. Brooks 2013–17 White House Staff Secretary Lisa Brown 2009–11
Director, Office of Urban Affairs Adolfo Carrión Jr. 2009–10 Rajesh De 2011–12
Racquel S. Russell 2010–14 Douglas Kramer 2012–13
Roy Austin Jr. 2014–17 Joani Walsh 2014–17
Director, Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy Carol Browner 2009–11 Director, Management and Administration Bradley J. Kiley 2009–11
White House Counsel Greg Craig 2009–10 Katy A. Kale 2011–15
Bob Bauer 2010–11 Maju Varghese 2015–17
Kathryn Ruemmler 2011–14 Director, Scheduling and Advance Alyssa Mastromonaco 2009–11
Neil Eggleston 2014–17 Danielle Crutchfield 2011–14
White House Cabinet Secretary Chris Lu 2009–13 Chase Cushman 2014–17
Danielle C. Gray 2013–14 Director, White House Information Technology David Recordon 2015–17
Broderick D. Johnson 2014–17 Director, Office of Administration Cameron Moody 2009–11
Personal Aide to the President Reggie Love 2009–11 Beth Jones 2011–15
Brian Mosteller 2011–12 Cathy Solomon 2015–17
Marvin D. Nicholson 2012–17 Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy John Holdren 2009–17
Director, Oval Office Operations Brian Mosteller 2012–17 Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra 2009–12
Personal Secretary to the President Katie Johnson 2009–11 Todd Park 2012–14
Anita Decker Breckenridge 2011–14 Megan Smith 2014–17
Ferial Govashiri 2014–17 Director, Office of Management and Budget Peter R. Orszag 2009–10
Chief of Staff to the First Lady Jackie Norris 2009 Jack Lew 2010–12
Susan Sher 2009–11 Jeff Zients 2012–13
Tina Tchen 2011–17 Sylvia Mathews Burwell 2013–14
White House Social Secretary Desirée Rogers 2009–10 Brian Deese 2014
Julianna Smoot 2010–11 Shaun Donovan 2014–17
Jeremy Bernard 2011–15 Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra 2009–11
Deesha Dyer 2015–17 Steven VanRoekel 2011–14
Chief of Staff to the Vice President Ron Klain 2009–11 Tony Scott 2015–17
Bruce Reed 2011–13 United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk 2009–13
Steve Ricchetti 2013–17 Michael Froman 2013–17
White House Chief Usher Stephen W. Rochon† 2009–11 Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy Gil Kerlikowske 2009–14
Angella Reid 2011–17 Michael Botticelli 2014–17
Director, White House Military Office George Mulligan 2009–13 Chair, Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley 2009–14
Emmett Beliveau 2013–15 Michael Boots 2014–15
Dabney Kern 2016–17 Christy Goldfuss 2015–17
† Remained from previous administration.