Speakers

Chris is the co-founder and deputy director of the U.S. Digital Corps, a two-year fellowship recruiting early-career technologists to contribute to high-impact efforts across the federal government.

Prior to the Digital Corps, Chris co-founded and led Coding it Forward, a nonprofit by and for students creating new opportunities and pathways into social impact and civic tech. Chris led Coding it Forward’s growth and strategy through partnerships with leading federal agencies, mission-aligned organizations, and philanthropic partners, helping leverage advances in data and technology for the public benefit. He helped start and oversee the Civic Digital Fellowship, which has placed over 600 technology students in meaningful public service experiences at over a dozen federal agencies, and helped expand Coding it Forward’s internship offerings to state and local governments. 

He has also served as a Research Assistant for the Technology and Public Purpose (TAPP) Project at Harvard Kennedy School, where he co-authored a report on science and technology policy capacity in the United States Congress.

Chris is a graduate of Harvard College, where he studied Economics and Mathematics. At Harvard, he was a Presidential Public Service Fellow, Adrian Cheng Social Innovation Fellow, and grand prize winner of the 2020 President’s Innovation Challenge. 

Chris has spoken about bringing young people into civic tech and public service at Code for America Summit and Personal Democracy Forum, as well as at Georgetown, Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and the University of Chicago. Born and raised in and around Boston, MA, Chris is a proud Bostonian and diehard fan of the Red Sox and Patriots. He enjoys traveling and the outdoors.

Jessie Bur is Nextgov/FCW's executive editor. She has been covering technology and government for the past eight years and graduated from James Madison University.

Before joining Government Executive in 2024, Sean Michael Newhouse covered House and Senate committees for four years at CQ Roll Call. There, he covered a wide range of issues but took a particular interest in technology policy. He is a graduate of the University of Dayton.

Chris Teale is the managing editor for Route Fifty, where he covers state and local government technology.