Providing support through diverse experiences

Our team

The Lab team is composed of a group of design professionals with expertise across many disciplines including design, digital design and development, creative and art direction, business, education, architecture, journalism, content strategy, community organizing, urban design and public policy. Our team brings formidable skills, deep curiosity and a commitment to service to our work. 

Christian Baca

Design Strategist

Christian is a design strategist at the Lab. She specializes in facilitating collaborative efforts utilizing human-centered design to improve government services that support individuals to lead healthy, safe, and prosperous lives. Prior to joining the Lab, Christian worked on an internal innovation team in Maricopa County and then worked as an external consultant supporting local governments at New Age Civics. Her project experience cuts across multiple industries, including healthcare, criminal justice, regulatory, nonprofit, and education. Christian holds a Master of Integrated Innovation for Products and Services from Carnegie Mellon University and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Mexico.

Sean Baker

Director of Design Strategy and Operations

Sean oversees design projects and has led the development of the design training offered at the Lab. Prior to joining the Lab, Sean founded several design initiatives ranging from developing data visualization kits for post-disaster response to designing a platform for crowd-driven urban development in low income communities. Sean has a master’s in transdiciplinary design from Parsons School of Design in New York.

Patty Beirne

Principal Designer

Patty’s practice of design leadership leverages the design process to build understanding of complex systemic challenges and shape experiences that will help bring positive transformation on many scales. As Principal Designer, she helps to shape the creative strategy of the Lab’s portfolio. Patty comes to the Lab with 18 years experience as a strategist and educator addressing challenges in complex spaces such as healthcare and global trade, with a focus on building programs and teams that apply systems thinking to the human-centered design process.

Andrew Bernard

Visual Designer

Andrew is a visual designer who seeks to communicate complex concepts and systems in a concise, transparent, and accessible way. A graduate of ArtCenter’s MFA program in Graphic Design, his work is centered on identity, exhibition, and motion design. Andrew joins the Lab as a Human Innovation Fellow after previously having worked with the Lab as a Summer Fellow. Andrew’s prior experience includes corporate identity and art direction for clients in the entertainment industry, editorial work in tech and entertainment news media, and business development for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA). Andrew holds a BA in English from Bowdoin College.

Kelly Bryan

Design Strategist

Kelly partners with government teams to investigate and improve the customer experience of their services. Her drive for clarity and simplicity helps partners break down overly complex, burdensome systems and identify opportunities to create more accessible, transparent, and streamlined services. Kelly leverages 10-years of experience in visual and digital design to inform her work with partners and in developing custom educational offerings for the Lab on a range of design disciplines, such as service design, journey mapping, and accessibility. Kelly has been fortunate to collaborate with a diverse set of agency teams and government challenges, including the National Park Service, Retirement Services, the IRS, and Health and Human Services.

McKenna Cole

McKenna is a designer with experience working in contexts including human rights, child welfare, education, and cultural institutions. Before joining the Lab she was a fellow through Foster America, working on design projects for a collaborative program developed between the Santa Clara County Office of Education and the Department for Family and Children Services. She has worked for and with institutions such as The Equal Justice Initiative, the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, Amnesty International, and the Museum of Modern Art. McKenna has degrees in Landscape Architecture from UC Berkeley and the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

Liz Floto

Liz is a Business Operations Analyst with the Lab. She contributes to the Lab’s operational administration and management. Prior to the Lab, Liz worked at the Veterans Health Administration in a variety of roles for 11 years, most recently as a Data Analytics Supervisor and Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff in Roseburg Oregon. Her prior work at the San Diego VA as an Innovation Specialist, introduced her to Human Centered Design and Implementation Science. Liz earned her master’s degree in Psychological Science from California State University, Chico and her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Southern Oregon University.

Nadine Foik

Nadine is a civic service designer with expertise in design research and strategy, human-centered and social impact design, and organizational capacity building. She helps teams and organizations navigate ambiguity and complexity to design holistic experiences grounded in real needs, well-being, and delight. Her approach is highly collaborative, people-centered, and research-led. She seeks to identify and build on individual and organizational capabilities, human experiences, and constructive constraints.

Gabby Fulco

Gabby is passionate about using human-centered design to help government agencies grow as empathic learning organizations. She is particularly interested in capability building, developing creative leaders, and designing new ways of working. Prior to joining the Lab at OPM, Gabby worked on human-centered organizational change initiatives at global design firm IDEO. She holds an MA in Latin American Studies from Stanford University and BA in International Relations from St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia. She is pursuing training in Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) to use art and visual stimuli to develop critical thinking, inclusivity, and collaboration.

James Gasapo

Jim is a Management & Program Analyst with the Lab. He contributes to the Lab’s operational administration and management. In addition, he develops quantitative and qualitative analytical products, to inform leader decision-making. Jim also supports design-based tasks as needed. Prior to the Lab, Jim was a Presidential Management Fellow and performed data analytics and internal consulting at DHS-FEMA for several years. He also served as an officer in the US Army, deploying twice to Iraq. Though his collegiate training was in the liberal arts, he’s always had a strong interest in the visual arts and design.

Amina Hassen

Design Strategist

Amina is a design strategist and urban planner, and educator passionate about projects that center equity. She uses research and public engagement to develop grounded strategies that make better, more connected places. Prior to joining the Lab, Amina worked as a consultant and urban planner, partnering with public and private sector clients across a range of urban planning, design, mobility and placemaking projects. Amina holds a Master in Urban Planning from City University of New York-Hunter College, where she is also an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Urban Planning and Policy.

Alina Hoffman

Alina is a multi-disciplinary designer with a passion for public sector work that prioritizes accessibility and individual experience. At the Lab she helps agencies understand the complex systems in which they operate, develop strategic best practices, and strengthen their service offerings. Her past experience includes design and research work building digital services for state and federal governments with Nava, healthcare products with Clover Health, and architectural projects at Gensler. She holds an MS in Interior Design from Pratt Institute, a JD from Georgetown University Law Center, and a BA in English from Wesleyan University.

Mickey Kramer

Design Strategist

Michaela uses human-centered design to create systemic and sustainable change. She draws from her experience in urban planning and design, utilizing mapping, visualization, civic engagement, and capacity building to navigate complexity at any scale. Prior to joining the Lab, Michaela worked at urban planning and social impact consulting firms, collaborating with city and state government agencies on initiatives that ranged from flood resilience to renewable energy to arts programming. Michaela holds a Masters in Design and Urban Ecologies from Parsons Schools of Design.

Teis Jorgensen

Design Strategist

Teis is a design researcher, innovation strategist and educator. He specializes in human centered design, behavioral science, and mixed methods applied research. Prior to working in federal government, Teis worked at ideas42, a nonprofit behavioral science innovation consultancy, and frog, a global design firm. He believes that good design is rooted in evidence and changes behavior. His work spans healthcare, justice, consumer finance, education and international development. At the Lab, Teis specializes in innovation strategy, curriculum development, facilitation and evaluation. Teis holds a Masters of Integrated Design and Management from MIT and a BA in Economics from Harvard University.

Erika Lindsey

Design Strategist

Erika Lindsey is a design strategist with over a decade of experience in advocacy, urban planning, and social change initiatives. Erika is committed to collaboratively improving public services and making design accessible for all. Her previous experience building the design capacity of local governments, as well as overseeing large, complex projects supports Erika’s ability to apply The Lab’s approach to a variety of interdisciplinary applications. She has led and contributed to the strategy, research design, and implementation of work with agencies including Office of Management and Budget, Health and Human Services, and the Department of Justice.

Arielle McInnis-Simoncelli

Arielle is a design researcher and strategist who is passionate about using human-centered design to collaboratively create public policies, programs, and services that center equity, justice, and community needs. She is driven by the belief that upstream government innovation can improve public health outcomes. She brings over a decade of participatory research experience to her design practice from work with The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Service Design Studio in Philadelphia, Wondros design agency, and the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Arielle is a former Fulbright scholar and holds a master’s degree in public health and a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology.

Arianne Miller

Managing Director

Arianne builds capacity for innovation among federal employees by teaching human-centered design through both workshops and mentoring in addition to managing a variety of design projects that address the high-priority needs of OPM and other federal agencies. Arianne came into the federal government as a Presidential Management Fellow at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after earning an MBA from the University of Michigan. Prior to that, Arianne worked to build and improve access to high quality public schools through a variety of organizations, including Chicago Public Schools, the U.S. Department of Education, and DonorsChoose.org.

Sarah Minegar

Sarah is a service designer with a background in research, public history, and museum education. Her passion for inclusive storytelling and participatory learning informs her pedagogical and equity design practice. Sarah draws from her tenure as an Archivist and National Park Service innovator where she spent more than a decade piloting curricula and co-creating community experiences. At the Lab, she leverages her records management and program development training in her hybrid design ops and strategy role. Sarah is a champion for empathetic, accessible, and dynamic government services that meet the changing needs of evolving communities. Sarah holds a doctorate in Modern History and Literature and undergraduate degrees in secondary education.

Patricia Morris

Design Project Manager

Patricia provides a 10,000 foot view of programming and strategy. For over a decade, Patricia designed, communicated, and implemented U.S. and international programs for good governance and human rights. She has supported youth to tackle suicide rates, advised the UN on justice for children in war, and helped Americans vote. She is driven by the question of how government constantly strives to serve citizens. She holds an MSc in Conflict Studies from the London School of Economics and a BA in Political Science and French from Wellesley College.

Emily Moss

Designer

Emily collaborates with federal agencies to advance human-centered services and systems for the public. She brings multidisciplinary experience to the Lab through contextual inquiry, co-design, and prototyping. Previously, Emily worked at The Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Innovation (Ci3) at the University of Chicago where she designed platforms and in-clinic tools to provide adolescent-centered sexual and reproductive healthcare throughout the Chicagoland area. She is former chair of AIGA Chicago’s Community Engagement Committee and holds a bachelors in Visual Communication from Loyola University Chicago.

Maggie Ollove

Maggie draws from her experience as a designer and researcher to find ways to make government interactions easy, productive, and even pleasant. At the Lab, Maggie develops meaningful ways to engage government officials in the design process through project-based trainings, workshops, and classes. Previously, Maggie worked at the Center for Civic Design to make it easier for people to vote. She also worked to solve the challenge of childcare for low-income families by co-founding a service that builds relationships between grandmothers and parents to exchange childcare. Maggie taught at the University of Minnesota and Parsons School of Design.

Cheryl Olszowka

Management & Program Analyst

Cheryl joined the Lab as a Presidential Management Fellow, bringing 15 years of experience in arts, film and television, and academia solving problems, managing fast-paced projects and navigating complex systems. Cheryl's considered approach has made her a trusted partner for Lab customers as she collaborates to deliver user-focused services within complex systems and policy. She has expertise developing design operations, which she provides Lab customers and within the Lab. Internally, she leads improvements and standardization of many Lab operations, prioritizing sustainability, accuracy, and simplicity. Cheryl earned a Master of Public Administration from American University and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Stage Management from Boston University.

Kate Maitland

Kate Maitland is committed to leveraging human-centered design to help government agencies operate efficiently and empathically. Prior to joining the Lab, Kate worked as design researcher in the social sector developing people-centered services, policies and products. Partnering with organizations such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Chicago’s Office of the Mayor, and New America, she has experience in the built environment, early childhood development, and organizational change. Her design practice is informed by her background in public health with a focus on food justice. She has holds a Masters in Public Health in Health Behavior from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

Dory Pogers

Design Strategist

Dory comes to the federal government with 15 years of prior experience in the private sector and the goal of designing more welcoming and accessible experiences for people as they interact with government services. Leveraging a foundation in visual design, Dory partners with federal government teams by listening, documenting, and visualizing ideas in order to foster shared understanding, solicit feedback, make improvements, and build buy-in. In addition to her contribution to project-based partnerships, Dory helps develop and deliver human-centered design courses and leads efforts to ensure the accessibility of all Lab courses.

Andrew Pratt

Design Educator

Andrew is a design educator. He builds experiences for teams to learn and apply equity-centered innovation tools. He believes that to craft organizations and services that enable equity, inclusion, and access, professional learning must be grounded in the same. Before joining the Lab, Andrew trained public education leaders in equity design and systems change. His experience spans curriculum development, facilitation, and coaching for education innovation projects across the United States. He holds a B.A. in English and American Studies and an M.A. in English, both from the University of Virginia.

Sara Romanoski

Presidential Management Fellow

Sara is a core contributor to design operations at the Lab, working closely with leadership to scope and deliver design innovation efforts in collaboration with federal partners. Sara joined the Lab as a Presidential Management Fellow with more than a decade of organizational development, community planning, and project management experience in the non-profit sector. She is a Master of Urban planning who brings a wealth of experience working in close partnership with local government and activists on issues of preservation, housing, economic development, and public health. In collaborating with federal partners, she ensures resources are allocated to maximize the value received from engagements with the Lab.

Simone Saldanha

Simone is passionate about applying design research to drive empathic government services. She is particularly interested in examining power and equity in the design process and supporting diverse teams to come together. Prior to the Lab, Simone facilitated participatory design programs with East Oakland residents to improve neighborhood health outcomes, with San Francisco high school students to reimagine their school lunch experience, and with youth ultimate frisbee athletes to progress gender equity in their sport. Simone holds a Master’s in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley and a BA in Multidisciplinary Studies from the University of Oklahoma.

Jacqueline Stetson

Management and Program Analyst

Jacqueline is a management and program analyst at the Lab. She brings three decades of experience in human-centered design, innovation, and project management. Prior to joining the Lab, Jacqueline led a civic innovation team at the City of Gainesville, FL. Her private sector work includes consumer, education, enterprise, entrepreneurship, fintech, health, and pharma. Jacqueline holds an MS in Human Factors in Information Design from Bentley University and a BS in Motion Picture Production & Creative Writing from the University of Miami.

Kate Sullivan Frades

Supervisory Design Strategist

Kate supports Lab team members at the individual, project, and program level to do their best work on behalf of the Lab’s federal partners. Kate is a passionate believer in the importance of government to a just society, and in using the tools of design to help government better serve people. Prior to joining the Lab, Kate led civic design for Montgomery County (MD) Government. She spent over 15 years working within public education systems to improve outcomes for children. Kate holds a Master of Public Affairs with a certificate in urban policy and planning from Princeton University. She earned BAs in English and American Studies from the University of Kansas, where she minored in Art History.