“Engineering Dreams Into a Bold Reality”: NobleReach Scholar Tyse Hipps, Ozark
Tyse Hipps, one of this year’s NobleReach Scholars, is currently serving in a yearlong role as a Materials Engineering Specialist at Ozark.
We caught up with him recently to discuss his experience in public service, and his advice for anyone considering applying for the program.
I wasn’t ready to just assign myself to maintain existing systems. I wanted to help innovate and lead the next generation of materials and manufacturing.
Tyse Hipps, one of this year’s NobleReach Scholars, is currently serving in a yearlong role as a Materials Engineering Specialist at Ozark.
We caught up with him recently to discuss his experience in public service, and his advice for anyone considering applying for the program.
What made you want to become a NobleReach Scholar?
The opportunity to work and serve drew me to the NobleReach scholarship program. My journey in engineering began with two formative internships at Fortune 500 companies before completing my materials science and engineering degree. While these experiences helped shape my career aspirations, my first post-graduation role revealed a gap between my ambitions and reality. I found myself primarily focusing on legacy products – important work, but not the innovative engineering I had envisioned.
My drive to create and innovate stems from two major influences: my family’s entrepreneurial background in construction and restaurants, where we approach each project or recipe by envisioning the final product while working methodically from the foundation up. Also, my time at ASU, where the culture of innovation, though sometimes joked about as a student, became deeply ingrained in my professional mindset.
Choosing to study engineering, at least for me, was a hard, upward battle. I wasn’t ready to just assign myself to maintain existing systems. I wanted to help innovate and lead the next generation of materials and manufacturing. That is why I applied.
What tips do you have for preparing for the interview stage to stand out in this year’s competitive pool?
Success in a competitive interview pool comes from thorough preparation and authentic presentation. Here are my key strategies for standing out:
First, master the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method. This structured approach ensures your responses clearly demonstrate your capabilities through concrete examples. Take your most significant experiences and practice articulating them using this framework.
Create a comprehensive practice routine. I’ve developed a personal question bank from my previous interviews, which has proven invaluable.
For those new to interviewing, start by researching industry-specific questions from reputable sources like professional organizations or career development websites. While AI tools like ChatGPT can supplement your preparation, they should complement, not replace, traditional research.
Practice with purpose. Schedule mock interviews with mentors, friends, or family members who can provide constructive feedback. Record yourself to analyze your communication style, body language, and areas for improvement. Review your most current resume thoroughly, ensuring you can speak confidently about every detail and connect your experiences to NobleReach’s mission.
Research is crucial. Study NobleReach’s values, current scholars’ work, placements, and recent initiatives. This knowledge helps you ask thoughtful questions and demonstrate genuine interest in the program.
Finally, prepare your physical and digital interview space. Whether virtual or in-person, professional presentation matters. Test your technology/connection in advance for interviews or plan your attire and travel time for in-person meetings.
Remember, the goal isn’t just to rehearse answers, but to build confidence in articulating your unique value proposition to the NobleReach community.
If selected, what can next year’s Scholars expect on their first day of the program?
On their first day, next year’s Scholars can expect a blend of excitement, nervous energy, and warm welcomes. The morning will likely begin with typical first-day jitters – I remember my nervous anticipation melting away during my commute on the subway, which reminded me of cherished memories of living abroad.
Arriving at the building might feel overwhelming, but don’t hesitate to connect with others around you. Some of my most meaningful relationships started when another Scholar and I got lost trying to find the building! Elijah and I made it through 😊
Professionally, Scholars can expect a structured orientation that introduces them to the program’s expectations, team members, and resources. And, a cohort team-building activity to encourage the new cohort to bond. That is something I remember Arun stressing. He really wanted us to form connections that can last a lifetime.
I would also say soak it up and enjoy the moment despite the nerves. You were chosen for a reason. You belong!
What’s one thing you’ve learned since starting your role?
I’ve learned that regardless of an organization’s size, similar challenges arise because every job involves working with people. This has taught me the importance of extending grace to both myself and my coworkers, fostering a more understanding and collaborative work environment.
As we begin 2025, NobleReach stands at a pivotal moment in our journey to transform how talent and technology serve the public. The reception of national best-seller ‘Venture Meets Mission’ and our conversations at forums from SXSW to the Aspen Ideas Festival have confirmed what we believed when we started: there’s an urgent need and opportunity to bridge the gap between academia, talent, and innovation. Over the last year, we’ve built critical infrastructure that is transforming how next generation talent engages with mission-driven work and translating public research into public benefit, strengthening America’s security and prosperity for decades to come.
2024 Key Highlights
Talent
Launched the NobleReach Scholars Program, placing 19 early-career tech, science and entrepreneurship professionals at eight federal agencies and three industry-leading tech companies.
Had significant participation from senior government leaders, including Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Lt. General Jack Shanahan (ret.), who joined us for our Scholar’s Bootcamp.
Achieved significant growth of Scholars Program applicants by nearly 300%, with over 1200 candidates engaging in the application process for the 2025 Scholars Cohort and 550 progressing to the next stage.
Integrated Hacking for Innovation into NobleReach, further expanding our reach in university innovation programs.
Built strategic alliances with Princeton, Carnegie Mellon, Virginia Tech, and other premier institutions, reaching more than 3,000 students in the last two years.
Innovation
Completed work with the National Science Foundation, culminating in a final report with actionable insights for advancing translational research—details to be shared publicly soon.
Pivoted our focus to place-based innovation work enhancing our national and economic security.
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we enter the new year, NobleReach is positioned to scale our impact even further. We will expand the Scholars Program with new government and industry partnerships to broaden opportunities for emerging leaders. We are also poised to launch new university initiatives that empower students and faculty to bridge academia and public service through innovative programs and convenings.
Thank you to our partners, supporters, and team members who share our vision of a stronger, more innovative America. Together, we’re building a future where talent, technology, and mission converge to drive security, prosperity, and progress.
The best is yet to come!
Technological innovation is most impactful when it is grounded in deep consideration of the human experience
Caroline Gish, one of this year’s NobleReach Scholars, is currently serving in a yearlong role as a Project Analyst at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
We caught up with her recently to discuss her experience in public service and her advice for anyone considering applying for the program.
What made you want to become a NobleReach Scholar?
Applying for the inaugural cohort of NobleReach Scholars was a bit of an exercise in trust. Still although I had limited information about the program, I could tell from the board and team bios, as well as the language on the website, that NobleReach was committed to bringing together a community of individuals with a shared mission to solve complex problems for the greater good of all people, not just for profit. I believe technological innovation is most impactful when it is grounded in deep consideration of the human experience, particularly when addressing the challenges unique to government. As a computational linguist, I was eager to apply my technical and human-centered skillset in innovative ways for the public good. Being a NobleReach Scholar has given me the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded, mission-driven individuals and contribute to projects that will create meaningful impact.
What tips do you have for preparing for the interview stage to stand out in this year’s competitive pool?
When prepping for your interview, I would recommend spending some time reflecting on your academic and/or professional journey so far and the decisions that have shaped it. Why did you choose your particular field of study? What motivated you to take that specific class or select that project topic? How have you been of service in your previous internships, school classes, or jobs? What are some challenges that you are excited to work on in the future? The initial NobleReach interview is your opportunity to go beyond your resume and showcase the passions and values that drive you as a person and a future leader.
While your on-paper degrees and achievements are obviously important, and commendable, aspects of your application, the purpose of the NobleReach interviews is really to learn more about you as a person. Be your authentic self when responding to questions in the interview. The interviewers aren’t looking for coined responses that sound good; they’re looking for the spark of an innovative spirit, a desire to make an impact, and a willingness to serve no matter the challenges that arise.
If selected, what can next year’s Scholars expect on their first day of the program?
Lots of learning! The first day, and the first week more broadly, of the bootcamp is set up as a series of introductions. You will be introduced to key members of the NobleReach team and learn about their varied (and super interesting) journeys into technology-focused public service, you will be introduced to your cohort of amazing, driven scholars and hear about their reasons for wanting to join the program, and you will learn about what it means to work for the public good both inside and outside of government.
Though you’ll most likely be a bit exhausted from the rush of the first day, you’ll get to come back the next day to a welcoming space and learn more from people who have undertaken impactful work while building up your skillset for your own successful future in mission-driven work.
What’s one thing you’ve learned since starting your role?
The biggest thing I have learned so far is that the skillset you come in with can be utilized in many different ways. The federal government has its own set of unique challenges that you won’t encounter anywhere else, and this requires creative applications of skills. In your role, you will inevitably be asked to take on tasks that lie outside of what you (think you) have the training for, but if you stay organized and passionate, you can tackle the challenges (and be excited to do so). You’ll ultimately come out of the experience with a much greater scope of ability. And no matter your academic background or specific skillset, if you keep service at the heart of your work and stay oriented toward the human, you will excel and be a successful asset to any federal agency or mission-driven, private sector organization.
I didn’t imagine I would have anywhere near the impact that I have already had with my placement.
Caitlin Casey, one of this year’s NobleReach Scholars, is currently serving in a yearlong role as a TSO Project Manager at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
We caught up with her recently to discuss her experience in the first two months of public service and her advice for anyone considering applying for the program.
Applications for the 2025 NobleReach Scholars cohort are open now.
What are some of the top lessons you’ve learned as you’ve started your placement?
First, show up every day with an open mind. it’s good to have one because there’s no other way to figure anything out. Joining the federal government is joining a large school of fish in a massive ocean of other schools of fish. The scale, scope, and legacy of the places you’ll work at are part of why your service matters and why you’ll take so much from this experience, but it means you’re joining a large pre-existing orchestra. You’ll get spun around if you don’t learn from your fellow fish and enter following the stream. When in Rome do as the Romans do, when working in federal government watch and learn with an open mind.
Next, the learning curve and timelines are long. After the first couple of weeks at my placement I came to the startling realization that my year-long placement would not nearly be enough time to become a deeply knowledgeable veteran employee. There will be big projects and initiatives and I will move on from my placement long before they reach their “end.” Some of our NobleReach speakers described working in the public sector like a relay. You run with the baton until it’s your time to pass it on, and you’re likely never going to be running the anchor leg.
Finally, you are appreciated. I didn’t imagine I would have anywhere near the impact that I have already had with my placement. That’s not to say that I’ve reinvented some wheel, but that there’s so much work to do! During the NobleReach bootcamp, one of my fellow Scholars described public service as “finding a gap to stand in,” and the first couple weeks of my placement have enforced this definition. So many people wake up every day and stand in gaps for me, I appreciate them more consciously now.
What has surprised you about your experience?
I have been most surprised and impressed by the immense talent and drive I’ve found in the projects and people at my placement. Despite applying for and being excited for the fellowship, I still entered my placement with a lot of negative preconceived notions about why the public sector struggled to produce results and successes. Now I can say without a doubt it is not for lack of incredible talent, effort, and vision.
What prompted you to apply to be a NobleReach Scholar?
My decision to apply to a NobleReach Scholar was a very easy choice once I found the program. While applying to jobs, I was really frustrated at having both too many and too few options. I wanted something like a rotational program, but with a cohort. I wanted to expand on the skills I learned in my master’s program, but I wanted work that helped other people. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and I wanted to learn a lot. NobleReach solved for all of this. If you’re reading this, you’re way ahead of where I was, and good for you.
What advice would you give anyone considering applying?
The agency or firm you work at does not have to be “themed” around the work you want to do for you to be able to get good experience in your desired field or practice. In fact, most agencies that aren’t “themed” after your specific topic might need your expertise even more. The great thing about working in the public sector is that these skills can go anywhere, and cool work is being done everywhere. Even better than cool, the work you do this year will help make the lives of those around you better. It’s a win-win if you have an open mind.
How has your experience and education prepared you for your role in the federal government?
I sort of cheated by majoring in public policy in undergrad, so I was more prepared than I needed to be to start well. The experience and education I’ve drawn on most in my first month of federal government work has been all my various athletic teams. The classes, papers, research, and internships I have experienced have helped me, but nothing has prepared me as well as all the first days and times I was incredibly confused entering new group environments. Everyone at my placement expected to have to teach me what various acronyms and file paths meant, but I needed to show up prepared to ask.
The NobleReach Scholars Program transforms ambitious, mission-driven individuals into future leaders in tech, science, and entrepreneurship. This program is both a pathway into public service as well as a platform to solve the most pressing challenges of our time.
Conlan Gotzion
University of Wisconsin – Madison, Spring 2024
Team Name: Data Driven Food Resilience
Problem: Digital Data Collection for First-Mile Producers to Enhance Food Traceability
Problem Sponsor: Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)
About Conlan
Conlan graduated from UW Madison in 2024 with degrees in Finance and Computer Science and is currently working as a Full Stack Developer at Integrated Vital Medical Dynamics.
During the Spring 2024 Innovation for Impact course, Conlan’s team worked with the Institute of Food Technologists to enhance supply chain visibility and safeguard public health by reducing foodborne illnesses. They tackled the challenge of how to enable first-mile producers, such as farmers and fishers, to easily collect and share data digitally with their upstream trading partners to meet the requirements of the Food Traceability Rule. The team ultimately developed an app tailored for first-mile producers that simplified the data input process by converting commonly used files such as Excel to the format used by food traceability experts.
What attracted you to the Innovation for Impact course?
As a senior, I felt like I had gained a lot of academic knowledge and internship experience during college, but I lacked hands-on experience in project planning and understanding the actual processes within the industry. This class seemed like a perfect opportunity to gain that experience...
Conlan Gotzion
I was excited by the idea of conducting interviews, doing research, and developing a solution that people would actually use, and I didn’t think I’d have the chance to work on something like this again soon after college.
What value did you get from taking the course?
I would highly recommend taking the Innovation for Impact course to other students. It’s different from all other classes and helps you figure out what you want to do in the field. It also provides invaluable practical, real-world experience. It was a great learning opportunity, and I hope others find it valuable too.
What new perspectives did you gain from taking the course?
I’m still interested in computer science and finance, but taking the course opened my eyes to research opportunities and other fields I hadn’t thought of before. It made me think more about understanding the customer’s needs before developing a solution.
James Kanoff, a Symbolic Systems B.S. Stanford University student, had always been drawn to solving critical problems. He had heard about the sought after “Hacking for Defense (H4D)” course on campus and was captivated by the idea of using the Lean Launchpad methodology to tackle real-world challenges. In the spring of 2022, he learned that a climate-focused version of the H4D course, “Hacking for Climate and Sustainability (H4CS)” (now known as Innovation for Impact™ under NobleReach), was being offered. His background in climate initiatives and his already strong belief in the Lean LaunchPad approach made this course a perfect fit.
Teaming up with Sasankh Munukutla, BS, MS Computer Science, James embarked on the challenging journey of addressing soil carbon sequestration. Initially, they knew they wanted to contribute to carbon removal through enhanced rock weathering (ERW), a method of soil carbon sequestration James had been researching before taking H4CS. They quickly realized that measuring, reporting, and verifying (MRV) the carbon sequestered in the soil was a critical component of the puzzle.
Through their rigorous customer discovery, James and Sasankh narrowed in on two primary stakeholders: project developers (farmers, mine owners, & agronomist groups) capable of generating carbon removal through ERW projects and private entities willing to pay for carbon removal to meet net-zero goals.
One assumption they heard during their interviews was that farmers and developers were not interested in learning new farming processes and were “hesitant to deviate from trusted processes because of the operational and financial risk it poses.” After finding a project developer interested in working with them, they put together a Facebook ad campaign targeting farmers in Mexico, and that assumption was quickly disproven after they received hundreds of WhatsApp messages from farmers. They knew the most important thing here was to have the highest quality MRV system, to ensure that when someone claims they remove carbon, it is verifiable. “If you can measure it, we will pay for it,” James said, summarizing his customer discovery to Terradot’s potential clientele.
All their hard work culminated in receiving a grant from the TomKat Center for Innovation Transfer. This funding allowed them to travel to Mexico to implement their very first project. There in Chiapas, Mexico, they collaborated with local developers and farmers to implement ERW and test their MRV prototype. They ended up enrolling 100 farmers across 250 hectares and recorded three to five tons CO2 equivalents in GHG removal and reductions per hectare.
Post course, the team incorporated into a start-up and successfully raised a pre-seed round to get them off the ground. The team is preparing to raise another round of funding to expand their operations and hire additional staff. Reflecting on the Innovation for Impact methodology and its influence on Terradot, James notes that
It’s just the way we operate. It’s in the DNA of our company. We use the [Innovation for Impact] approach in most things we do now.
James Kanoff
James highly recommends the course to entrepreneurial students passionate about solving significant problems.
William Kosann, an economics student at Northwestern University, was drawn to entrepreneurial opportunities that could drive meaningful impact, leading him to enroll in the new “Innovation for Impact” course in Spring 2024. Alongside Environmental Sciences student Sam Rappin, William decided to work on the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premieres’ (GSGP) problem of finding ways for commercial and tribal fishers to more productively use 100% of each fish in order to reduce waste and generate more value.
Early on, the team believed that they needed a two-pronged approach: to educate consumers on the impact of fully utilized fish, and help producers use more of each fish. However, through early beneficiary discovery, William learned that “if we can change the way [the fishermen and producers] act, we can change the whole ecosystem.” Narrowing in on their primary beneficiaries, they quickly realized that nothing would change unless the fishermen and producers were properly incentivized.
The team developed a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), a survey and spreadsheet for fisheries. that collects data on current operations and the spreadsheet calculates and demonstrates to fishers and producers how much potential revenue is being left on the table. Now, two months after the course has finished, the team is working with GSGP to roll out their MVP, which they will use as an entry point into the industry to get more operationally involved, by connecting fishermen and producers with opportunities to make more revenue and use 100% of the fish. William and Sam plan to use the small grant funding they received to further their research and continue engaging with fisheries. The team will expand their outreach to the other side of the industry, such as fish food and collagen producers, to validate their concepts and scale their impact.
Looking back at the course, William recalls the most rewarding aspect of the course was the methodology itself.
The Innovation for Impact approach pushed me out of my comfort zone but ultimately honed my problem-solving skills
William Kosann
Williams notes, recalling how he learned to use the skills he gained from prior sales experience in a completely new way to solve impactful problems.
The course solidified William’s interest in entrepreneurship, reaffirming that opportunities exist in available in every industry. He encourages other students, regardless of their specific interests, to take the course for its practical business insights and the potential to work on projects they are passionate about.
The journey of innovative ventures often begins with a spark of passion and a commitment to address pressing global challenges. For Fred Addy and his team, their journey started at Stanford University, where they embarked on a mission to prevent solar panels from ending up in landfills. What began as an idea born from their shared dedication to sustainability evolved into Sunkara, a pioneering venture focused on facilitating the repowering and sustainable disposal of solar arrays.
Fred’s journey into the realm of sustainable technology traces back to his early days at Stanford.“I wanted to be a part of the solution in the fight against climate change,” Fred mused. With a desire to effect meaningful change, Fred was drawn to a course called “Hacking for Climate and Sustainability”. The course offered a structured framework, adapted from the Lean Startup methodology, aimed at equipping students with the tools to tackle complex environmental challenges through innovation.
“I came into Stanford with a goal of starting a company in the sustainability space,” Fred recalls. “I had several ideas brewing, including solar recycling, which eventually became the focus of our venture.” Even before stepping foot on the Stanford campus, Fred had an entrepreneurial spirit, establishing ventures in high school like his own tutoring service and pioneering a toner package recycling initiative. Yet, it was his enrollment in the Hacking for Climate and Sustainability course that honed his abilities, equipping him with the essential skills to transform his ideas into a tangible business.
The journey truly began when Army veteran Fred Addy (MBA) and his team, including Stephen Beaton (PhD, MBA) from Stanford Business School, along with Matti Thurston (MS MatSci), Franky Barrera (PhD MatSci), and Luka Radosavljevic (MS MatSci) from the Engineering department, embarked on their exploration of solar panel recycling and repurposing. Aware of the imminent surge in solar power adoption and the consequent demand for recycling solutions in the next 5-10 years, the team was trying to understand how to make and keep solar power clean throughout its entire lifecycle and prevent solar panels from ending up in landfills. Armed with the methodology learned in the course, they delved into the problem space, conducting extensive discovery and engaging with stakeholders directly impacted by the issue.
“At the outset, we were determined to tackle all aspects of solar panel lifecycle management: upcycling, reusing, and recycling,” Fred explains. “However, as we progressed, we realized the need to focus our efforts and streamline our approach.”
Through interviews with key stakeholders, the team was able to rule out some of these pathways. In the first few weeks of the course, the team discovered that upcycling was not a viable path for their budding business model. With the significant drop in the cost of solar power and the growing demand in the resale market, it was now more financially beneficial to reintegrate the raw materials back into the supply chain.
However, their interviews up to that point unveiled a new trail to follow around solar panel recyclability – a polymer used in solar cells called ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA). The team took to Fred’s garage with a damaged solar panel with an idea for testing whether they could separate the elements in the solar panel using heat. After running current backward through the solar panel to heat them up and pull them apart, they were able to extract silver using a heat gun and a box cutter. Today, Fred is considering delving deeper into this process and pursuing a patent, but, at the time, the team ultimately determined that this pathway wouldn’t be a viable business, especially given the number of established companies already in the market.
Through this process of rigorous discovery and experimentation with key stakeholders, Fred and his team discovered a niche within related to reuse: repowering solar panels for off-grid applications.
“We recognized a growing trend in solar panel repowering, where older panels were being replaced with newer, more efficient ones,” Fred elaborates. “Our challenge was to find a viable solution for repurposing these panels, which were no longer suitable for on-grid installations.”
By the end of the course, the team had a minimum viable product (MVP) of a business that could address the residential sector’s repowering needs, and plans for a pilot program.
Through the course of the semester, Fred met a company that would eventually become a partner, Decom Solar, which has established itself as a leader on decommissioning and sustainable disposal of solar panels in the commercial and industrial sectors. Decom Solar had successful partnerships with non-profits who are actively reinstalling used solar modules in countries in need of free electricity, so the synergies between them were immediately clear. Over the summer, Fred worked with Decom Solar and together they successfully worked on several decommissioning projects, removing solar panels from commercial sites in the United States. They are currently collaborating to establish more robust overseas partnerships with developers and logistics groups that will allow them to send larger quantities of modules to other countries including Haiti and Tanzania.
His efforts culminated in the creation of Sunkara, a venture dedicated to saving solar panels from premature disposal and extending their lifespan through repurposing. In the aftermath of a surge in shipping prices due to global unrest, Sunkara has successfully created a new subset of their business: an online model that helps customers estimate when they can profitably replace their solar panels. Sunkara, with the partnership of Decom Solar, has completed 20+ megawatts worth of projects and aim to add another 30 MW this year. By 2027, they hope to reach the Gigawatt scale, moving the world closer to net zero.
Sunkara became more than just a business venture; it became a mission to bridge the gap between sustainability and defense. Our journey wouldn't have been possible without the guidance and structure provided by the course at Stanford.
Fred Addy
As Sunkara continues to make strides in the realm of solar panel repurposing, Fred remains grateful for the transformative experience that shaped their journey. Looking ahead, he envisions further growth and impact, leveraging their expertise to address the pressing environmental challenges of our time.
“Taking the course was a turning point in my career,” Fred concludes. “To students considering it, I would say: treat it like it’s real, because the impact you can make is real. Embrace the journey, and you’ll emerge better equipped to confront the world’s most pressing challenges.”
From the classroom to pioneering efforts on the global stage, Fred and his team exemplify the power of student-driven innovation in shaping a sustainable future for generations to come.
My VMM story begins on the 2nd of June 2001. I was standing outside of the Michie Stadium at the United States Military Academy at West Point. The lore at West Point is if it rains on your graduation day, your class is going to war. It not only rained; it absolutely poured down. 3 ½ months later, 9/11 occurred. And not only was my West Point class at war – but also the nation.
I served as an Infantry officer in combat in Iraq in the years that followed 9/11. As I returned back to the United States from that experience, I recognized we needed to engage our broader society in service to the nation.
In the years that followed my military service, it became my mission to engage our broader country and society in solving the great challenges of our time.
Following serving as a professor at West Point and a staffer on the Hill, I co-founded a non-profit called the Common Mission Project, which is focused on solving critical public problems through an innovation and entrepreneurship program called Hacking for Defense (H4D).
H4D brings together the government, universities, and the private sector around these critical public problems – introducing student talent and entrepreneurs to national service and creating dual-use start-ups focused on solving public problems.
Today, at NobleReach, my objective is to help further scale tech and talent programs to continue to solve the great challenges of our time.
My career in public service spans over 40 years. It started out of necessity as opposed to a sense of patriotism. I was born and raised in the Washington Heights section of New York City. Attending college for children in my neighborhood was a rarity. My “destiny” was to join one of New York’s construction trade unions as was the norm for my father, uncles, and grandfather.
I wanted to go to college. My parents were emotionally supportive but did not have the resources. Their hope was that I could find a way to go through scholarships, etc. After a long search, I came across a program sponsored by the United States Navy – the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Program. Through enrollment in a four-year science or engineering degree and agreeing to ~ 7 years of service as an officer onboard a nuclear submarine, the Navy would cover tuition and books. An answer to my problem had been found.
During my service, I came to appreciate how much members of the Armed Forces, and their families, sacrifice to protect and serve our Nation. I was hooked. This was truly mission oriented work.
After my obligation ended, I transitioned to working for the Department of the Navy, and later the Department of Defense, as a civil servant. I worked on engineering problems that were complex and key to national defense. It was extremely satisfying.
After promotion to the Senior Executive Service, my perspective on public service broadened and deepened. I had the privilege to testify in front of Congress multiple times, personally brief POTUS many times and work on seminal policy decisions such as veteran’s homelessness, women serving onboard Navy ships and effective treatments for PTSD. I even got to spend time in Afghanistan to create plans to restructure their banking system.
Those are 40 years I would not trade for anything. I had the privilege to work with people that were dedicated to our Nation and worked, for the most part, without fanfare and recognition. They are true patriots.
By the way, I did not escape working in the building trades. Every college break, you would find me on a NYC building site working by the side of my grandfather, a master mason, carrying bricks and mixing cement.
Toni Townes-Whitley’s journey from Princeton to Peace Corps to corporate consultant shows that a mission-driven career can yield skills that employers cherish.
The people best suited to thrive in the face of uncertainty and tackle large systemic problems are those whose experience draws from diverse perspectives. While the national, cultural, ethnic, and social forces that have shaped you are determined by chance at birth, professional diversity is largely an individual choice shaped by one’s passions and the knowledge attained across different industries and sectors.
Case and point: Toni Townes-Whitley, CEO of SAIC, which provides engineering, digital, artificial intelligence and mission solutions across the defense, space, civilian and intelligence markets.
My career was built along the premise that public and private-sector work would allow me to see where I could make a difference—and to apply technology to do so.
Toni Townes-Whitley
CEO of SAIC
Seeing Government from the Inside
“I’m a military brat, so I’ve been moving around my whole life,” she says. “I think that really shaped how my professional life unfolded.” Townes-Whitley, who now sits on the boards of organizations such as NASDAQ, PNC, United Way Worldwide, and Johns Hopkins Medicine, recalls her professional beginnings. “When I graduated from Princeton with an economics degree, at a time when everyone who graduated was going to graduate school, I decided to join the Peace Corps, in hopes that I could apply my economics and business principles right there on the ground. I went to several countries along the equator and started building schools, learning different cultures, and exposing myself to new situations and experiences. And when I came back from the Peace Corps I decided that I wanted to join the government. I went right into the GAO—the Government Accounting Office, which has since been renamed—and I started working with three- and four-star officers in the military and State Department trying to find fraud, waste, and abuse across the government. It was a great way to see the government from the inside.”
She goes on to say, “My next move was over to the private sector into Arthur Andersen as a tech consultant and then later to Microsoft with the goal of running their public-sector technology interface on a global scale. And I was able to see how the private sector really interacts with the state and federal governments in regards to how new and emerging technologies shape and can address societal and national challenges. For example, we had many discussions on issues of responsible AI, Microsoft’s role in the healthcare industry as a HIPAA-certified platform, and the role of technology in educational equity. The company really began to focus on the UN sustainable development goals and ESG targets while working with the government and trying to understand the intersection of civics and technology. And in some cases, I actually felt like I was working for the DoD, as we were shaping policy as technologists that the government was not equipped to easily understand.”
The Value of Professional “Cross-Training”
Townes-Whitley’s greatest piece of advice: “Find the diagonal. The broader and more diverse your scatter plot, the better your regression line is in terms of your own career. For me, I created a pretty broad scatter plot. I did public- and private-sector work, and I found that the learnings are important to apply across the two. Look for the vertical opportunities to learn something new. And then look to the horizontal opportunities to apply what you’ve learned. I think we’ve got to break down the construct that ‘Oh, I’m doing A or B.’ To find the diagonal—to really walk this critical path of developing skills and experiences, you have to extend your curiosity into different areas.”
A lifelong hooper, Townes-Whitley is quick to make a basketball analogy about her career. “Be a triple-threat athlete. In basketball, the most valuable player on the court for any team is the player that can shoot, dribble, and pass. The triple threat. And I realized the importance of this coming out of Princeton. When I joined tech, it was the economics background and the regressions and the econometrics models that led me to see how to define the need in business innovations. And when you consider that, growing up as a kid in a public-sector family, I had this idea of volunteerism and making a difference ingrained in me. And my career was built along the premise that public and private-sector work would allow me to see where I could make a difference—and to apply technology to do so.”
One final piece of advice from Townes-Whitley—there’s no dichotomy between purpose and profit. She says, “I never felt like I ever had to make a choice between doing good or making money. While my parents were exceptional public servants, I made an amazing amount of money working at Microsoft, and yet it was my most impactful work on the globe in terms of social change. The idea that you can’t make money while making a significant and meaningful change is wrong. And even more so when you have the technology to really scale this change.” Townes-Whitley is a remarkable and shining example of how to develop a skill set to thrive in the Venture Meets Mission ecosystem.
Krish Mehta entered the Stanford Graduate School of Business with a clear objective: to launch a startup in the climate sector, focusing particularly on the decarbonization of concrete. Despite his initial lack of specific knowledge about the concrete industry, Krish was aware of its significant environmental impact, contributing to 8% of global CO2 emissions. With this problem in mind, Krish enrolled in Stanford’s Hacking for Climate and Sustainability (now known as Innovation for Impact™ under NobleReach Foundation). This course, recommended by peers, was designed to deep dive into environmental issues and foster innovative solutions. Here, Krish would have the opportunity to learn and practice entrepreneurial methodologies rooted in Lean Launchpad, a process for quickly testing and iterating ideas through customer discovery interviews.
Once enrolled in the course, Krishjoined forces with fellow classmates Shilesh Muralidhara (MsX, GSB), Tony Cruz (MS, Sustainability), Manju Murugesu (Ph.D., ERE), and Ayaan Asthana (MS, Sustainability)and formeda teamthey named “Gremix” to address the concrete problem Krish identified.The rigor of the class offered substantial rewards. The teaching team would let the students know that they would need to conduct over 100 customer discovery interviews over the following quarter, and although this would be more labor intensive than many of their othercourses, this customer discovery process would be critical in Krish’s eventual journey to start Phoenix Materials, the startup he spun out of team Gremix.
Team Gremix initially started out with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that consisted of a type of cement that required less processing, and thus less emissions. Through their discovery interviews with their future customer base, ready mix concrete makers, they quickly invalidated that idea as it produced a low-quality product that no one wanted. Their first idea was feasible and viable, just not desirable.
The methodology taught us to think first in terms of customers and value proposition, which is usually always second when it comes to CO2 emissions. It’s tempting to go in and say there is a product that has lower emissions and will help the world... but worthless if no one uses it.
Krish Mehta
In true Lean LaunchPadfashion, they set aside their initialgoals and instead engaged ready-mix concrete manufacturers to understand their needs and challenges.“We realized that we needed to start with solving the business problem first, and then create additional value through methods that lower greenhouse gas emissions(GHGs),” Krish said. What they discovered was a desire for easier access to fly–ash, a coal byproduct with significant benefits when added to concrete, reducing both material usage and GHGs during production. With this insight, team Gremix knew they could resolve their customer’s pain points and produce more environmentally friendly concrete.
As team Gremix continued their discovery into fly-ash, they seized the chance to visit a cement production site firsthand.Witnessing the immense scale of the operation left a profound impact on Krish and his team. Reflecting on the experience, Krish emphasized, “visiting the plant was truly eye-opening. It made it so obvious that any solution that was low carbon had to be scalable and easily available.”
Phoenix Materials was born knowing they needed to source more fly-ash. As they continued their research and interviews, they realized that with the shutting down of coal power plants in the US, there was less fly-ash being produced as a byproduct. Phoenix Materials nowunderstood that their challenge is to find a GHG friendly way to source fly-ash.
They knew their customer base, they knew the customers’ pain points, and they now figured out how they are going to address it. Phoenix Materials will go to landfills that containfly-ash, process it, and extract multiple end products from the refining process, including fly-ash to be sold to ready-mix concrete makers. This refining process does take energy, but it still provides a 15% reduction in GHG emissions when compared to concrete.
Krish notes that,“by understanding the rest of the value chain, we understood the incentives of the rest of our customers. This mapping was extremely important.”Now, Phoenix Materials has a solution to a problem that is feasible, desirable, and viable, that also provided an environmental benefit. Phoenix Materials is looking to raise 2 million dollars in a pre-seed round to build their pilot and accelerate their go to market.
