Board of Directors

Michael is a health outcomes researcher with a background in the social sciences who also dabbles in web development. Throughout these endeavors, Michael is particularly interested in exploring how data, research, and the stories they tell can make people’s lives, communities, and society better. He has a PhD in human... Read more >

Kyle served as an analyst for government agencies where he worked on public assistance policy and municipal infrastructure before transitioning to the tech industry in 2016. As a technologist, Kyle has served as a Software Engineer and Data Engineer in the health-care, consulting, and manufacturing industries. He is passionate about... Read more >

Derek is an entrepreneur, developer and one of the leaders of the civic technology community in Chicago. He is founder and partner at DataMade, a company that tells stories and builds tools with data, and co-founder of Chi Hack Night when it was started in March of 2012. Derek... Read more >

Samantha Goodman is a longtime Chicago resident who brings a diverse blend of experiences and passions to the Chi Hack Night. Her background includes teaching science for Chicago Public Schools and a working as a civil engineer. She is currently employed as a data analyst for an edtech company. A... Read more >

Adam J. Hecktman helps non-profits and funders define their data strategy, use their data to impact their mission, and leverage analytics and data science to collaborate with their partners and key interested parties. He also works with commercial businesses on their Corporate Social Responsibility strategy and programming. Adam is... Read more >

Sneha is a software engineer currently working at a company that builds finance software for local governments and nonprofits. Prior to that, she worked at Techstars, helping early stage startups, and at Red Ventures, where she built financial tools on the websites Bankrate, CreditCards.com and CNET Money.

Sneha previously directed... Read more >

Josh is a GIS developer and data analyst and is the founder of Kalov Strategies, LLC. In both professional and volunteer roles has worked on government transparency and civic data projects. He is particularly focused on public education and has previously served on a Local School Council. He has been... Read more >

Vien is an aspiring scholar of civic tech and learning. He is a PhD candidate in Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy (SESP), where he is writing a book about civic tech in Chicago that will come out in 2026-7. As an educator, Vien is designing pathways to... Read more >

Katie is a public relations manager at Propllr, a public relations and content marketing firm. She helps B2B technology companies build awareness and increase their authority. She develops articles and other written content for clients and for the firm, helping build cohesive brand stories. She holds a B.A. in English... Read more >

Cameron Sow is a graduate of Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy. He is an educator, life-long learner and aspiring entrepreneur. His work has consistently been at the intersection of education, civic life and cultural institutions. For the past two summers he led the Citizen Science Ambassador program... Read more >

Sean is a senior business intelligence analyst at dscout, a remote research platform based in Chicago. Prior to working with data, Sean was a music teacher; spending his time teaching in Chicago and Boston across 3 years. He graduated from Valparaiso University in 2014 and from Boston University in 2017... Read more >