january 2025 fellows
Ilona Bodnar, Congressional Innovation Fellow
Ilona Bodnar, a data scientist specializing in machine learning and software development, brings experience from industry including Google and NerdWallet, most recently working at a medical AI startup. She is committed to safeguarding consumer rights and promoting the transparency and accountability of impactful technical systems at scale.
Rahul Hebbar, Congressional Innovation Fellow
Rahul Hebbar is a technologist committed to AI serving humanity, not outpacing social readiness. Rahul was a Project Researcher for the New York City Council’s Legislative Division. Previously, he interned at Koopid.io, where he built machine-learning algorithms. Rahul has his B.S. in Computer Science from Rutgers University and a Master of Public Policy from Duke University.
Matt Burtell, Congressional Innovation Fellow
Matthew Burtell is a technologist with interests spanning AI, national security, China competition, energy, industrial policy, and business innovation. Matthew holds a BS from Yale, where he studied Computer Science and Mathematics, and has published both technical and policy AI research at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology.
Shourya Jain, Congressional Innovation Fellow
Shourya Jain is a product manager passionate about leveraging data and AI to strengthen American infrastructure. He previously worked at Microsoft, building features for the Azure AI platform, and Neufin, developing a platform to drive investment in energy and carbon projects. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Washington, Seattle.
Joshua Chavez, Congressional Innovation Fellow
Joshua Chavez is a technologist with engineering and product experience in defense hardware, data, and processing. Joshua recently served as the Director of Products & Technology at HawkEye360 and the Lead Technical Product Manager at SeaWatch Labs. He graduated in 2019 with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Yale.
Avanti Joshi, Congressional Innovation Fellow
Avanti Joshi received a B.S. in Computer Science and began as a software engineer at Goldman Sachs before pivoting to infrastructure and security at Trussworks, a civic technology company. She worked with government agencies to modernize cloud infrastructure and promote application security. Avanti is excited to advise on policy issues such as cybersecurity and data privacy.
Dhruv Kathuria, Congressional Innovation Fellow
Dhruv Kathuria holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley. He was most recently a Senior Engineer at Pavilion, where he worked on procurement modernization, and previously contributed to Trust and Safety at Nextdoor. Dhruv is passionate about digital privacy and improving how governments adopt and regulate impactful software technologies.
Joe Putnik, Senior Congressional Innovation Fellow
Joe Putnik is a data scientist and business owner with expertise in AI and machine learning, digital infrastructure, and process automation. He has led technology transformation initiatives across enterprises in nearly every industry and size. His policy interests include ethical AI frameworks, government efficiency, and leveraging data science to enhance decision-making and serve the public good.
Connor Sandagata, Congressional Innovation Fellow
Connor Sandagata is a data scientist who seeks to bring his expertise in machine learning, data analysis, and causal modeling to inform policy. Connor was the Senior Data Scientist at WPA Intelligence, where he specialized in using machine learning to analyze public opinion in political campaigns. He holds a Bachelors in International Relations from the University of Rochester.
Lauren Luo, Congressional Innovation Fellow
Lauren Luo is a software engineer interested in data privacy and governance. She most recently worked at Instagram, where she built privacy-aware infrastructure to support consent order responses and established data consistency and governance mechanisms for sensitive user data. Lauren earned her B.A. in Computer Science and American Studies from Wellesley College.
Sabelo Mhlambi, Senior Congressional Innovation Fellow
Sabelo Mhlambi is a technologist and AI ethicist who bridges technology, human rights, and ethics. A former fellow at Harvard Law School's Berkman-Klein Center and Carr Center and Stanford's Digital Civil Society Lab, he now leads a Techstars'22 backed fintech startup. His work maximizes AI benefits while addressing risks and ensuring equitable access for underrepresented communities.
Pauls Toma, Congressional Innovation Fellow
Pauls Toma is a computer scientist and a lawyer. Pauls interned with SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, where he bridged the gap between blockchain technology and securities law. He previously interned at DOJ, where he combatted the criminal misuse of cryptocurrency. He has a BS and MS in Computer Science and a JD from the University of Detroit.
Akash Wasil, Congressional Innovation Fellow
Akash Wasil is a technology and national security professional with experience in research, entrepreneurship, and AI policy. His work has involved AI and cybersecurity, US-China tech competition, semiconductor policy, national security preparedness, and applying AI in healthcare. Akash was an NSF-funded Ph.D. student at UPenn and holds a B.A. from Harvard University.
Anna Nickelson, Senior Congressional Innovation Fellow
Anna Nickelson is a technologist with a PhD in robotics, researcher, and science communicator dedicated to safe and responsible implementation of emerging technologies. Her academic research focuses on adaptive and ethical AI, and she formerly worked at Dolby Labs, the Naval Research Laboratory, and the Brookings Institution. Her policy interests include equitable access to technology and data privacy.
january 2024 fellows
Tie Hardy, Congressional Innovation Fellow, Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA-12)
Hailing from Massachusetts, Tie is a technologist and accessibility advocate with experience in web operations and front end development. After receiving a bachelor's degree in Neuropsychology, Tie has worked for a number of organizations in both the public and private sectors including the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Their policy interests include the intersections of AI and accessibility, healthcare, and transportation.
Tie is serving with Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA-12) and on issues related to AI, digital accessibility, algorithmic bias, disability justice, criminal justice, and racial equity.
Dean Alderucci, Senior Congressional Innovation Fellow, House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
Dean is an AI specialist. He directs AI research at an academic center and creates AI systems for lawyers and regulators. He also has years of experience as a technology and IP lawyer. He holds a dual PhD in AI and in Public Policy, a JD, and an LLM in innovation & information law.
Dean is serving with the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on matters of AI systems.
Adina Wollner, Congressional Innovation Fellow, Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
Adina is an information security analyst interested in the nexus of national security and cybersecurity. Most recently, Adina worked at Apple to support our small and medium sized suppliers in growing the maturity of their security programs. Adina earned her B.S. in Computer Science from the University of California San Diego.
Adina is serving with Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) on matters of cybersecurity.
Brandon Read, Senior Congressional Innovation Fellow, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA)
Brandon is an interdisciplinary technologist with experience developing digital platforms for rideshare, conversational commerce, and cybersecurity. His policy interests include data privacy, algorithmic fairness, platform accountability, and mitigating disparate economic impacts of AI. Brandon holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and briefly pursued a Master in Design Engineering at Harvard before joining TechCongress.
Brandon is serving with Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) and will focus on responsible innovation and shared prosperity.
Jhonatan Ewunetie, Congressional Innovation Fellow, House Committee on Appropriations and Sub-Committee on Transportation, Housing, & Urban Development
Jhonatan is a recent graduate of Stanford University with an M.S. in Management Engineering and a B.S. in Computer Science. He served as a tech fellow on the Senate Appropriations Committee. He is interested in AI/tech policy and oversight, and he is also interested in developing public interest technology to improve the legislative process.
Jhonatan is serving with the House Committee on Appropriations and the Sub-Committee on Transportation, Housing, & Urban Development. There, Jhonatan will focus on transportation data and autonomous vehicle regulatory policy.
James Schmidt, Senior Congressional Innovation Fellow
James is a researcher with experience in finance, control systems, and machine learning. He worked previously as research engineer at the JHU Applied Physics Laboratory and as research professor at JHU. He is interested in privacy in data and national security, First Amendment protections in various media, and security of digital information.
Alex Moix, Senior Congressional Innovation Fellow, Sen. Mark Robert Warner (D-VA)
Alex Moix is a seasoned security engineer and technical intelligence analyst with a background spanning industry, national security, and academia. He has supported missions at Slack, NSA, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, DHS, and the National Counterterrorism Center. Alex hopes to drive ethical technology use through carefully crafted policies, shaping the digital privacy and security landscape while fostering innovation.
Alex is serving with Sen. Mark Robert Warner (D-VA) on matters of cybersecurity, technology, and telecommunciations.
Candace Moix, Senior Congressional Innovation Senior Fellow, Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT)
Candace is a computer scientist and interdisciplinary analyst. She formerly worked for Recorded Future, Krebs Stamos Group, and NSA. She holds an MA from Kings' College London's War Studies Department and an MS in Computer Science from University of Tulsa. Candace is passionate about working at the intersection of technology and security, specializing in national security, cybersecurity, and trust & safety.
Candace is serving with Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) to support commerce and judiciary committee technology work.
Reggie Darby, Senior Congressional Innovation Fellow, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
Reginald Darby, with over ten years in cybersecurity and Air Force experience, has notably enhanced security in various sectors. As a Cybersecurity Manager in Louisiana's largest healthcare system, he developed governance strategies, ensured compliance, and managed risks. He holds an MBA and a BA, and contributed significantly to disaster relief efforts in Louisiana during his time with the Air National Guard.
Reggie is serving with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) on matters regarding technology, veteran affairs, and healthcare cybersecurity & privacy.
Jason Liang, Congressional Innovation Fellow, Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA-08)
Jason is a technologist who’s dedicated to implementing AI across a variety of public sector use cases, from education to healthcare, in order to benefit all Americans. Prior to joining TechCongress, he was a product lead at Scale AI, where he helped organizations ranging from autonomous vehicle startups to the US government build and deploy AI systems into production.
Jason is serving with Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA-08) and will focus on artificial intelligence across various contexts.
Evan DiPetrillo, Senior Congressional Innovation Fellow, Sen. Todd Young (R-IN)
Evan is a data scientist focused on artificial intelligence and national security. Prior to TechCongress, he worked on the staff of U.S. European Command using data analytics to counter transnational organized crime and served as a submarine officer in the U.S. Navy. Evan holds graduate degrees in Computer Science from NYU and Economics from Bocconi University in Milan.
Evan is serving with Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) on artificial intelligence and national security issues.
Lars Schönander, Congressional Innovation Fellow, Senate Committee on Small Business
Lars is a technologist and policy analyst experienced in data science and data engineering. He is interested in the security of critical technologies and improving America’s supply chains. He previously worked at the Foundation for American Innovation. Lars has written for The Wall Street Journal, American Affairs, Commonweal, Tablet, and other publications.
Lars is serving with the Senate Committee on Small Business on matters of federal technical procurement, SBIR, and oversight.
Ethan Moscot, Congressional Innovation Fellow, Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY-02)
Ethan Moscot is a technologist interested in threats to encryption, national security, and AI. He most recently interned at DHS, where he created a neural network-based solution to perform department-wide audits on its AI systems. Ethan holds an M.S. in Cybersecurity and Public Policy from Tufts University’s Department of Computer Science and The Fletcher School.
Ethan is serving with Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY-02) on matters of cybersecurity.
Sarah Harris, Senior Congressional Innovation Fellow, Sen. Ben Lujan (D-NM)
Sarah (Ph.D., MBA and MS.Ed.) is a technologist with a career spanning industry and academic research. She has worked at Apple, co-founded an AI startup as its VP of Product and recently led product development at a gov-tech startup. Her areas of expertise include internet access, AI, social media, digital literacy and tech entrepreneurship.
Sarah is serving with Sen. Ben Lujan (D-NM) on matters of artificial intelligence, connectivity, data privacy, digital services, and modernization.
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