A part-time executive education program that prepares senior technology leaders with the skills critical to federal government service and public policy

The Tech Executive Leadership Initiative (TELI) is a remote, part-time, unpaid 5-week skills-building initiative leading up to a to-be-confirmed final project and presentation. TELI prepares experienced technology leaders to engage effectively with public sector challenges. This program is ideal for senior executives who are interested in future federal government service or in otherwise honing their skills to engage more effectively with governments. The program is mainly online and includes a two-day immersion.

The fifth cohort of TELI ran from February to March 2024.

Read the full press release announcing TELI here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Curriculum

TELI provides senior technology professionals with a unique leadership opportunity to strengthen their executive skills through real-world engagement with government problems. Through experiential learning with real government technology policy challenges, leaders hone their skills to work effectively with dedicated public servants and mitigate risk on technology projects.

Our TELI program consists of two blocks: (1) a bootcamp that teaches leaders the basics of government service; and (2) a final project where TELI leaders put their lessons to work on a policy challenge with a client organization.

During the bootcamp, TELI leaders receive lessons and participate in exercises that could be relevant in a future government role. For example, course sessions include:

  • How to write effectively in government;
  • How to manage government procurement;
  • How government structures differ from industry, and where to pull existing competencies versus where new ones need to be developed; and
  • How to define government problems and develop solutions to them.

In the last weeks of the program, leaders work on a challenge project with a real government client, with assistance from experts and partner organizations with domain expertise. Teams of 5-6 program participants might work on challenge project prompts like these:

  • How can the US organize, prioritize, and operationalize the administration of a COVID-19 vaccine or suite of vaccines?
  • How could the US get 10 million student loan borrowers to automatically enroll in income-driven student loan repayment programs?
  • How can the State of New York scale its hiring for technology experts over the next 6 months?

For more information about the TELI program, please see the syllabus below from our pilot program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Leaders

TELI participants include senior leaders from well-known tech advocacy organizations, non-profit organizations, and private companies; entrepreneurial executives who have built and grown successful startups; and innovators who have led digital transformation efforts at large organizations on their own path to modernization.

As it turns out, optimizing government for human beings is a radical idea. Learning from experts and civil servants dedicated to this idea was eye-opening. Working with fellow techies to try and contribute some ideas of our own was both humbling and exhilarating. – Ashley Llorens

I enjoyed meeting and working closely with CTOs, CIOs, CDOs and others on challenging real-world government problems. It was a great opportunity to leverage the strengths of a broad cross-section of technology executives.  – Anirma Gupta

The TELI program blended industry best practices with a practical overview of federal service exceptionally well. It was a great primer for any tech executive looking to understand government process and shortfalls. – Chuck Borges

Application

Applications for TELI are available by invitation only. Executives interested in participating in the program should email constance.moore@aspeninstitute.org.

Applicants to the Tech Executive Leadership Initiative are automatically considered for the Savilla Pitt Memorial Fellowship, awarded to one member of each incoming Aspen Tech Policy Hub cohort. Please see here to learn more about the Memorial Fellowship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Our Team

Jennifer Anastasoff is Executive Director of the Tech Talent Project. She was a founding member of U.S. Digital Service at the White House and served as Head of People from 2014 until 2017, increasing the team from three to over 200 and created a diverse, cross-functional pipeline of digital talent from around America into our federal government. She has a Master’s in Public Policy and International Education from Harvard University. Jennifer spends her spare time reading, writing, and attempting to set up online karaoke.

Aspen Tech Policy Hub: TELI

Jennifer Anastasoff

Executive Director, Tech Talent Project

Mai Sistla is the Deputy Director of the Aspen Tech Policy Hub. Previously, she was a project manager at the University of Chicago Crime Lab—a policy research center that generates evidence to inform crime, criminal justice, and education policy—and a field staffer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mai holds a BA in economics from Northwestern University and an MPP from UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy. Her favorite hobbies include walking, coffee shops, and walking to coffee shops.

Aspen Tech Policy Hub: TELI

Mai Sistla

Deputy Director, Aspen Tech Policy Hub

Emeritus Staff

Dana Chisnell is a Senior Fellow at the National Conference on Citizenship and Partner-Founder at Project Redesign. She was the lead instructor for human-centered government service delivery for the Tech Executive Leadership Initiative. She was co-founder of the Center for Civic Design and a founding member of the United States Digital Service. Ask her about her Field Guides To Ensuring Voter Intent being in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian.

Aspen Tech Policy Hub: TELI

Dana Chisnell

Digital Services Expert, US Digital Service

Hayley Pontia is a Student Analyst at the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation. Previously, Hayley served as the Communications Intern for the Education Policy Program at New America. Hayley has a BA and BS from the University of Pittsburgh in Communications and Psychology, and an MA from Georgetown University in Communication, Culture, and Technology. On the weekends Hayley enjoys long walks with her dog, antiquing, and spending time taking care of her plants.

Aspen Tech Policy Hub: TELI

Hayley Pontia

Program Assistant, TELI Human-Centered Government Service Design Course

Our Funders