Nichole Carelock (she/her) is an anthropologist at the United States Digital Service with 10+ years experience building technical solutions that work with and for people. Previously she worked on privacy at Facebook and in civic technology ensuring the Presidential Transition Teams were equipped with the right Tech Policy, People and Practices to succeed. Her expertise spans from service design for systems with millions of users, to intimate cottage industry ethnographies. Nichole is a member of the EPIC Board.

Shakima Jackson-Martinez is the Senior Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at AnswerLab, where she leads the DE&I and talent acquisition functions. She is an advocate who specializes in foundational DE&I practices, inclusive talent acquisition, and building organizational empathy through internal research. Shakima has over 15 years of corporate experience in Human Resources, Project Management, Strategy, and Operations. She is extremely passionate about using research to foster a deeper understanding of company culture and organizational needs while also creating spaces where people feel a true sense of belonging. Shakima recently presented The Myth of the Pipeline Problem: Creating a Diverse and Thriving Team at EPIC2022.

Kate Sieck (she/her) is an anthropologist with 10+ years experience in building interdisciplinary teams to tackle entrenched problems in novel ways. Together, they blend qualitative and quantitative research with social theory, design, and storytelling to create rich contextual understandings of people’s lives, and collaborate toward innovative solutions. She currently serves as a Senior Manager on the Human-Centered AI team at Toyota Research Institute, leading the Harmonious Communities Department. Prior to this, she held roles in academia, marketing and consulting, and public policy. A passionate advocate for building and supporting the next generations of researchers, Kate also teaches the EPIC Course Using Theory in Research.