Every day I get moments of deep gratitude for people who have touched my life in some way. I think about tweeting something or sending them a random message, but then don’t alway get around to it. So I’ll just start now, here with this growing, non-exhaustive list.

My mama! By watching her, I learned about resilience. I learned it was possible to raise two kids on less than minimum wage, to swallow pride and ask for help from the community and government when needed, and to deeply appreciate everything.

. @Erie for teaching me about the critical intersection of tech and policy, speaking up in a position of privilege, challenging the status quo, especially when it comes to hiring and who we include in the room, and for always fighting for justice.

. @daniellecass for being a shining example of a get stuff done leader, who always has time for people, absorbs ideas and turns them into action. For always making me feel seen when it comes to the complexity of cancer, care taking , and death.

. @missykras for mentoring me as a young product manager, making me feel seen and welcomed @Google, making time for advice, and teaching me so much about leadership, industry, compassion, and healthcare.

(Not in any particular order, and will continue to grow indefinitely)

. @barkimedes for showing what it’s like to be a brilliant engineer and even great engineering director who always makes room for others at the table, and takes time one of she evenings to teach others to code with fun exercise and lots of patience

. @nmsanchez that day you let me know that you saw the difference between Asian groups, and that my Vietnamese background meant I had a different upbringing & path to this country (with refugee parents). I‘ll never forget that day @github and thinking: “wow, she really gets it.”

. @loooorenanicole for hosting a session that one time about writing a book, and planting a seed about my own book. Oh, and for being a leader in data science and ethics.

. @PopTechWorks @marylgray @safiyanoble @ubiquity75 @histoftech for writing books that have transformed technology and computing, for giving me the gift of knowledge I can use in the classroom and in building products, and for being leaders in tech

. @nicolewong for being the shining example of one of the fanciest most brilliant role models I have, having tackled the greatest tech questions of our time, and still making time to advise, mentor, and life others up

. @alohaj9 for making me feel less alone when I lost my mom. And for bringing @USDS comms and marketing to a completely new level, helping he’ll our story while making sure our culture, values, and mission were a priority.

. @austinfish for meeting with me a few weeks before I taught my first my Product Maagment class @Harvard, sharing ideas and content, and making me feel welcomed and empowered

. @BostonJoan for all the contributions to society with the work on media, misinformation, and tech. And for making it so I am so excited each morning for the chance to collaborate with her this next year.

. @danachis For the pep talks. And for constantly reminding us all to Find the Truth, Tell the Truth. And for designing better civic tech for us all.

. @EmilyTav for being the best co-author, co-thinker I could ever imagine, for fearlessly speaking truth to power, and for never shying away from getting in the weeds to get work done.

. @NickSinai for being the first person to talk to me about teaching product management @Kennedy_School, seeing value in me and my work, and creating space.

. @katekrontiris for teaching me what it is like to truly do human centered design, and to truly bring voices to the table. And for introducing me to the @BKCHarvard community, which is not a pivotal part of my life.

. @JennyKorn for teaching me the technical details of critical race and gender studies and technology. Her ability to explain complicated concepts of race and gender, with clear, deep, impactful examples is unrivaled.

. @triciawang for showing and teaching us about how research and product come together, and for being the embodiment of collaboration and building bridges. I feel so much gratitude for being in the same speaker orbit as her for #mtpcon

. @SarahWNewman for showing me (and the world) the beautiful intersection of art and technology. I often think about the Future of Secrets project http://www.thefutureofsecrets.com  and the importance of art and creativity in understanding how we use technology

. @yschlesinger @goldman @OmidyarNetwork for masterminds behind #ResponsibleCS challenge, creating paths to do some of the most important Computer Science work of my lifetime & getting to work w/ the most brilliant, gracious, kind, collaborative people. https://www.responsiblecs.org 

. @stefigrosser for embodying so many @USDS values, especially "Hire and Empower Great People" and making sure I was taken care of with maternity leave and postpartum work logistics while a government employee, paving the way for many people who came after us.

. @mollieruskin for showing us all what it is like to go where the work is, putting the community before herself, and always working for justice for all, leaving a trail of beautiful, lasting design everywhere she goes. Your work ethic, talents, and passion bring joy to so many.

. @grok_ for all your talents to the world, but especially for me, that tour of @medialab. I was super bright-eyed & intimidated, new to Cambridge and @BKCHarvard. You're crazy busy, super fancy, and someone I admire who took some time to show me around. I'll never forget that.

. @salome_viljoen_ for teaching me the importance of language and of honoring expertise. For being one of the most brilliant scholars of law and technology that I know, and for taking the time to explain difficult, complex concepts to the rest of us.

. @pahlkadot for many things in tech + public service, but especially for that day at the NYE digital44 reunion, when we talked about what it was like to sit in social service offices w/ local communities trying to get help, and you just got it. And took that & made it actionable.

. @angelquicksey for leading the way in civic tech, especially @harvard @Kennedy_School building out curricula and pathways into civic tech / digital government with a such depth of understanding of how to serve, and how to bring in tech the right way.

. @corizarek for showing us all how to lead. To bring people to the table, to empower the the civic tech and public interest tech movements, and to put all that lawyer/tech/govt/policy/exec skills to such incredible use @BeeckCenter @Georgetown

. @Afua_bruce for THE example of public interest tech, as an engineer who served and led @FBI @WhiteHouse + helped build + lead @NewAmericaPIT as 1st director of eng, then Chief Program Officer @DataKind, who teaches us so much about historical context + society when building tech