Page 52 - FCW, November, December 2018

Rising Stars
COMBIZ RICHARD ABDOLRAHIMI
Global Emerging Technology and Innovation Strategist, Senior Advisor Manager, Government and Public Services, Deloitte
Combiz Richard Abdolrahimi is playing an integral role
in leading agencies to blockchain technology. He helped the General Services Administration build a proof of concept to test how blockchain could be incorporated into the procurement process and served on the evaluation team at GSA to select a contractor for that project. He also helped organize ACT-IAC’s first blockchain conference in September 2017.
Abdolrahimi developed an interest in emerging technologies during his first government job at the State Department and as a staffer for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. His expertise in financial technology comes from his stint as a lawyer at the Treasury Department.
Abdolrahimi “blends together the perspective of the regulator, operator, builder and the facilitator all into one person,” said Jose Arrieta, a former GSA official who led the proof of concept and is now the Department of Health and Human Services’ associate deputy assistant secretary for acquisition. “He has a good grasp and understanding of how technology will impact people.”
Abdolrahimi joined Deloitte’s public-sector practice in February to advise federal, state and local government agencies on emerging technologies. In that role, he is working on a framework for public/private governance to help industry and academia assess the legal and policy considerations of adopting such technologies.
“Artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain
QITUWRA ANDERSON
Content Designer, 18F, Technology Transformation Services, Federal Acquisition Service, General Services Administration
Less than a year into her current role, Qituwra Anderson has already made a name for herself.
Since joining 18F two years ago, she has progressed from an administrative support role to one of content design, where she helps set the agenda, strategy and guidance
for project team members. Along the way, she has taken courses, become certified and gradually gained hands-on experience in design.
Anderson “has gone above and beyond to innovate, drive change and make a difference helping GSA and our partner agencies to identify, target and solicit feedback from real users, stakeholders and subject-matter experts,” said Emmanuel Pressley, a program specialist on 18F’s user experience design team. “Every organization should have a Qituwra Anderson on their staff.”
For the small tech shop, finding a technologist from within who can also lead customer experience projects for the government is invaluable.
Before officially taking on her current design role, Anderson pitched in on 18F’s Login.gov project. She also conducted an office-wide research initiative on 18F’s finances and ultimately presented her findings to the organization’s senior leaders.
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and the internet of things are continuing to evolve,” Abdolrahimi said. “I’m trying to show through my work that there are lots of opportunities to improve government by making it more efficient and successful while reducing costs.”