Meet the People Behind the Mission

Lou was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, receiving his bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Loyola University. During his time as the founder and president of a successful West Coast high-tech firm, he witnessed the unfolding of the digital divide first-hand and saw the devastating inequity for the poor and people of color. In 1992 he built a technology camp for at-risk youth on Mount Rainier in Washington state - this became the Wilderness Technology Alliance. Lou also served as Global Leader of Technology for Development (ICT4D) at Save the Children and World Vision. Lou always dreamed of once again leading WildTech, and in 2016 his dream was realized as he became its Executive Director.

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CIO, US Department of Commerce (Ret.)

Steve Cooper has served as President of WildTech's Board of Directors, bringing one of the most distinguished CIO careers in American public service: he was the first Chief Information Officer of the US Department of Homeland Security, where he built the IT strategy and networks of the newly formed department, and later served as CIO of the US Department of Commerce, the FAA's Air Traffic Organization, and the American Red Cross. At the Red Cross he led technology operations during Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, introducing the call center model that delivered services to disaster survivors at national scale. A Strategic Advisor to Government Executives with the Partnership for Public Service and longtime Executive on Grounds for the University of Virginia's MS MIT program, he continues mentoring the next generation of public-sector technology leaders. Steve holds an AB from Ohio Wesleyan University and was the first inductee into the National Defense University iCollege Hall of Fame.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Solutions Architect, Booz Allen Hamilton

John Dondapati serves as Vice President of WildTech's Board of Directors, having joined the board in 2020 after volunteering during the pandemic, when he designed and built the complete call center platform behind WildTech's partnership with the DC government to provide 500 seniors with iPads. A Solutions Architect supporting the CMS Healthcare Marketplace through Booz Allen Hamilton, he provides technical leadership for the systems millions of Americans use to enroll in health coverage, and he leads WildTech's efforts to end isolation and bridge the digital divide across the DMV area and abroad. His commitment to service is lifelong: raised around an orphanage in India where his father served as manager, he has taught and supported children there throughout his life and continues volunteering in his community. John holds a B.Tech in Computer Science, is a certified PMP, and was a Google Summer of Code winner.

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Alexander joined WildTech in June 2022. As a Training Specialist, he works to create informative and engaging weekly programming. He instructs the Advanced Tech Training course and provides tech support during our daily afternoon sessions. He also conducts in-person training sessions at D.C. Public Libraries across the city. Some of his other duties include managing daily email campaigns, prize delivery, and assisting with bi-monthly social events. In his spare time, Alexander enjoys cooking, spending time with loved ones, and participating in local D.C. events.

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Certified Grant Writer & Program Consultant

Theresa Kepple brings deep experience in program management, strategic partnerships, and grant development, having led a global grant program at Cisco that managed multi-million-dollar initiatives providing critical resources to thousands of nonprofits worldwide. At Cisco's Networking Academy, she led partnership strategy for the IoT employment program, building mentorship and training pipelines that contributed to a 65 percent employment rate for graduates, and she later managed Northeastern University's IoT bootcamp in partnership with Cisco. A certified grant writer, business coach, and holistic nutrition consultant, she has trained hundreds of entrepreneurs and helped nonprofits secure funding for programs serving youth and underserved communities. Theresa holds a BS in Computer Information Systems from Kansas State University and a Nutrition Consultant certification from Bauman College.

IT Infrastructure Manager, Gensler

Damilola Kehinde has served on WildTech's Board of Directors since 2023 and is a driving force behind the organization's international programs, co-leading the Cycle of Transformation initiative that has brought computer labs, teacher training, and Cisco certifications to schools in Benin and Tanzania. Regional IT Infrastructure Manager at Gensler, the global architecture firm, he pairs enterprise networking expertise with more than two decades as a certified Cisco Networking Academy instructor, training students and instructors across Africa in IT Essentials, cybersecurity, and networking. Born in Nigeria, Dami has dedicated himself to digital empowerment on the continent since 2005, from setting up school computer labs statewide through OgunSchoolNET to serving as an application reader for the Mandela Washington Fellowship. He holds an MBA in Healthcare Management along with CCNP, CCNA Security, CASP, and Palo Alto certifications.

General Manager, Dilettante Chocolates

Daniel Graham serves as Treasurer of WildTech's Board of Directors, bringing decades of hands-on business management experience as General Manager of Dilettante Chocolates, the celebrated Seattle chocolatier whose heirloom recipes date to 1898. He has guided the company's retail and wholesale operations across the Seattle area, overseeing strategy, finances, and growth for one of the Pacific Northwest's most recognized specialty food brands. His operational and financial stewardship experience anchors WildTech's fiscal oversight as the organization's programs have expanded from Washington DC to East and West Africa.

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Program Director, Advanced Software Systems (ASSYST)

Christopher David has served on WildTech's Board of Directors, bringing more than 15 years of nationally recognized IT leadership across the public and nonprofit sectors, including his current role as Program Manager at ASSYST, leading a 50-plus person cybersecurity and privacy team at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. His career includes serving as CTO of InfoZen, where he led the team that brought nasa.gov to a modern platform managing over 70,000 web assets, and directing the software development program for the SEC's EDGAR system, the backbone of American securities filings. He earned a CIO Top 100 Award for pioneering emergency management and continuity-of-operations programs, having served as onsite CTO at the Pentagon during the September 11, 2001 attack. Christopher holds an MS in Information Systems from American University's Kogod School of Business and is a certified PMP.

Principal, Common Ground Solutions, LLC

Peter Gaston has served as a Board Member and Chief Technologist of the Wilderness Technology Alliance since 2017, guiding the technology strategy behind WildTech's training and job-skills programs in the US and Africa. An MIT-trained computer scientist with degrees in Artificial Intelligence, he is Principal of Common Ground Solutions, his machine learning consultancy of more than two decades, where his work in computer vision for robotics and autonomy has earned him a patent for LIDAR-based pallet pose detection. His earlier career includes consulting leadership at McKinsey & Company, Renaissance Strategy Group, and Nextera, serving financial services and telecom clients. A dedicated STEM mentor, Peter has coached high school robotics programs in Gloucester, Massachusetts since 2008, extending his commitment to hands-on technology education to the next generation.​​

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CEO, Wolfram Consulting

​Mark Wolfram is a technology executive and board leader whose career spans senior roles at Microsoft in global channel and partner sales, strategy, M&A, and finance, along with executive positions at Azuqua (acquired by Okta) and Unravel Data. He currently advises Polar Defense, a direct air capture and carbon storage company operating in Australia and the US, and runs Wolfram Consulting, advising technology companies on partnership ecosystems across Microsoft, AWS, and Google. His nonprofit governance experience runs deep: nearly a decade on the board of Stewardship Partners, a Washington state conservation nonprofit, and ten years as a governor-appointed trustee of Cascadia Community College, including two terms as chair, during which the college was ranked second in the nation. Mark holds a BA and MA in International Relations and Economics from Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, and splits his time between Seattle and Sydney.

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President, Telophase

​Jamil Husain is a software architect, electrical engineer, and serial entrepreneur whose career spans more than two decades supporting flagship programs at NASA and DoD Healthcare, including the James Webb Space Telescope and the Mars rover Perseverance as CEO of Telophase Corporation. He is the founder of Tauzra, a health technology startup born from a NASA collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic, which patented ClearBreath, a portable single-breath diagnostic device designed to bring low-cost disease detection to communities with limited healthcare access. Raised in Pakistan and Bangladesh, Jamil developed a lifelong commitment to underserved communities, spending time in rural areas and with Rohingya refugees, a purpose that continues to guide his work on water security, homelessness, and refugee issues. He holds degrees in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from The George Washington University and serves on the boards of WildTech and the Community for Creative Non-Violence, one of the largest homeless shelters in the United States.

Director of Recruiting, On-Ramps to Careers

​John Capozzi is the Founder and Staffing Director of C Associates, a Ward 7-based staffing firm serving nonprofits, colleges, and government agencies, and he has spent more than four decades connecting Washington DC residents with meaningful careers. His public service runs deep: he served as DC's Shadow Representative from 1993 to 1995, managed broadband and digital inclusion outreach for the DC Office of the Chief Technology Officer with a focus on Wards 5, 7, and 8, and has directed recruiting for On-Ramps To Careers since 2017, placing young DC residents in IT internships and certification programs. His commitment to community extends to environmental and civic causes, including Ward 8 Woods forest restoration and DC Solar United Neighbors, where he has helped residents access affordable solar power since 2009. John holds an MPA in Public Administration from American University and a BA in Political Science from Shippensburg University.

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Senior Architect, Adobe 

Stephen Spencer has served WildTech as a board member and computer instructor since 2009, where he created a computer training program taught in Washington DC's largest homeless shelter and helped residents refurbish donated computers to generate income. By day, he is a Principal Infrastructure Architect at Adobe, with more than 20 years of experience in IT systems administration and content management platforms across government and enterprise clients, including the FDIC, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the American Chemical Society. His commitment to digital literacy extends beyond WildTech: he has taught free public computer classes at DC's Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library since 2009. Stephen holds a BS in Mathematics from Penn State University.

EVP, Internet Testing Systems

Brodie Wise is Executive Vice President of Business Development and Marketing at ITS (Internet Testing Systems), where he has spent 16 years driving growth strategy, partnerships, and corporate communications for one of the assessment industry's top-ranked workplaces. His executive career includes directing a $1.4 billion smart device business line at Sprint Nextel, where he led a cross-functional team of 25 and drove a 25x increase in product sales. A committed nonprofit leader, he is the founder and Executive Director of Beyond Your Doors, a 501(c)(3) that partners with food banks to provide meals for thousands of families in the DC region, where he built the board, manages all fundraising, and leads community outreach. A certified PMP, Brodie also serves on the advisory board of Towson University's College of Business and Economics, mentoring the next generation of business leaders.

Principal - Celestial Consulting

​Steven Popovich serves as WildTech's International Development Director, leading partnership development and program delivery for the organization's education-technology work in Africa, including volunteer deployments to Tanzania and technology training initiatives in Benin. A veteran of The Dow Chemical Company, he brings decades of corporate experience in technology and quality management to the nonprofit world, along with degrees in computer science and engineering technology. His work with WildTech has included LibreOffice training programs, collaboration with the IREX Mandela Washington Fellowship, and building partnerships that connect corporate resources to under-resourced schools. Based in Michigan, Steven remains an active traveler and hands-on volunteer, most at home when setting up a computer lab in a classroom that's never had one.