Next group of Governor’s Innovation Fellows begins transformational journey

By Robin Cortez
7/6/2026

The Office of Data and Innovation (ODI) is proud to welcome the third cohort of the Governor’s Innovation Fellows program.

This cohort includes 15 Fellows from 11 departments representing 7 agencies. This new group builds upon the work of two former cohorts of state staff.

The Fellows program, managed by ODI, is part of the Governor’s executive order from July 2025. This marks over a year of building a more effective, efficient, and engaged government.

Agency secretaries and department directors nominated the Fellows. They identified staff who can work across departments to solve complex government challenges.

Product approach boot camp

The new cohort came together on June 22 for a week-long training. They learned a product approach built around 4 principles:

• Putting Californians first
• Defining problems accurately
• Delivering value quickly
• Measuring success 

Fellows also learned the basics of human-centered design. They started by practicing defining problems from the user’s perspective. They then worked on improving solutions through testing and iteration. Hands-on exercises showed how small changes over time can build into big improvements. Fellows saw how innovation builds trust between people and their government.

“We’ve designed the Governor’s Innovation Fellows program to build a culture of collaboration. They are state employees working together to solve real public sector challenges. For 6 months, the Fellows devote 80% of their time on high priority projects that improve efficiency, service delivery, and customer experience.”

—Jeffery Marino, Director, ODI

During boot camp, the Fellows met with senior leaders from across the state. This included Vivek Viswanathan, Senior Counselor to the Governor. He brings federal and state experience as an innovator. Vivek will guide the Fellows as they work on their initiatives.

The boot camp was led by:

• Governor’s Innovation Program Manager Virginia Hamilton
• Innovation Program Manager Amy Ives
• Product Manager Kamari Patrick
• Curriculum Designer Holly Prag

Building a coalition of Fellows

During the kickoff, the new Fellows heard from 2 alumni:

• Will Robinson, Legislative Director, Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation
• Thomas Thai, Data Analysis Section Supervisor, California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA)

They shared lessons and advice for leading change in their departments.

“Innovation in government rarely arrives as a clean blueprint. More often, it begins with a half-formed question, the right people in the room, and a willingness to learn our way forward.”

—Thomas Thai, Data Analysis Section Supervisor, CDTFA

Over the coming months, cohort 3 Fellows will:

• Lead efficiency projects to improve service delivery
• Develop case studies for our Innovation Library to help agencies scale successful ideas
• Support feedback loops to ensure government projects remain effective and transparent

Why they joined the Fellowship

“I’m excited to be part of the program because it represents an opportunity to contribute to meaningful work that improves the lives of Californians. I’m motivated by the chance to collaborate with talented, mission-driven professionals who care about the quality of the data being used to modernize government.”

—Jennifer Mercado, Quality Assurance Manager, California Highway Patrol

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of this fellowship. I’m excited to learn from talented people across state government, challenge myself in new ways, and contribute to ideas that can make a real difference for Californians.”

—Syed Naqvi, Enterprise Architect, Office of Technology Services Integration

“This fellowship is an incredible investment in public service, and I am truly honored to be part of it. This experience will have a lasting impact on me as a leader in state government.”

—Maggie Christman, Program Director, Delta Stewardship Council

Meet all the fellows of cohort 3.

Foundations for success

The Fellows will lean on the work of Fellows who came before them. This includes work by cohort 1 on grants and easing permitting. You can read about that in: