Hannah VanDerHart
President & Chair
Hannah is an Information Security Analyst at Principal Financial Group. She has a math and computer science degree from Simpson College and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Iowa. Outside of work, Hannah enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter and volunteering to help students get excited about STEM.
Smita Volz
Vice President & Vice Chair
Smita is an Analytics Manager at Wells Fargo. She has Bachelors degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, and Business Administration from Graceland University; and a Masters of Business Administration from Drake University. With her Indian and Nepalese heritage, Smita is actively engaged in the Asian American community, sharing her passion for culturally rich diversity in Iowa. She is an ardent supporter of several non-profit organizations and is sharing her talents, ranging from choreographing Bollywood dances, coaching FIRST LEGO League teams, organizing events, and volunteering at local schools.
Lynn Swanson
Secretary
Lynn is the Chief Operating Officer of Xilution, a recent tech startup delivering digital solutions that help web development teams reduce the toil and expense of DevOps engineering. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a masters in business administration and undergraduate in mathematics. As a co-founder of Xilution, Lynn is interested in diverse avenues that continue to positively build the Des Moines community and contribute to the next generation workforce. Lynn is also a career Coach. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling the world and being part of the local music scene. You may find her playing in a band or spending time with the guitar, drums, keyboard or banjo.
Joe Ollendick
Treasurer
Joe is the Chief Technology Officer for the International Association of Better Business Bureaus. At IABBB, Joe drives the innovation and operations model of the BBB Brand across Mexico, US and Canada. He holds a degree in Finance and has over 25 years experience leading multidisciplinary teams to reach their goals and objectives using technology as an enabler. Joe became involved in Tech Journey by volunteering as a Tech Camp instructor and has a passion for growing youth talent and promoting Des Moines as a recognizable technology innovation hub.
Rick Ballinger
Director
Rick holds the position of Senior Counsel for John Deere in Urbandale. With degrees from Stanford University, The University of Iowa Tippie College of Business and New York University School of Law, he also has a demonstrated history of working with technology. He is skilled in licensing, data services, intellectual property, privacy, trademarks, brand development and risk management, as well as other legal matters. Rick serves with Tech Journey because it provides opportunities to inspire and engage youth and help build their confidence. When he’s not dealing with legal issues, Rick enjoys traveling, cooking and staying fit through exercise.
Danielle Brommer
Director
Danielle is the Chief Growth Officer for Lean TECHniques. With more than a decade in the tech industry helping organizations attract, develop and retain top tech talent, she has a passion for diversity in the workplace. She has served on committees focused on educating and advancing women and other underrepresented workforce as well as local youth in the DSM tech community. She believes it is critical to broaden and diversify the tech talent pipeline to ensure a more inclusive and robust workforce for generations to come.
Mark Frederick
Director
Mark is Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of MakuSafe, a technology startup developing cloud analytics and wearable technology designed to protect workers. At MakuSafe, Mark leads the design and development of their wearable device and cloud analytics platform, leveraging his experience in machine learning, cloud computing and Internet of Things. Mark and his family live in Des Moines, Iowa, where he’s actively involved in international charity work. He’s taught multiple classes to youth at his local school, including robotics and programming. Mark is a Computer Science graduate of Northwestern College.
David Kessler
Director
David was one of the original founders of Tech Journey. He desires to unlock possibilities within the next generation of problem solvers and creatives, stating "There’s something magical that happens when you connect passionate tech professionals with young people. This combination changes the world." He is an Executive Consultant with Accenture. In his spare time, David enjoys time with family, church, audiobooks and education.
Andrea (Andi) Krieg
Director
Andi, originally from Argentina, graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with an Accounting Degree and is currently the Channel and Merchant Risk Monitoring Manager at John Deere Financial. She is an advocate of education as a means of breaking the poverty cycle and reaching one’s fullest potential. Andi’s active participation with Tech Journey, Findley Elementary School’s English as a second language program, and John Deere Des Moines Area Women Employee Resource Group has provided her the platforms to be an advocate for children and adults that are less fortunate.
Katharine Lindgren
Director
Katharine is a Sr. Business Systems Analyst at Athene in West Des Moines. With a Master’s in Business and Information Technology and a Project Management Certificate, she has over seven years’ experience in information technology as well as higher education working as an instructor and Information Technology Chair. Katharine is passionate about helping people to hone and improve their interests in the field of technology. As the mother of a wonderful boy, she enjoys spending time with her family as well as running outdoors.
Matt McDonald
Director
Matt is a Sr. Talent Consultant and Human Resources Product Owner for Principal Financial Group. Through several years of being a recruiter in the information technology industry, he understands first-hand the shortage of tech talent in Iowa and more specifically, the shortage of diverse talent in tech. Matt has been an active volunteer for youth STEM opportunities through Hyperstream, iJAG, Tech Journey, Governor’s STEM Advisory working groups and others. He is a graduate of Central College and has recently attained certifications from Cornell University in Strategic HR Leadership and from HRCI as a Senior Professional in HR (SPHR). In his spare time, Matt enjoys golfing, attending live sporting events and time with family.
Tom Pesek
Director
Tom is a product manager for Emerson Automation Solutions in Marshalltown where he focuses on new product development. He is a founding member of Area515 Des Moines Maker Space and enjoys helping people, especially the young at heart, learn how to create and make.
Tim Sieber
Executive Director
Tim’s passion is developing and implementing programs that inspire youth to engage in computer science, coding, robotics, digital making and creativity. With almost 25 years of corporate, non-profit and higher education experience in information technology, computer programming and technology infrastructure, Sieber understands the issues and challenges with preparing our future technology workforce. Tim lives in Johnston and enjoys spending time with his family, serving the local church and traveling.