Nikki Lee is a product manager and product coach who works at the intersection of technology and public good.
Prior to joining New America, Lee worked at Jarvus Innovations on the California Integrated Travel project, supporting data engineering, web development, and strategy teams working to make transit more effective and equitable for Californians. Before that, she worked at 18F for 6 years. She spent the bulk of her time at 18F working on Medicaid IT system modernization, including both consulting on legacy system modernization at the state level and partnering with staff at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services to evolve how they fund and oversee state technology projects. She also helped found 18F’s public benefits portfolio, led multiple rounds of hiring, and developed and ran accessibility trainings for staff across 18F and Technology Transformation Services (TTS).
Before joining the federal government, Lee worked at Microsoft building digital pen experiences for Windows. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from Olin College and a master’s degree in human centered design and engineering from the University of Washington.
Although Lee did not grow up in Seattle, she is a longtime resident and a founding trustee of the Seattle chapter of the Awesome Foundation. In her free time, she likes to ride her bicycle, play video games, and throw a baseball around with her friends. She also enjoys hanging out with her cat.