TheBridge profile: Amelia Friedman

Name: Amelia Friedman

Current city: Washington, DC

Current job: Co-founder & COO at Hatch Apps and DC Board Chair for the Vinetta Project

Past job: Executive Director at the Student Language Exchange 

Q. Favorite spot for a coffee meeting? Devon & Blakely at 18th & K (it's in the same building as my office!)

Q. Describe one a skill you learned in a previous job that helped you in your current job. In my last gig I spent a lot of time cultivating relationships with donors, volunteers, and partners. Managing hundreds of relationships can be exhausting - but as you practice and develop systems for keeping in touch with folks, it becomes manageable. I likely spend an hour or two every day to build and maintain my network, but it's paid off in spades. Our founder networks are where we found our early customers, investors, and champions— and it's where we still find many of them today.

Q. Job advice in three words? Maintain your network

Q. How are you (or your company, org, nonprofit) currently bridging the gap between politics and tech? We're making it easy for political organizations to leverage technology— our company Hatch Apps makes building an app fast and affordable (without coding or hiring developers). In the past, we've helped political campaigns track voter data, and nonprofits connect their constituents through digital storytelling. The role that tech can play in the political world is often under-appreciated. By making tech affordable and easy-to-implement, we hope to continue to bridge that gap.

Q: Best advice you've received? A network isn't meant to be hoarded. It's meant to be shared.

Q: Last time you were completely unplugged? Saturday night. I try to unplug for at least a half day every weekend — it's how I recharge and keep from burning out.

Q: If you had to live in another city, which would it be? Boston. I love cold weather.

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