TheBridge profile: Libby Ediger

Name: Libby Ediger

Current city: Tulsa, OK

Current job: Executive Director, Holberton School Tulsa

Past job: Director of External Engagement, Quorum

Q. Favorite spot for a coffee meeting? Hodges Bend, Tulsa - Slipstream, D.C.

Q. Describe how a skill you learned in a previous job helped you in your current job. Before running Holberton School I was on the early team at Quorum, a public affairs software company. At Quorum I learned the power of building champions, or people who will go to bat for your product, your company, and your professional successes. At Holberton we are training the next generation of software engineering talent for our region and it's critical to have community and hiring partner buy-in.

Q. Job advice in three words? Follow Open Doors

Q. How are you (or your org) currently bridging the gap between innovation and regulation? At Holberton, we offer programs in cutting-edge areas of software development like machine learning and augmented reality & virtual reality. We have to navigate our regulatory environment to approve new programs while still iterating on our curriculum to keep up with industry needs. We also work with local and state government to understand employment needs and help recruit businesses to our region. I think constantly about how to partner with government entities to meet our expanding talent needs.

Q. What can innovators learn from policymakers? Policymakers have to consider a multitude of perspectives when legislating, as their constituencies are made up of countless communities. When innovators desire to solve a problem, they often do so through their own lens and experience. Innovators would do well to expand their vision and consider more perspectives as they create technologies.

Q. What can policymakers learn from innovators? Innovators know that talent is the best asset you have as you build a company. With congressional budgets shrinking year over year, policymakers are not able to invest the financial resources into things like staff salaries or continuing education. Policymakers would do well to better invest in their staff.

Q. Why are you part of TheBridge community? Why do you think it's important this community exists for tech, policy and political professionals? My professional path has taken turns across tech, policy, and political spaces. I appreciate TheBridge community because while technology and policymaking are inextricably linked few people are experts at both. I am able to find resources and connect with individuals who can add to how I'm thinking about tackling my next challenge.

Q. Favorite book you recommend? Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight

Q. Everyday is probably different, but can you describe a "day in the life" of your job? I'm responsible for lifecycle of our students from start to finish, so in any given day I wear lots of hats! I bounce back and forth between student recruitment, student retention, compliance, and graduate placement.

Q. Startup to watch? Column - the first collaborative public notice platform helping journalists, governments and legal services work together to inform their communities.

Q. Do you have a morning routine? Coffee, The Dispatch Podcast, and clearing out my inbox from home. I am usually the first person on campus in the morning. I love walking through our space, a historic building in the Tulsa Arts District, and turning all our lights on to prepare for the day.

Q. Most underrated virtue in an employee? Compassion! We talk a lot about grit, determination, and fortitude but in our line of work having the ability to relate to people is equally if not more important.

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