TheBridge profile: Sarah Stamper

Name: Sarah Stamper

Current city: Baltimore-DC

Current job: SVP Science & Innovation at Helm

Past job: Director of Research at Art & Science Group

Q. How are you currently bridging the gap between innovation and regulation? Helm is a pro-democracy platform that provides data, research, and tools to foster healthy civic engagement across communities. Consider this particular observation: research demonstrating that text-based outreach works has resulted in a barrage of text messages sent by campaigns. Our commitment is to improving how politics is waged, and community is built, by better understanding how people behave and what they want from outreach. It’s no secret that political texting is in need of a serious makeover! So we are doing what we can to help our users understand and utilize regulated practices like text messaging appropriately and effectively. 10DLC (10-digit long code) is a complicated industry-led solution to this problem by which mobile carriers regulate A2P (application to person) traffic. Our team has spent considerable effort understanding the new regulations so we can teach our partners and ultimately ensure they’re good actors in the space. Our platform now supports 10DLC compliance including leveraging opt-ins and best practices adopted in other sectors.

Q. Job advice in three words? Focus on impact!

Q. What can innovators learn from policymakers? At their core, most technology problems are actually human problems. Innovators would be wise to focus on understanding their users as people first including their pain and motivations. And policymakers know a tremendous amount about people and about exerting influence through relationship building.

Q. What can policymakers learn from innovators? As a scientist, I wish that policymakers would learn more about how to use scientific evidence to help society. Policy-based research often does not receive the same level of attention or funding and can be even more time-consuming. So it is critical that policymakers spend time collaborating with the scientific community to help integrate research insights into policy so there is a tighter loop between gathering knowledge and applying it.

Q. Can you describe a skill you have carried throughout your career that has always proved to be valuable? Intellectual curiosity. Amidst all the ‘hard’ skills I’ve learned along the way it’s curiosity that has led to most of my professional growth and scientific breakthroughs.

Q. What is the best job interview question you have ever been asked? I think the best questions show that someone is curious and lets you tell a story, but also requires you to craft a narrative around your expected talking points in a new way. For me then, the best example was, “the person you are today is in the Marvel universe… what’s your origin story?” The subtle hint that you could be a superhero doesn’t hurt either!

Q. Favorite spot for a coffee meeting? On the go: Grab a coffee at Compass and talk-and-walk.

Q. Favorite book/podcast/long-form article you recommend? I currently commute from Baltimore to DC on the MARC Train so podcasts are a must-have. It’s so popular that it doesn’t feel like a recommendation, but ‘Radiolab’ always is the highlight of my queue.

Q. Why are you part of TheBridge community? The profound challenges we’re all facing in our communities and as a society (preserving democracy, mitigating the risks from climate change, ensuring every child has equal access to high quality public education, etc.) are going to take all of us working together to make progress. Being a part of a community where we can share ideas, craft solutions, and learn from each other makes the hard work seem a little less daunting.

Q. Everyday is probably different, but are there certain skills you think are essential to your job? Adaptability; everyday is different! For me, it's really all about asking good questions, making observations, and synthesizing insights across all the inputs to derive the insights that help the broader team stay moving forward.

Q. Embarrassing work moment? Wow, just one? We've been doing limited sessions in person for a couple months now but my Zoom-induced awkwardness hasn’t yet faded. I’ve completely forgotten how to maintain eye contact, casually snack during a conversation, wear real clothes, and now struggle with other basic functions that are used during the work day. While I don’t think I am unique in this, it’s embarrassing nonetheless.

Q. Last time you were completely unplugged? Early February 2020, before the world came to a screeching halt, I was on a week-long dog sledding expedition outside of Fairbanks, Alaska. I was grateful for the pups, northern lights, remote hot spring, and the fact that there wasn’t a hint of wifi or cell signal!

Q. Morning routine? My day starts with the organic alarm clock of three dogs ready to go outside and moves quickly to Wordle over coffee. After that it is anyone's guess!

Q. How often do you work from home? Helm is ‘work from anywhere’ (as long as there is wifi) which means home can be a cabin in the mountains, beachside cottage, favorite coffee shop, or my actual house. It’s probably easier to say I go to Helm HQ a couple times a week when I am near DC.

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