New America and EPIC Launch Innovative Digital Services Pilot to Accelerate Environmental Progress

Washington, D.C. – Today, New America’s Technology and Democracy programs, New America’s New Practice Lab, and the Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC) launched the Digital Service for the Planet (DSP) initiative, a pilot focused on improving how government uses technology and data to deliver on urgent environmental priorities.

Persistent gaps in data infrastructure and technology are impeding government’s ability to analyze, monitor, and protect key resources—like drinking water, wetlands, and forests—and to deliver on urgent priorities like clean energy, wildfires, and climate resilience. And the federal government’s capacity to meet sprawling environmental goals quickly has been hampered by sweeping cuts to programs, staff, key federal datasets, and related tools. Building on EPIC’s and New America’s expertise in technology, service delivery, and the environment, the DSP initiative will help decision makers respond to those challenges, close data and implementation gaps, and design new strategies for stewarding our ecosystems and communities.

This partnership will incubate digital tools, data, cross-sector partnerships, and new strategies to accelerate environmental progress quickly and at scale. The DSP initiative will also prototype a digital services model focused on changing how government agencies design technical teams, data systems, and tools to better meet environmental data and technology needs across ecosystems and communities. A multidisciplinary cohort of DSP Fellows—made up of technologists, former public servants, and domain experts—will lead the project’s work in the months ahead as part of EPIC’s technology team.

“EPIC is thrilled to join forces with New America to launch this pilot, and its North Star—changing how we access, build, and use data and tech to improve environmental outcomes—is more urgent now than ever,” said Christopher Putney, EPIC’s Tech Talent and Workforce Lead. “EPIC has always been laser-focused on policies and ideas that can speed up progress across environmental issues, and it’s already clear that the work DSP Fellows are leading will write the next chapter in that innovation journey.”

Fellows will spend the first stage of this work mapping barriers and opportunities across a set of priorities at the intersection of climate and public health in the United States: drinking water, wetlands, and forests.

“At a time when so much is at stake, this initiative aims to offer a timely contribution for environmental innovation and progress,” said Lilian Coral, vice president of Technology and Democracy at New America. “Tapping into the power of technology and data, this work will create a better blueprint for confronting the environmental challenges of today and building a more resilient future.”

“We have a long way to go to improve government services for the public—and that will mean states, counties, and agencies investing in improved delivery capacities. The Digital Service for the Planet will bring the power of technology, data, and design to urgent challenges like preserving clean water, increasing clean energy capacity, and wildfire prevention—a welcome step forward for people and the planet. I could not be more excited about this collaboration,” said Tara Dawson McGuinness, founder and executive director of the New Practice Lab at New America.

“Launching a Digital Service for the Planet is another great example of how we can advance the field of public interest technology, making digital tech and data as essential an element of solving public problems as the economic, political, and legal elements of traditional policy analysis. I am also delighted to be doing this in partnership with EPIC, the kind of innovation organization we need to face all our challenges,” said Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America.

Learn more about the Digital Service for the Planet initiative.

Inaugural Cohort of Digital Service for the Planet Fellows

Kameron Kerger, DSP Fellow, Services and Systems Designer, EPIC Technology Program

Kameron comes to EPIC from the federal government, where she led design and policy work across environmental justice and technology settings, including at the U.S. Digital Service and White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). She also led research and design for key efforts like the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST), the Environmental Justice Scorecard, and the Justice40 Initiative.

Boon Sheridan, DSP Fellow, Permitting Technology Lead, EPIC Technology Program

Boon is a UX designer and researcher who comes to EPIC from 18F, the General Services Administration’s (GSA) pioneering technology team, where he focused on federal permitting innovation with agency partners and leaders at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). During his service at 18F, Boon also helped launch the American Climate Corps site, and led redesign research for Get.gov, the domain management service for the U.S.

EmmaLi Tsai, DSP Fellow, Data Scientist, EPIC Technology Program

EmmaLi is a data scientist who previously worked in academia and for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on research and conservation projects ranging from coastal wetland transformation and Antarctic ecosystems, to migratory birds. She also conducted research in marine ecosystems, and is leading a cross-sector community of practice around wetlands data.

JR Washebek, DSP Fellow, Fellow for AI and Ecosystem Management, EPIC Technology Program

JR comes to EPIC after nearly a decade at the U.S. Forest Service where she built the agency’s first comprehensive AI program and advised leadership during the presidential transition. Bridging deep field experience in forestry and conservation, her current work focuses on the intersection of AI, environment, and society, including research on environmental ethics, workforce transformation, and the evolving role of technology in stewardship.

Gabriel Watson, DSP Fellow, Data Science and Applications Lead, EPIC Technology Program

Prior to EPIC, Gabe worked as a data scientist at The Commons, supporting watershed organizations and conservation groups like Blue Water Baltimore, Environmental Integrity Project, and Chesapeake Legal Alliance with technology to manage, visualize, and analyze data. His work focuses on data science and engineering, evaluating data and technology needs across EPIC’s tools and partnerships, and developing analysis and applications that advance environmental justice.