During her five years in the Air Force, Lapedra worked as a combat and base photographer. Upon leaving the Air Force, Lapedra began her career as a Visual Information Specialist at several federal agencies in Washington, DC. Using her unique background and education, she founded Friends From The City, a digital services company unlike any other in Civic Tech. Lapedra is a music lover and self-proclaimed foodie who enjoys traveling the world to experience other cultures through their cuisine.

Tamara Boyd Tolson, Co-Founder of Friends From The City, is a Denver, CO native and graduate of Oglethorpe University (Atlanta, GA) and Kingston University (London, England). Her experience in Corporate Communications, and Creative Project Management in the federal government, led her to reimagine how customer-focused technology could improve the public sector. Off the clock, Tamara enjoys hiking, building miniature replicas, and exploring new cuisines.

When Erika isn't building consensus and fostering creativity as a civic tech product manager, she's a mother, coffee lover, and gardener. Throughout her career, she has worked with state, local, and federal agencies to create user-centered solutions.

Allison is an experienced front-end engineer who has previously worked at UCLA and is passionate about building with a purpose. She is constantly reimagining the future of technology.

Charlotte Cesana is a Senior UX Researcher with a global perspective, motivated by human centered solutions to human problems. Her speciality is in mental health and behavior change. She is an advocate of holistic and participatory approaches to design and research for the greatest and most ethical impact. Charlotte is inspired by people who share their stories for research and design to improve products and experiences for the betterment of their communities. Most recently, she helped lead the development of a product feature highlighting diverse voices and co-created with people in recovery. She is honored to be on the Friends From The City team, and excited by the opportunity to make an impact in the transformative space of civic technology.