Ideas are what drive us forward.
Ideas have moved us from the rock to the wheel, from the covered wagon to the electric vehicle, from the industrial age to the information age. And great ideas – the ones that will shape our future – can come from anywhere.
We are seeking ideas that will change the world. And if we succeed, we hope to leave the world more equitable, more sustainable, and more fun than when we started.
Our Story
In 2009, IdeaScale founders Vivek Bhaskaran, Rob Hoehn, and Josh Folk, launched IdeaScale in tandem with President Barack Obama’s Open Government Initiative. In its first year, IdeaScale was adopted by 23 federal agencies.
The following year, the platform’s adoption rate expanded to include more than 36 agencies as well as numerous private enterprise-level companies. As the company and the platform continued to grow, so did our community of collaborators. We came to welcome many industry leaders to our ranks, like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Doctors Without Borders, Freddie Mac, Marriott Vacations Worldwide, NASA, the United Way, the US Air Force, and many others.
Over the years we’ve grown our capabilities and offering by acquiring Ideavibes in 2014, InnovationManagement.se in 2016, and (most recently) Betterific in 2020. This suite of solutions offers not only great software, but self-paced training and resources, as well as an entire community of ideators.
As of 2020, IdeaScale has maintained its boot-strapped status and profitability and has offices in Washington, DC and headquarters in Berkeley, CA.
Meet the Team
NICK JAIN
Chief Executive Officer
ROB HOEHN
Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer
VIVEK BHASKARAN
Co-Founder & Chairman
JOSH FOLK
Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer
MAINUL ISLAM
Chief Software Architect
ERIK SIEBERT
Head of Product
JEN O’NEILL
Director of HR & Creative
TIM SUSSMAN
Senior Vice President, Defense and Civilian
ERIC MILLS
Information System Security Officer
LARA LUIK
Senior Director of Client Services and Operations
ERIN SIMPSON
Director of Customer Success, Government
GRETTA MARTINEZ
Senior Customer Success Manager, CX Specialist
Alex Minder
Innovation Sales Consultant
CHRYSTAL BANKS
Customer Success Manager, Government
RICO OYOLA
Innovation Strategist
JESS MACDONALD
Customer Success Manager – Government
TIFFANY SHAMALY
Technical Support Specialist