2023 Tech10 and Next Tech Generation Awards

Rhode Island Monthly and the Tech10 Advisory Group partner to highlight the amazing work of local tech innovators.

November 20, 2023

Edelinda Baptista, Annie Sherman,

In our constantly evolving society, skilled workers in the information technology field are always learning new techniques and keeping up with the latest technology. Rhode Island Monthly and the Tech10 Advisory Group have partnered to highlight the amazing work of these tech innovators, as well as the winners of the Next Tech Generation Awards, the future leaders of the industry.

Tech10 Advisory Group:

Vic Fay-Wolf, University of Rhode Island ● Todd Knapp, Envision Technology Advisors ● Kathleen Malin, Rhode Island Foundation ● David Marble, OSHEAN ● Rick Norberg, Vertikal6 ● David Hemendinger, Brown Medicine

Interviews have been condensed and edited for space.

Explain your job title and what it entails.

Nancy Barrett. Photography by Chad Weeden

I am the vice president of information services at Lifespan, responsible for the successful implementation, ongoing support and maintenance of enterprise clinical and administrative applications. —Nancy Barrett

At Blackburn Labs my role is multifaceted, and I often find myself adapting to various responsibilities. Together with my wife, Julie, who is the co-owner and an industry-leading data scientist, we collaborate to steer the direction of our software consulting firm. Depending on the project or partnership, I might take on roles such as CTO or CEO. My primary focus is to ensure that we consistently deliver high-quality software solutions and provide valuable insights to our clients. —Robert Blackburn

I’ve been involved in protecting, configuring and maintaining software on more than 7,000 computers around the world. I have a particular passion for IT security/cybersecurity, so I have an overlapping set of skills into many areas of our organization. My team has deployed millions of software installations over the past twenty-five years. —Simon Cousins

Robert Blackburn. Photography by Chad Weeden

I have been associated with the Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island for the past five years, serving in various leadership capacities. One of my initiatives as director was to establish the Oral Health Task Force, which culminated in the development of the RI Cancer and Oral Health Resource Guide, a virtual knowledge center for cancer patients and providers.—Joseph Dziobek

As cybersecurity manager, my position entails managing a team that deals with the response and detection of threats as well as managing the inherent risks that come with doing business in the digital era. —Octavio Gomez

I am the finance director for the town of New Shoreham, Block Island. I am also the town’s lead on broadband initiatives including the build-out of BroadbandBI, an island-wide, town-owned fiber-to-home network. —Amy Land

[I’ve been a] high school history and psychology teacher for twenty-five years at a charter school in Providence, which also entails a great deal of technology. In the tech world, my job title would be founder of Nhuad Single Hand Video Game Controllers. Our single-hand controller remaps all of the buttons from a standard video game controller in a revolutionary way so that a gamer can reach all the buttons with one hand. As founder, I’m responsible for inventing the controller, creating the working prototype, crafting a business strategy and raising funds to get to manufacturing. —Charles Johnson Jr.

As the manager of data engineering, I oversee the design, development and maintenance of data infrastructure and pipelines within Amica. This role combines technical expertise, leadership skills and a deep understanding of data management principles. —Matt Miszkiewicz

I am an executive consultant to Cutting Edge Technologies. My role is to program manage a major project for one of its global clients, Philips Healthcare. The program consists of migrating 20,000 Philips Healthcare clients to a new VPN solution to meet security regulatory compliance. —Michelle Pope

I am the lead software engineer and scrum master for our development team. My responsibilities include product development and team leadership, ensuring that the team achieves the company’s development goals on time and to our customers’ demanding requirements. —Pamela Pozzi

What/who inspired you to get into the tech industry?

Simon Cousins. Photography by Chad Weeden

My first professional job was working for an IBM reseller. I was assigned to work with a customer who owned a small yarn shop in Wickford. The work was to help her implement a solution to keep track of her inventory and maintain a database of her customers. I was able to put together a combination of software and hardware, assist in configuring the software and get her up and running. I later visited the shop to see how she was doing and learned that the system had saved her several hours a week and she could now enjoy having lunch with her friends. Eventually I was assigned to the Hospital Association of RI who referred my services to Bradley Hospital, where I made the connection between my passion for technology and the mission of the organization I work for. —Nancy Barrett

I’ve always been captivated by technology and computers. My fascination truly began during my teenage years when I got my hands on a Commodore 64. I couldn’t resist the urge to tinker with it, experimenting and pushing its boundaries. I found immense joy in creating fun tools and games. The ability to bring ideas to life and solve real-world problems through code was exhilarating. In fact, I occasionally used my Commodore 64 to tackle algebra homework faster, just to have more time for programming games, much to my teacher’s chagrin. This early exposure and passion for tech paved the way for my journey into the tech industry, and I’ve been hooked ever since. —Robert Blackburn

Joseph Dziobek. Photography by Chad Weeden

Growing up in the U.K., I had an uncle who worked at the BBC and spent time living with our family while attending university. He was an avid ham radio enthusiast, but he was also starting to purchase some of the early computers that became available at that time. He gave me a ZX Spectrum for my birthday and I remember being deeply immersed and in awe of the potential of it for learning, gaming and a possible future in IT. —Simon Cousins

I am a social worker with an entrepreneurial spirit. Early in my career as president/CEO of a multistate nonprofit health care company, I had the good fortune to hire an IT expert who taught me the value of technology in building a responsive and sustainable organization that would improve health outcomes. —Joseph Dziobek

My father is a photographer and when I was a kid, he would take me to the offices of the newspaper he worked for. I would spend hours playing around with the computers, learning how to edit pictures and do graphics. For as long as I can remember, I have been intrigued and passionate about the way things worked, so getting in the tech industry felt very natural to me. —Octavio Gomez

My community. Block Island experienced continually poor internet access, and by securing access to fibers in the subsea cable, the town was uniquely positioned to determine how it would solve its connectivity challenges. The whole island participated in the learning process together — evaluating, planning and strategizing about what we wanted our technology future to look like. —Amy Land

A few years ago, I was playing video games with my cousin who was born with one arm. While we were playing, I noticed it was a challenge for him to reach all the buttons with one hand. I asked him if there were any single-hand game controllers on the market and he said there weren’t any good ones. This inspired me to see if I could create a single-hand video game controller that he and other single-hand gamers could use. I became immersed in the world of 3D printing, micro-soldering, PCB boards and conductive pads. Without the vast funds to pay a company to create a prototype of my design, I was thrown into the world of prototyping. —Charles Johnson Jr.

I was inspired to pursue a career in the tech industry by my father, who was a computer programmer. From an early age, he encouraged my curiosity about technology and taught me my first programming language, BASIC. His enthusiasm for coding and problem-solving ignited my own passion for technology. What truly stood out to me was how my father remained deeply engaged with the tech world throughout his career. His influence not only sparked my initial interest in technology, but also instilled in me the belief that the tech industry is a dynamic and rewarding space for those who are enthusiastic about learning and growth. —Matt Miszkiewicz

From a young age, I was always fascinated with how technology worked, taking things apart like radios and gaming stations to see the components and making modifications to see if I could get them to work again. As I advanced through high school and learned of the lack of women in technology, my passion grew and was the fuel for my desire to pursue a role in the technology field. —Michelle Pope

My original college career path was architecture, but I quickly found that it wasn’t right for me. A college advisor encouraged me to pursue engineering as he felt that it would be a good fit for me with my strong background in math and science. —Pamela Pozzi

What skills are you working on to further your career?

Octavio Gomez. Photography by Chad Weeden

Leveraging and understanding the impact of artificial intelligence in patient care, research and administrative processes. Recent advances in AI offer numerous benefits to all industries including health care. However, AI also raises ethical and regulatory challenges related to data privacy, bias, accountability and the need for clear guidelines on AI use in medical decision-making. Overcoming these challenges will be crucial for harnessing the full potential of AI in health care. —Nancy Barrett

I’m genuinely excited about the recent advancements in computer science, especially with technologies like ChatGPT and LLM generative AI. These incredible tools are going to revolutionize how we approach problem-solving, especially in sectors like health care. I believe that leveraging these technologies will enhance the efficiency of software engineers — the way they work today will be unrecognizable compared to how they will work in ten years. —Robert Blackburn

I’m passionate about learning and am lucky to have access to some amazing training resources. Currently I am learning Terraform and PowerBI. I’ve always taken the approach to learning that even if I think I know a subject well there is always something I can learn. —Simon Cousins

I’m particularly interested in data analysis and familiarizing myself with the various tools available to evaluate the success of our services. —Joseph Dziobek

Charles Johnson Jr. Photography by Chad Weeden

As a cybersecurity professional, you’re always in learning mode — it’s an ever-changing field. Whether it’s a new way for threat actors to breach an environment or a new data privacy law that affects compliance, there is always something new to learn. I am currently pursuing a Certified Information Security Manager certification. —Octavio Gomez

My current learning is focused on two fronts: understanding the policy foundations and operational details necessary to run a successful, customer-focused public broadband network while also exploring other ways this fiber infrastructure can be leveraged to improve our community’s daily experiences, like overlaying public safety communications systems and supporting carrier backhaul to improve the cellular service of our residents and visitors. —Amy Land

I’m participating in two business accelerator programs to help me learn and better understand how to launch, grow and maintain a business. Additionally, I have been taking an online 3D printing class. —Charles Johnson Jr.

As a manager, I’m committed to continuous self-improvement, both in terms of leadership and technical skills. [With] people skills, I’m enhancing my ability to communicate, motivate and collaborate with team members, even when we’re geographically dispersed. Also, cloud computing is a pivotal technology in today’s tech landscape — I see the cloud as an enabler for scalability, flexibility and efficiency in data engineering and other tech-related tasks. —Matt Miszkiewicz

I’m working to broaden my knowledge of security solutions through my work with Philips Healthcare. In my prior role as president and COO at Relay, I utilized my technical background to help to build a fully redundant, high availability infrastructure in support of our clients’ access to our proprietary Medicaid billing software solution. I also built the strategy for the security, compliance and governance programs positioning me for the consulting project I am currently working on. —Michelle Pope

I’m a strong believer in continuous improvement, as well as learning on-the-job, and the Linux development environment is an area that I have not had much involvement in during my career until very recently. As a result, I am currently learning more about developing embedded Linux applications to expand my skill set. —Pamela Pozzi

Do you have any tech-related or other hobbies to de-stress?

Amy Land. Photography by Chad Weeden

My husband and son helped me build a large garden for vegetables and flowers. Early in the morning, I’m often out in the garden weeding or picking flowers to make a floral arrangement. My family affectionately calls me Martha Stewart for my joy of decorating for the holidays and special family events. —Nancy Barrett

At heart, I’m a classic nerd. I have a deep love for gaming, both on the computer and tabletop varieties. It’s a great way for me to unwind and indulge in some escapism. When it comes to truly relaxing, nothing beats settling down with my wife and watching some “Star Trek.” —Robert Blackburn

I enjoy PC gaming. Sometimes wandering around the vast landscape of World of Warcraft and doing simple tasks like gathering resources can be very calming. While I consider myself reasonably good at the games I play, I also enjoy watching people who stream their games on platforms like Twitch. As I explain to my wife, it helps my brain become immersed in fast-paced gameplay but oddly helps me “switch off” from the rest of the world. —Simon Cousins

Matt Miszkiewicz. Photography by Chad Weeden

I love the outdoors whether gardening, cycling or hiking up the forty-eight 4,000 footers in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. I also like to challenge myself by completing the Pan Mass Challenge three times to raise money for the Jimmy Fund and cycling across the state of Iowa. —Joseph Dziobek

Cooking is my hobby to de-stress. I really enjoy replicating iconic recipes or coming up with my own dishes. —Octavio Gomez

I spend any free time with my family, usually in and around the water! —Amy Land

When it’s time to de-stress, I stay as far away from all things tech as possible. In the summer I enjoy a nice motorcycle ride around the backroads of Rhode Island. If it’s not riding season, I’ll work on a woodworking project such as a secret bookcase door into the laundry or a bookcase chair for my sister who spends way too much time on Pinterest. I also act in comedy murder mystery shows; interacting and laughing with the audience is always a great break from the stress of all things tech. —Charles Johnson Jr.

Pamela Pozzi. Photography by Chad Weeden

I enjoy working with my fourteen-year-old twins as they explore their interests in technology. I had the opportunity to assist my daughter in assembling a 3D printer, which was both a fun bonding experience and a valuable learning opportunity. On the non-tech front, my most significant passion over the last two years has been coaching our local basketball league. I had never coached basketball before, but it became a meaningful part of my life when my daughter expressed an interest in playing. When our town faced a shortage of coaches, I decided to step up and give it a try. I’ve discovered a new passion in coaching youth basketball, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to watch the kids on the team develop their skills and teamwork. —Matt Miszkiewicz

Two years ago, while recovering from an ACL injury, I joined a cardio kickboxing gym to help with rehabilitation. Through my eighteen-month recovery, I developed a passion for the Kenpo style of kickboxing and began training to become a trainer to help others realize their fitness goals and overcome injuries. In July I began shadowing other trainers, and in September I took the training certification and officially became a kickboxing trainer. —Michelle Pope

Michelle Pope. Photography by Chad Weeden

Most of my hobbies lean toward being outdoors such as kayaking, hiking, tennis, skiing and golfing, but I also enjoy hobbies such as reading and playing board games. —Pamela Pozzi

What would’ve been your chosen career path had you not discovered tech?

I think I would have owned a flower shop. —Nancy Barrett

It’s hard to say; perhaps a writer? It’s truly hard to imagine myself doing anything else. I’m one of those lucky people who found their calling quite young, and I’m grateful every day that I found this path. —Robert Blackburn

I’ve always thought from a young age that I would love to be in the medical field. I tend to play characters in online games that are referred to as “support” or “healers.” I really enjoy protecting other people so they can enjoy their role in the game. In IT support, we play a role of helping people who are often frustrated at their technology not working. The human element of genuinely listening to people and helping is part of the journey to solving the technical issue. —Simon Cousins

My grandfather was a builder and growing up I wanted to be an architect, so I might have taken that path. But looking back, I enjoy the challenge of starting new programs and the reward that comes from seeing the good that they do. —Joseph Dziobek

I would most likely be in the restaurant business as a chef. —Octavio Gomez

My diversion into tech has been a surprising and unplanned adventure. I’m excited to keep learning and growing in the field and using our technology infrastructure to further support the needs of Block Island. It’s a great complement to my public finance work and another way of helping Block Island remain thriving and sustainable over the long term. —Amy Land

My love of tech has been a hobby that I’m hoping to turn into a business. I would probably be in the field that I’m currently in. I’ve been a history, law and psychology teacher for twenty-five years and not sure I could see myself doing anything else. My immediate answer would be lawyer, but being an attorney is way more paperwork than you see on “Law & Order.” —Charles Johnson Jr.

If I hadn’t discovered tech, I would’ve never met my wife and have the family I cherish today. I moved to Massachusetts for a job in tech. My plan was to obtain new skill sets and gain new experiences, but eventually return home to my family and friends. However, I met a wonderful person, formed a relationship, and now we’re happily married with two amazing children. Had I not taken that leap, I wouldn’t have the life I have today. My first choice for a career path would have been to play in the National Hockey League. I wasn’t blessed with the skill set required to excel at that level, however, so I had to explore other avenues. —Matt Miszkiewicz

My dream as a child was to be a veterinarian. It stemmed from my love for animals, growing up with horses, ducks, cats and dogs to name a few, wanting to ensure they were safe and protected and nurse them back to health when they were sick. —Michelle Pope

If I had not discovered tech, I think I would have chosen to pursue a career as an optometrist. I am very nearsighted, and I find vision correction fascinating. —Pamela Pozzi