BLOOMBERG PUBLIC INNOVATION FELLOW

Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation
at Johns Hopkins University

Brian Whittaker is the founder and executive director of Humans of Public Service, a nonprofit organization and digital platform telling the stories of public servants. An Afro-Latino leader, Whittaker grew up watching family members serve as teachers, nurses, and police officers, and eventually found his way into public service after starting his career in the private sector.

Today, Whittaker’s focus is on a different kind of infrastructure: trust. Through Humans of Public Service, he has documented public servants across 34 states, building a community of nearly 10,000 people who see government differently, as a place filled with people worth knowing.

Whittaker brings to the Fellowship expertise in emerging technology and digital innovation at the federal government level. He launched the innovation practice within the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, serving as Chief Innovation Officer, where he guided its exploration of emerging technologies. He previously held leadership roles at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the General Services Administration, where he used technology to make government services more equitable and accessible, working on everything from streamlining farm loan applications to revamping the submission and processing of civil rights claims.

As a Bloomberg Public Innovation Fellow, Whittaker will adapt the HOPS digital storytelling framework to elevate the inspiring work of innovation professionals in local government.