An Interview with Vice President of Technology, Erica Stephens

Erica Stephens is a driving force on the Bixal team.

As our vice president of technology, Erica leads with a deep commitment to improving lives through the thoughtful application of technology. Her 20+ years as a software engineer—spanning both private companies and the public sector—reflect a passion for using digital innovation to address the needs of communities and drive change.

In our latest Bixaler Spotlight, we delve into Erica's experiences, her shift towards civic technology, and her views on the future of this dynamic field.

Erica, what led you to join the team at Bixal?

After dedicating two decades to big tech and the private sector, I felt compelled to transition to civic technology amidst the challenges of the pandemic. It became evident that technologists were crucial in addressing the multiple crises our nation was facing. Following my service at the United States Digital Service, it felt like a natural progression to align myself with an organization focused on creating positive change for those most in need. Bixal's dedication to making a difference, especially within the tech sector, resonated with my core values and range of technical expertise, particularly in providing strategic guidance within government realms.

Can you share a little bit about the projects you work on and how they help impact our clients?

In my capacity as the accountable executive for several Bixal initiatives with the General Services Administration (GSA), the Small Business Administration (SBA), and others, I am committed to supporting our team members on various high-impact projects that provide easily accessible, standardized, and relevant information to digitally empower the public with comprehensive tools and services.

One aspect I deeply appreciate about Bixal is that each of the projects we work on plays a role in shaping a positive impact for our clients and the broader community.

What do you enjoy most about your role at Bixal? What makes you the proudest as you look back throughout the years?

As a leader, it is my responsibility to learn about our vast pools of skills and strengths and look for ways to dually optimize the client experience and elevate our team members in their careers and through future opportunities. I find empowerment and clearing paths for these future, high-impact opportunities the most fulfilling, in addition to nerding out on the latest bleeding-edge tech.

I’m proud of how when Bixalers are challenged—and sometimes I’m specifically the one doing the challenging—folks show up in the most creative and authentic ways to support each other and the client’s mission. Our authenticity, integrity, and creativity are core to what makes Bixal stand out against our competitors.

How has your work in technology evolved in the past few years? Where do you see the field going and how is Bixal positioned to aid in that future?

We have creative, capable, and brave team members who are not afraid to experiment and “fail fast,” to produce the next, innovative solutions for our clients and internally. My primary focus is enabling our practice and peer partners to create holistic, client-centric solutions that solve existing problems and anticipate future problems. My work in tech is always evolving, and part of that evolution is enabling and empowering technical teams to be brave and bold with an innovative mindset. Establishing a consulting mindset means building with our federal partners, not for them.

Every one of our teams is focused on now, next, and future alongside our clients and their missions, including, responsible and safe experimentation using AI large language models (LLMs); data readiness consultations; software engineering; cybersecurity; and cloud services and builds. AI can be an accelerator across every practice, and we look for and experiment with opportunities, such as copilots, which can give us speed, agility, and higher velocity of delivery, with continued ownership and appropriate quality controls in place.

There are hundreds of AI use cases already in government, and we have already supported clients with LLMs. Alongside our program, human-centered design (HCD), and product teams, I see us furthering our past performance and footprint in these spaces and solving problems with the client.

Tell us about your free time. What do you enjoy doing outside of work? 

In my free time, you can find me learning about other cultures, traveling, reading books on how to be a better human, and playing ice hockey. I’m a Detroit Lions and Red Wings fan and love how sports can bring communities together. I also enjoy ceramic arts, writing music, and impressionist painting.

About Erica

Erica holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science from Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan. She holds several certifications in data science, cloud computing, and computer science, and is a published children’s book author.

Listen to a version of this interview with Erica, hosted by DJ Neace.