Three central Iowa professionals–Lynn Swanson, Matt McDonald and David Kessler–recently joined the Tech Journey Board of Directors. These individuals will serve a three year term through 2023 with the option for another three year term through 2026.

Lynn Swanson is the Chief Operating Officer of Xilution, a recent tech startup delivering digital solutions that help web development teams reduce the toil and expense of DevOps engineering. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a masters in business administration and undergraduate in mathematics. As a co-founder of Xilution, Lynn is interested in diverse avenues that continue to positively build the Des Moines community and contribute to the next generation workforce. Lynn is also a career Coach. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling the world and being part of the local music scene. You may find her playing in a band or spending time with the guitar, drums, keyboard or banjo.

Matt McDonald is a Sr. Talent Consultant and Human Resources Product Owner for Principal Financial Group. Through several years of being a recruiter in the information technology industry, he understands first-hand the shortage of tech talent in Iowa and more specifically, the shortage of diverse talent in tech. Matt has been an active volunteer for youth STEM opportunities through Hyperstream, iJAG, Tech Journey, Governor’s STEM Advisory working groups and others. He is a graduate of Central College and has recently attained certifications from Cornell University in Strategic HR Leadership and from HRCI as a Senior Professional in HR (SPHR). In his spare time, Matt enjoys golfing, attending live sporting events and time with family.

David Kessler was one of the original founders of Tech Journey. He desires to unlock possibilities within the next generation of problem solvers and creatives, stating “There’s something magical that happens when you connect passionate tech professionals with young people. This combination changes the world.” He is an Executive Consultant with Accenture and in when not at work, David enjoys time with family, church, audiobooks and education.

Welcome Lynn, Matt and David to the Tech Journey team!