We're transforming the way decisions and policies are made in private sector organizations, governments, and research institutions around the world.

Our Team

Thalia Shamash Baumgarten, at Cultivate Labs

Thalia Shamash Baumgarten

Manager, Professional Services

I work in Washington, D.C. where I help run our local projects with the U.S. Government. Before joining Cultivate, I worked for MITRE, Booz Allen Hamilton, and was also a tour guide in Rome. I love all things relating to coffee, cooking, math, and above all, spending time with my family. I have degrees in Math and Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dante Delaney, at Cultivate Labs

Dante Delaney

Consultant, Professional Services

I help run our projects with government sector clients here in Washington, D.C. Before joining Cultivate, I helped organizations unlock their capacity for innovation and responsiveness by redesigning work as part of Gartner’s organization design and change management team. I take a data-based approach to problem solving, and I have a degree from the MIT Sloan School of Management, where I concentrated in Business Analytics and Operations Research. Outside of work, I love learning new cooking techniques and trying to perfect my chocolate chip cookies.

Alex Gallant, at Cultivate Labs

Alex Gallant

Engineer

I am a Navy veteran but I left the service to pursue a career in software development. At Cultivate Labs, as a Software Engineer, I am helping to implement the strategies and technical decisions made by the company to enhance the quality of our product with our client's needs in mind. My wife and I are from Maine but we currently live in Denver, Colorado. We are always looking for new experiences and love to take advantage of the great outdoors. I love to go hiking, camping, golfing or anything that will get me outside.

Drew Ledbetter, at Cultivate Labs

Drew Ledbetter

Director

I live in Washington D.C. and work with our government sector clients. Prior to Cultivate, I was appointed by the White House to serve as the Briefing Book Director to Secretary Janet Napolitano at DHS in the 1st term of the Obama Administration. I then worked at Booz Allen Hamilton in a client-facing role for both DHS and the F.B.I. In my free time, I enjoy playing and watching basketball, cycling, reading U.S. history, and following politics. I have a Criminal Justice degree from George Washington University and a Law degree from the Catholic University School of Law.

Brian Leslie, Director of Software Engineering at Cultivate Labs

Brian Leslie

Director of Engineering

I'm the Director of Software Engineering, which means I get to define best practices and strategy for our tech, while also helping to build and manage our products. When I'm not nerding out at work I enjoy hanging out with my family, and playing basketball. I'm also an Accenture and Northwestern University alum.

Vanessa Pineda, Director of Professional Services at Cultivate Labs

Vanessa Pineda

Director of Professional Services

I work with our clients to make sure our products make a positive difference for their organization. Before Cultivate, I was a change management consultant helping organizations through cultural transformations. I have an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. In my down time, I enjoy reading, cooking, and exploring Chicago’s great neighborhoods. I’m also a member of the Literassociates Board of the Chicago Literacy Alliance.

Jessica Price, Director of Design at Cultivate Labs

Jessica Price

Creative Director

I think design is solving a problem in a way that makes someone's day easier and hopefully even more enjoyable. I lead the design for Cultivate Labs' products and brand. I have experience working on conceptual development and design for websites, mobile apps, and large scale digital promotions. I am a painter, metalsmith, dog geek and have a weakness for house plants. I have a BFA degree in Graphic Design from the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Ben Roesch, CTO and Co-Founder of Cultivate Labs (formerly Inkling Markets)

Ben Roesch

CTO

I help set the technical direction of our products and custom development projects. I also still do full-stack development (Rails, iOS, Javascript.) I'm married to a woman who truly is saving the world, have 2 young daughters, and am a crossfit accolyte and tri-blend t-shirt fanatic. I graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in Computer Science.

Adam Siegel, CEO and Co-Founder of Cultivate Labs (formerly Inkling Markets) and Y Combinator graduate

Adam Siegel

CEO

I help set the direction of the company, cultivate (no pun intended) new projects, and work directly with some of our clients. I'm also a poor man's front-end developer. More importantly, I have a 9-year old daughter and 6-year old son who continuously teach me the art of patience and perseverance. Before starting Cultivate, I founded Inkling, a Y Combinator (YC06) funded company, CityPosh, another Y Combinator (YC11) funded company, and worked at Accenture in the Accenture Technology Labs. I have a degree from Indiana University in Political Science.

Zavh Siewert, at Cultivate Labs

Zach Siewert

Manager, Professional Services

I work out of our Toronto (home) office where I help run a variety of projects globally with a special focus on the finance industry. Prior to Cultivate Labs, I worked in the asset management community where I invested in hedge funds for the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. I am a CFA Charterholder and hold degrees in Economics and Financial Economics from the University of Alberta and University of Toronto. Outside of work, I enjoy subjecting my patient wife to Edmonton Oilers games and finding any excuse to visit the mountains.

Erich Timkar, at Cultivate Labs

Erich Timkar

Senior Engineer

I am a full-stack software engineer at Cultivate. I help turn the vision of improving decisions and judgement into software. My wife and I have a high school-age son, and a daughter in college. We all live in a big old house Lawrence, KS. When I’m not (as my daughter once said) doing “typey-typey important stuff,” I’m a musician and I trail run. My wife and I are on a quest to section hike the Appalachian Trail.

Henry Tolchard, at Cultivate Labs

Henry Tolchard

Analyst, Professional Services

I work out of Washington, D.C., helping our government clients use crowd forecasting to improve their decision-making. I grew up in California and studied philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley. I have previous internship experience in the Department of Energy’s statistical agency and in two Congressional offices, including the office of then-Senator Kamala Harris. Outside of work I enjoy running (slowly), visiting national parks, and traveling to new places as often as possible.