Senior advisory for the problems nobody else in the building has seen before.
I've advised executive leaders across federal agencies, rebuilt city websites with three-person teams, stood up digital service programs from scratch, and taught the next generation how public systems actually work. If you need someone who's operated at every level of government and can help you think clearly about what comes next, I'm that call.
Get in touchWhere I've been
Directed strategy and design operations for a 200+ person federal digital service organization. Led a design practice of 40+ across 18F, login.gov, and cloud.gov. Advised agency leaders on procurement, delivery, and organizational design. Supported business development generating over $10M in new work. Shaped how states request billions in Medicaid funding.
Led statewide digital strategy for Kentucky's largest post-secondary system: 16 colleges, 70,000 students, a network of 22 web managers. Orchestrated the digital transformation from institutional identity through delivery operations.
City IT in Bloomington, Indiana. Redesigned the city website end-to-end with a three-person team. Ran public research in supermarkets. Exit rates down 11%, bounce rate down 93%. Won Best of Indiana, featured at DrupalCon.
Stood up the Portland Digital Corps after 18F closed. Zero budget, 100+ signups, 50+ volunteers, six nonprofit sites rebuilt. Organized Design For The Public, bringing 80+ civic technologists together from across the country.
Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Michigan teaching Service Design and Public Mechanics. I run a research lab on AI and state capacity. I know how to teach these concepts because I teach them for a living.
Network administrator, U.S. Air Force. Served in the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch. Air Force Achievement Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. I know what it means to operate under real constraints.
What I help with
A second read
The original "phone a friend." You need someone with range to look at something and tell you what they see. A vendor proposal, an architecture decision, a hiring plan, a strategy deck. I've given this kind of counsel to agency directors, CIOs, and city managers. Sometimes the most valuable thing is someone who's seen it before saying "this is fine" or "don't do that."
Standing up digital capacity
You want to build an internal team but don't know where to start. I've done this at federal scale and at community scale with no budget at all. I can help you scope what you actually need, write the roles, structure the team, and avoid the mistakes that burn through your first year.
Training and teaching
I teach service design and public mechanics at a research university. I can run workshops, brief your leadership team, or train your staff on service delivery, procurement literacy, AI governance, or how to think about the systems they're inheriting. I explain complex things clearly because that's literally my job.
Delivery and deployment
Something is stalled, sideways, or about to go wrong. I've led delivery for work touching billions in federal funding, redesigned city services end-to-end, and built prototypes for military field logistics. I can diagnose what's broken, get it unstuck, and help your team finish.
Procurement and vendor strategy
You're about to sign something expensive and you're not sure it's right. I've operated inside the federal procurement system, managed vendor relationships for city governments, and built the tools that help agencies evaluate what they're buying. I can read the contract and tell you where the risk is.
AI and technology strategy
You're hearing about AI from vendors and leadership and you need someone who understands both the technology and the governance. I run a research lab on AI and state capacity. I've built decision transparency prototypes and benefits determination systems. I can help you figure out what's real, what's hype, and what your actual obligations are.
How we work together
The Gut Check
You bring whatever's keeping you up at night. A vendor pitch, a stalled project, a hiring decision, a strategy question. We talk through it and you leave with clarity.
The Deep Look
I dig into a specific problem: a failing project, an organizational gap, a technology decision that needs more than a conversation. You get a clear-eyed assessment and a path forward.
The Sounding Board
Ongoing senior advisory. The questions that don't fit in a meeting, the decisions that compound over time. Scaling teams, building digital capacity, navigating AI, avoiding the mistakes that cost years.
Who this is for
Cities and towns that don't have a CTO. State agencies navigating digital transformation without internal expertise. Civic technology organizations that need someone who's led at scale. Universities and programs building public interest technology curriculum.
If your problems feel too complex for a chatbot and too expensive for a big consultancy, you're in the right place.
Get in touch
You know who to call when the plumbing breaks. Now you know who to call when the systems break.
contact@ronbronson.comAvailable for 1099 independent advisory, micro-purchase, fractional leadership, workshops, and training. No vendor affiliations. Independent expertise for the public interest.