#PasstheMic: Meet Lapedra Tolson
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Meet Lapedra Tolson,
The Founder and Principal of Friends From The City. Friends From The City is a full-service digital firm delivering best-in-class user and client experiences to federal and state agencies. Technology, data, and organizational strategy are at the core of their creativity; this combination of capabilities allows for the creation of user-centric solutions suited to every client's needs. Their team of skilled technologists and creative problem-solvers exists to produce ethical design and technology solutions for the public sector.
Friends was cofounded with her spouse, Tamara Tolson, who has years of experience as a copywriter in the federal space and creative writing communities. Lapedra is also a veteran of the United States Air Force. Earlier in her career, she worked as a federal employee at several agencies and, most recently, as a federal contractor with Agile Six Applications, Inc.
Friends is a space (and opportunity) for multiple levels of impact; BIPOCs and other underrepresented groups have been excluded from the design thinking movement for far too long. By providing a space where everyone's voice is heard and amplified, the organization ensures that unique experiences and cultural nuances are reflected in design, and millions of diverse people can interact with government services. The organization practices pay equity and pay without borders in order to boost underserved communities and have economic impact for the communities they serve. Friends is well positioned to become a leader in the civic technology sector.
