Seattle to Host 2025 NobleReach Scholars Dedicated to Shaping AI Policy

Top graduates to help shape city AI policy, streamline processes, and accelerate service delivery through technology 

SEATTLE - On August 5, 2025, the NobleReach Foundation announced that two members of the 2025 class of NobleReach Scholars will join the City of Seattle for yearlong placements focused on artificial intelligence.  

“Seattle’s two NobleReach Scholars are joining us at a terrific moment,” said Rob Lloyd, Chief Technology Officer for the City of Seattle. “They bring a deep desire to create social impact, and technical and policy expertise to contribute to significant initiatives we have in flight. These Scholars will help in solving critical urban challenges like accessible services that remove barriers for residents and businesses, shaping how AI enables services responsibly and gives pathways for future jobs, and advancing equity policy decisions. They’ll contribute where mission, innovation, and public value intersect.”  

NobleReach Scholars are a group of 28 recent graduates and early-career professionals skilled in areas like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and more. They are placed in public service tech roles across 15 federal, state, and local government agencies, including the City of Seattle, and five mission-driven industry partners.   

“Our Scholars will be key players in rethinking how we deliver permitting and accountability at scale,” said Leah Tivoli, Director of Innovation & Performance for the City of Seattle. “They’ll help us break down silos, modernize limiting processes, and drive meaningful change across departments. We’re focused on accelerating results for residents, and the Scholars’ blend of curiosity, skill, and systems thinking is exactly what we need to build better, faster, and more transparent public services.”  

This year’s second-ever cohort of Scholars was selected from a pool of over 1,200 applicants from over 100 universities nationwide. Across the nation, they will engage in four critical areas—artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, business process innovation, and materials manufacturing—to support and advance public service.  

“The depth and dedication of our applicant pool shows that young people continue to be extremely interested in public service,” NobleReach CEO Arun Gupta said. “We’re in a moment when all levels of government are refreshing traditional ways of managing their workforces to better fit the demands of today’s mission, and we must be ready with a pipeline of top mission-oriented talent to meet that need.”  

In addition to full-time employment by their host organization, Scholars will receive a pre-placement stipend to cover relocation and setup costs, an orientation bootcamp, quarterly professional development workshop, and one-on-one mentorship from leading public and private sector leaders across the four core themes.  

“The challenges we face can only be solved with the full participation of all our national assets, across sectors, disciplines and localities,” said the Honorable Lisa Disbrow, NobleReach Board Chair. “The NobleReach Scholars program ensures tomorrow’s leaders have the opportunity to learn the importance of public service to our national security and help strengthen collaboration between the public and private sector wherever their careers take them.”  

NobleReach, a nonprofit based just outside Washington, D.C., seeks to strengthen our nation’s security and prosperity through talent and innovation. They inspire the next generation of changemakers to bridge the divide between the private, public, and academic sectors to solve significant technological challenges. Drawing on a network of over 50 university partners and curriculum programs, NobleReach talent initiatives provide federal, state, and local governments with top mission-driven STEM talent, and their innovation programs transform cutting-edge research into ventures in the national interest.   

A department of the City of Seattle, Seattle IT puts powerful information and tools into the hands of people to unleash brilliance in service to its community. In 2023, the City of Seattle’s CiviForm tool was named one of the 50 most transformative smart projects of 2023 by Smart Cities Connect, and in 2024 the Civiform project won an Anthem Award. Seattle was also recognized as a national leader in the 2024 Digital Cities Survey, and in 2025 was named an All-American City Finalist by the National Civic League. To learn more about Seattle IT and its innovative programs, visit www.seattle.gov/tech.