Culture Archives

Day in the Life: Taylor Ourada, Principal Healthcare

Posted on May 27, 2022May 27, 2022 by KC

Our incredible team at 17A is powered by a range of perspectives and experiences. Through our Day in the Life series, we are giving you the opportunity to get to know our core team members. Read below to learn more about our resident yogi and Healthcare Principal, Taylor Ourada!

How do you like to start your day?

I like to get up with the sun and spend some quiet time meditating or journaling. Then I typically go for a run along the West Side Highway (near the Hudson River in NYC) – being near the water is peaceful and allows me to set my intentions for the day ahead.

What do you love most about working at 17A?

I love the holistic view we have of the health and human services ecosystem due to the diversity of projects we take on. We are constantly working to find solutions that align incentives and improved outcomes for patients, providers, payers, and government officials. Health is more than just direct care, so our work with housing, transportation, and jail-involved members helps to build a more human approach.

What’s one thing you’re learning now or learned recently?

How complex and time-intensive applying for health coverage (Medicaid, CHIP, Individual plans on the marketplace) is for most Americans. I see so much potential to use technology in these spaces to improve people’s experience (and save the government money!).

What advice would you give to someone who wants to work in the public sector?

If you’re not in it, get in it now! The next wave of major innovation will happen in the public sector. Some of our most pressing issues as a society – climate change, unsustainable healthcare costs, loneliness epidemic – will require comprehensive strategies and focused execution from public sector agencies to build more equitable and sustainable communities.

What is your favorite 17A team tradition?

Lunch and learns. Love hearing about what insights people have from their projects and how they relate to others– everyone on our team is continually crushing it!

What’s one item you can’t leave home without?

AirPods – always listening to a podcast / music or calling someone on my commute.

What’s something you saw recently that made you smile?

We recently had our 17A retreat in Cincinnati, OH and there are wall murals all throughout the city – seeing beautiful portraits of people from the community brightened my day!

Day in the Life: Jeff Huang, 17A Lead and Chief Plant Officer

Posted on April 22, 2022May 9, 2022 by KC

Our incredible team at 17A is powered by a range of perspectives and experiences. Through our Day in the Life series we are giving you the opportunity to get to know our core team members. Read below to learn more about our resident Chief Plant Officer / Program Lead, Jeff Huang, and what projects he’s been up to!

What does a typical workday look like for you?

My workday depends on the projects I’m on! Sometimes it’s full of meetings, and other times, it’s a mix of self-directed research and data analysis. I’m not a big morning person, so I usually save heavy reading for later in the day when I can.

What’s a meaningful project you’ve worked on during your time here?

My favorite project has been working with a regional Medicaid payer better support justice-involved members. I joined 17a to work on ways to better provide / direct social services for a more just and humane world, and this project has been exactly that.

What are your responsibilities as Chief Plant Officer?

Taking care of all the office plants! Except right now, I’m on crutches and haven’t been able to make it into the office as much as I would like. So my job right now is making sure our team is taking care of the office plants while I recover.

What prepared you to take on the Chief Plant Officer role?

My mom has always loved plants and all things nature. I never used to understand the hype around plants, but I recently got into the process of tending to them and watching them grow, once I had my own. Because of that, my mom and I are always talking plant care; she’s constantly sharing stuff with me and keeping me on my game.

Describe 17A’s culture in 3 words.

Open-minded, curious, caring

What is your favorite 17A team tradition?

Our in-person retreats!

What do you do for fun outside of work?

In my free time, I’m probably doing something basketball- or music-related; right now I’m watching a ton of the NBA playoffs and am also loving being a nerd about samples and music history / influences of the music I love.

Day in the Life: Gauri Wadhwa, 17A People and Operations Principal

Posted on May 3, 2022May 9, 2022 by KC

Our incredible team at 17A is powered by a range of perspectives and experiences. Through our Day in the Life series, we are giving you the opportunity to get to know our core team members. Read below to learn more about the person who keeps our team running smoothly every single day, our People and Operations Principal, Gauri Wadhwa!

What does a typical workday look like for you?

I don’t think there is such a thing as a typical workday for me! Depending on the day, I’ll do things ranging from onboarding new team members or confirming our business compliance for new projects, to working with our current team on learning plans and individual development goals.

What prompted you to join 17A?

One of the main reasons I joined 17a is our ability to be agile with individualization. Because of our size, we can be so targeted in how we utilize our team’s strengths and interests on different types of projects. This carries through for our team in finding the best way, at an individual level, for everyone to learn, develop, and grow.

What is your favorite part about going to work every day?

On an individual level, I love that none of my days are the same. There are always different balls flying around and it’s fun for me to keep them in line and organized. On a team level, I love working with and connecting with everyone on our team. In my role, I’m able to connect with everyone on an individual level but also think and plan for ways to connect as a team.

Can you tell us a little bit about the guys you share an office space with?

If I’m being honest, my officemates are just a tad bit lazy. They prefer spending the day in their donut beds instead of working, unless it’s 4-6pm which is when they’re at their most productive and feisty. I should probably mention that my officemates are two incredibly spoiled rescue dogs, Coney and Kiwi.

Describe 17A’s culture in 3 words.

Deliberate, Curious, Compassionate

What is your favorite 17A team tradition?

I love wrapping up our morning check-ins with something light like sharing a recent photo or reading our horoscopes. It gets the day started on such a fun note.

What is a go to weekend activity when the weather is nice?

If the sun is shining on the weekend, I’m definitely outside with my dogs for a walk and a hang out at a park. Smale Park is one of my favorites in Cincinnati because there is a great walking path that goes along the Ohio River.