Harish R. Rao

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Zone: Eastern/ET

Prefers: He/him/his

Harish founded I.F. with a vision of creating a unique web development operation dedicated to empowering public organizations and government municipalities with high-end, modern website technologies. Combining his real-world expertise in civic technology, management, and digital marketing with a passion for data-driven tools and processes, he is always seeking new ways to bring user experience and engagement to the fore, improving the daily online interactions of millions of people living in the U.S. 

Harish developed I.F.’s innovative Voice of Citizen® and Voice of Patron® analytics platform to gather data that enables us to analyze user paths and feedback, recognize gaps, drive client business solutions, and broaden online capabilities. But he’s also dialed in to the people behind the stats. This synthesis of hard data and human-centered solutions lies at the heart of every I.F. project. 

This balance between numbers and people not only applies to clients but to I.F. itself. Harish’s vision for I.F. includes creating innovative technical solutions and serving the public while also creating a workplace culture where trust and teamwork drive our daily operations. As a leader, he prioritizes accountability and transparency, creating a foundation for the collaboration needed to drive innovation and excellence. 

Harish started his career as the director of I.T. for Governor Howard Dean’s presidential campaign, juggling communications, technology, infrastructure, and data services and developing a passion for democratizing tech tools. Before leading I.F., he served as Chief Strategy Officer for the web development firm EchoDitto. He later assumed the CEO role and expanded company operations into multiple U.S. locations.

With a passion for lifelong learning, Harish continues to conduct academic and operational research to develop innovative solutions to complex business problems. His combined expertise in strategic planning and digital infrastructure fuels his drive to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the online tools we all rely on to access public services and information.