Brooklyn, NY – Beam – the end-to-end platform that streamlines equitable public benefit administration – today announced two new technical team leaders to further its mission to reimagine the social safety net. Victor Garcia, former Senior Director of Software Engineering at the Walt Disney Company, joins as Beam’s Vice President of Engineering and Emilio Tamez, former data scientist for Duolingo, Meta, and Spotify joins as Beam’s Director of Data and Analytics. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Beam has administered over $180 million to roughly 300,000 households across the United States.
With over half of technology workers saying they are likely to leave their job in the next year and the growing trend toward mission-driven work, the govtech industry has an opportunity to address a longtime shortage of technology talent and meet growing demand for public services. Victor and Emilio will play a pivotal role in strengthening Beam’s partnerships with state and local governments to create smart and automated infrastructure in a single system to administer financial assistance across a wide range of programs, from rental relief and public utility benefits to emergency cash assistance.
“Victor and Emilio bring a combination of deep technical expertise and an understanding of complex government systems to our growing team at Beam,” said Sanket Karuri, Chief Product Officer at Beam. “Like many on our team, their passion for solving these problems is rooted in firsthand experience with the difficulties of applying for public assistance. Their expertise in building innovative technology will help local agencies get critical resources to communities quickly and equitably as we continue to build the next generation of the social safety net.”
An accomplished technology maven, Garcia holds engineering experience at the highest levels. Before his role at Walt Disney, he held positions at National Geographic and the U.S. Digital Service at the Obama White House, where he helped build user-centered government processes to transform how digital services are delivered, most notably within the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service agency. Garcia also served as a member of the Biden-Harris Presidential Transition Team, assisting in the smooth transfer of power of the Department of Defense.
“I've witnessed firsthand how incomprehensible and demoralizing navigating the systems that provide healthcare, food assistance, immigration benefits, and other aid can be,” said Victor Garcia, VP of Engineering at Beam. “Beam’s mission to increase equitable and fast delivery of public benefits and build a modern social safety net with an efficient, end-to-end platform resonated with me. I’m proud to join a company that’s empowering governments to get our most vulnerable populations the critical resources they need.”
Tamez boasts over six years of data science experience at top technology companies like Duolingo, Meta, and Spotify. His experience in addressing algorithmic bias and avoiding the common pitfalls of data science will help inform how Beam empowers governments to deliver equitable and fast public benefits.
“Beam’s origins in student cash assistance really stood out to me, as I struggled with finances in college and had to borrow money from friends and family to make rent and buy books. I could have used Beam then – it would have done wonders for my mental and financial well-being,” said Emilio Tamez, Director of Data & Analytics at Beam. “I’m excited to further Beam’s extended mission to support programs across all governments and communities, and join a team that’s passionate about solving some of the biggest societal problems of our time.”
Beam recently announced its shift from working specifically with education institutions to working with cash and benefit programs across governments and communities, at a time when Americans need access to support more than ever. The company now provides digital infrastructure for 53 government, higher education, nonprofit, and philanthropic partners across 16 states and the District of Columbia.
Garcia’s and Tamez’ appointments follow the close of Beam’s $6.4 million Series A led by Potencia Ventures, with participation from Spring Point Partners, American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact, Imaginable Futures, Lumina Impact Ventures, Michelson Runway, and Schmidt Futures. To learn more, please visit https://www.bybeam.co/. To access Beam’s media kit, please visit https://www.bybeam.co/media-kit.
