I help organizations navigate complex digital transformations, build products that serve millions, and lead change in high-stakes environments. I work with government agencies, organizations needing a pivot, civic tech organizations, foundations, and companies.
I have the capacity for 1-2 advisory clients. I'm looking to work with global leaders in the public or private sector who are:
Defining their agency/nation's vision for digital sovereignty
Navigating complex organizational change
Launching high-stakes new services
Reimagining their ways of working
Building a new agency or launching new teams
Areas of expertise:
Government digital transformation and modernization
Product leadership for high-stakes launches
Organizational change management in complex environments
Public sector capacity building and innovation strategy
If you're looking for strategic guidance on a major transformation, launching a public-interest product, or navigating government partnerships, let's talk.
Background
I most recently served as Senior Advisor for Digital Delivery to former IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel and Deputy Product Lead for Direct File, launching the IRS's free tax filing service that served over 140,000 taxpayers with 94% user satisfaction.
I'm currently a Senior Advisor to the Federation of American Scientists and Executive Fellow in Applied Technology Policy at UC Berkeley's School of Information.
Previously: Child Tax Credit implementation lead at the White House, one of the first employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, co-founder and CEO of Ada's List (successfully exited 2022), and consulting roles at IDEO and Accenture/Fjord.
CV available upon request.
Photo by Dina Litovsky for The Atlantic
Bio
For media, speaking engagements, or formal introductions, feel free to copy and use:
Merici Vinton is a government innovation leader who drives digital transformation in large, complex organizations and leads high-stakes nationwide launches. Most recently, she served as Senior Advisor for Digital Delivery to former IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel and Deputy for Direct File, launching the IRS's free tax filing service that served over 140,000 taxpayers with 94% user satisfaction.
Since leaving government in March 2025, Merici serves as a Senior Advisor to the Federation of American Scientists and an Executive Fellow of Applied Technology Policy at the University of California Berkeley, where she explores the future of technology and digital transformation in government.
Previously, Merici led Child Tax Credit implementation for the US Digital Service at the White House. She was one of the first employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, where she built the agency's digital team and established a groundbreaking strategy based on open source, open data, and transparency—setting the standard for modern web services across the federal government.
Merici is also the co-founder and former CEO of Ada's List, a women's leadership community she successfully exited in 2022. She has extensive consulting experience, including roles as Client Engagement Lead at IDEO and Director at Accenture/Fjord, where she helped global organizations like HP, Harvard, and Deutsche Bank transform from paper-based, siloed operations into design-led, digital-first organizations.
Merici splits her time between Barcelona, Nebraska, and Washington, DC.