The people behind the clinic
TechStep Foundation is built by practitioners, educators, and community builders who believe that talent and communities deserve each other — and that the path forward is built through real work, real relationships, and real stakes.
There is no shortage of talent in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region. There is no shortage of communities that deserve protection. What has been missing is someone willing to build the bridge between the two — and make it real.
Adam Maaz founded TechStep Foundation after a career spanning the financial industry, nonprofit organizations, and donor-funded programs — working close enough to communities to understand what they need, and close enough to technology to know what they are missing. He saw the same reality everywhere he went: talented people trying to find their footing, and organizations trying to hold theirs. TechStep is his response to both.
The mission is simple. Build confident tech talent. Protect the communities that need it most. Through TechStep's supervised clinic model, emerging cybersecurity professionals across the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region gain the real-world experience and formation they need to grow into practitioners who can lead — while nonprofits, schools, and community organizations receive the skilled, dedicated support they deserve.
Adam holds an M.S. in Cloud Computing Systems and is a member of the Upsilon Pi Epsilon Honor Society. He leads TechStep not as a program director, but as someone who believes that when talent is developed with purpose and communities are protected with care, everyone moves forward together.
Nate Butler is a cybersecurity leader, educator, and career transformation coach who has spent over a decade helping organizations protect what matters and helping professionals become who they are capable of being.
Raised in an Army family and constantly moving, Nate learned early how to adapt, connect, and find opportunity in unfamiliar environments — lessons that now shape everything from how he leads security engagements to how he coaches professionals navigating career transitions.
His technical career spans Fortune 500 organizations including Microsoft, EY, and Bank of America, as well as enterprise consulting environments where he has led complex security initiatives for global organizations. Nate holds a Master's degree in Telecommunications and Computer Networking from Florida International University, where he conducted international research in Brazil and Amsterdam as a McNair Scholar, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Cybersecurity Leadership.
Nate also takes that same commitment to access and clarity into the digital space. Through his TikTok platform at @NateButlerExplains, he breaks down AI threats, cybersecurity news, and career strategy for everyday people, not just security insiders. His show CyberTalks brings in guests and real conversations that make the field feel human and reachable. For Nate, the content is an extension of the mission: the more people understand what is happening in security, the safer everyone gets.
He joined TechStep in February 2026 because he saw an organization doing what he had spent his career preparing for — building a real pathway for emerging professionals while protecting the communities that need it most. At TechStep, Nate serves as the practitioner anchor of the clinic model — the person who ensures that every engagement is technically sound, every deliverable is credible, and every emerging professional in the program is growing into someone the field can count on. His approach is grounded in a simple truth he learned from his own journey: success in cybersecurity is not just about technical skill. It is about mindset, strategy, and someone believing in you before you fully believe in yourself. A pivotal moment in his own career came when someone helped him see that opportunity had been unfolding in a direction he wasn't looking. Now he makes sure the people around him never miss theirs.
Julia DeMaio joined TechStep in February 2026 as an intern. By the time her internship ended, she had been promoted to Program Manager — a reflection of the work she put in and the results she delivered.
She is currently pursuing a degree in Digital Criminology at Purdue University, a field built around understanding how crime has moved online and what it takes to respond. That sense of purpose is what drew her to TechStep.
In her role, Julia works directly with vice presidents, deans, and faculty at partner universities to build and sustain the academic relationships that bring emerging talent into the clinic. She manages the intake process end to end, making sure new participants are matched to the right engagements and set up to contribute from day one.
Her long-term goal is a career with the FBI focused on cybercrime — and the way she works at TechStep, building trust, managing relationships, staying organized under pressure, already points in that direction.
Emiliia Soloviova came to the United States on scholarship after the war in Ukraine, and brought her drive with her. She holds a degree in Business Administration and Management from D'Youville University, with a focus on marketing and communications — fields she did not just study but genuinely loves.
She joined TechStep in January 2026 and has been managing the foundation's digital presence ever since, creating content across Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn that explains who TechStep is, what it does, and why it matters. When TechStep launched its AI-driven risk assessment tool, Emiliia translated a complex product into content that people could actually understand and engage with. Beyond marketing, she supports recruiting and talent sourcing, helping identify the emerging professionals who come through the clinic.
What stands out about Emiliia is not just the output — it is how she works. She listens carefully, understands exactly what is needed, and delivers it. Fluent in Ukrainian, Russian, and English, she brings a reach and perspective that TechStep looks forward to putting to fuller use.
Meet our Summer 2026 interns — emerging professionals building real skills through real work.
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Sylvia is a J.D. Candidate at Boston University School of Law, Class of 2028, with a background that spans legal research, policy analysis, and international institutional governance, including work with the United Nations Department of Peace Operations and UNESCO ICEE. That breadth is not accidental. It reflects someone who has consistently sought out environments where law meets real-world accountability.
At TechStep, Sylvia supports the legal and compliance infrastructure that allows the organization to operate with integrity and scale with confidence. Her work spans legal research, regulatory compliance tracking, governance documentation, and records management — the foundational work that keeps a growing nonprofit audit-ready, accountable, and positioned to earn the trust of the communities it serves. She is building toward a career at the intersection of law, compliance, and nonprofit governance — and at TechStep, she is already doing that work.
Adam Maaz founded TechStep and serves on its Board of Directors as Founder and Executive Director. He established the board to ensure the organization grows with the structure, accountability, and strategic oversight that the communities it serves deserve.
Dr. Joellen Jarrett serves on TechStep's board as Chair of Education and Academia. She joined in April 2026 because her passion for developing people and strengthening organizations aligns closely with TechStep's mission — and because she recognized in the foundation exactly the kind of work she has spent her career building toward.
She brings more than 35 years of leadership experience across public, private, and nonprofit organizations, with a background spanning organizational strategy, leadership and workforce development, operations, and cross-functional collaboration. Her federal career includes experience with the National Security Agency, the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Small Business Administration.
Joellen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Master of Science in Management, and a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus. In her board role, she contributes strategic insight, thoughtful governance, and a strong commitment to education, organizational effectiveness, and TechStep's growth as it works to build confident cybersecurity talent and protect communities that need it most.
We are actively looking for passionate board members to help guide our mission. If you are interested in serving on the TechStep Foundation Board of Directors, please submit your resume and a brief introduction to [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!