Our Story
Founded in 2013, Skyward started with a goal of delivering nuanced and stress-free approach to the ever-changing landscape of the agile software development lifecycle. As our partners' needs have evolved, so have we, expanding into Human-Centered Design and establishing AI/ML Practice. We are dedicated to delivering exceptional results for Federal and private customers, leveraging our expertise in ethical AI development to benefit the American public.
While growing Onward, Upward, Skyward alongside our partners, our formula for success remains unchanged: a meticulous approach to planning, implementation, and maintenance, driven by high standards, technical ingenuity, collaboration, and a touch of empathy.
Our Values
Our core principles are rooted in integrity and accountability, ensuring every action is purposeful and aligned with our mission. Driven by a dedication to making a meaningful difference, our approach is grounded in a steadfast commitment to our team, customers, and the innovative solutions we deliver.
Authentic
Compassionate
Inquisitive
Unconventional
Passionate
Our Team
Dmitry Yun
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Dmitry Yun founded Skyward in 2013 with a vision to revolutionize federal IT contracting and civic technology. His mission centers on collaborating closely with government agencies, industry partners, and the community to drive positive change.
Unlike traditional approaches that guard technology as proprietary, Dmitry established Skyward to share its expertise openly, enabling the government to leverage these resources for societal benefit.
Committed to fostering an exemplary, close-knit community, he emphasizes transparency, empathy, accountability, and continuous improvement, striving to deliver innovative and effective public sector solutions.
Unlike traditional approaches that guard technology as proprietary, Dmitry established Skyward to share its expertise openly, enabling the government to leverage these resources for societal benefit.
Committed to fostering an exemplary, close-knit community, he emphasizes transparency, empathy, accountability, and continuous improvement, striving to deliver innovative and effective public sector solutions.
Paul Batkhan
Chief Information Officer
Paul Batkhan, as Skyward's CIO and a seasoned GWAC Program Manager, brings over twenty years of innovative IT expertise and leadership to the forefront of organizational strategy. His experience spans program management, budgeting, IT service management, strategic planning, cloud migration, and process enhancement.
At Skyward, Paul oversees the development of structured processes to boost technical solutions and operational effectiveness, ensuring secure and successful delivery for government agencies. He also spearheads organizational strategies and partnerships that drive modernization and expand technological capabilities, accelerating company growth.
Vitaliy Baklikov
Chief Technology Officer
Vitaliy Baklikov is a results-driven tech leader with 15 years of experience in enterprise and systems architecture, leveraging modern data stack toolsets. As a proven data strategist, he has led significant data-led transformations, data monetization, and governance programs, with deep expertise in optimizing data processing systems, data quality lifecycles, and complex reporting ecosystems.
With expert-level knowledge of the AWS ecosystem, particularly in data processing and governance, Vitaliy serves as Skyward's CTO and Head of Engineering. He oversees the architecture and delivery of projects, leading a team of Solution Architects, Platform Engineers, SREs, DevOps Engineers, and ML Engineers.
As Head of Data Practice, he directs Skyward’s Best Practices, Engineering, and Advanced Analytics Centers of Excellence, holding ultimate responsibility for cloud and big data architecture across AWS, GCP, and Azure, as well as partnerships and vendor management in the data space. His work has earned recognition across all geographies and is featured in the Harvard Business Review.
Karen Hrubiak
Chief Operating Officer
Karen Hrubiak brings a wealth of experience in business development, strategic growth, and operational leadership. With a proven track record in both the public and private sectors, Karen previously held the role of Vice President of Business Development at GuideWell Source and served as a Principal/Director at Booz Allen Hamilton. Her expertise includes spearheading initiatives to identify new business opportunities, driving company growth, and leading transformative projects.
Karen holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Psychology and Political Science from Loyola College and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Her strategic acumen and dynamic leadership have been instrumental in guiding Skyward IT Solutions through various phases of growth and operational excellence since joining the team in February 2022.
Karen holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Psychology and Political Science from Loyola College and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Her strategic acumen and dynamic leadership have been instrumental in guiding Skyward IT Solutions through various phases of growth and operational excellence since joining the team in February 2022.
Kevin McTigue
Vice President of Growth
Kevin McTigue is a seasoned leader in public sector innovation, currently serving as the Vice President for Strategy and Growth at Skyward IT Solutions. His extensive background includes pivotal roles at Thoughtworks, Agile Six, and Deloitte, and he began his federal journey as a Presidential Management Fellow at NIH (NCI) before moving to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the CTO. There, he advised on innovation strategy and organizational transformation for a workforce of 70,000 professionals.
Kevin is experienced in guiding executives on national partnerships, liaising with The White House, and strategic planning that aligns social mission with business values. His insights have been featured in the Harvard Business Review and the Wall Street Journal.
Kevin is experienced in guiding executives on national partnerships, liaising with The White House, and strategic planning that aligns social mission with business values. His insights have been featured in the Harvard Business Review and the Wall Street Journal.
Drew Hynes
Head of Delivery &
Customer Experience
Drew Hynes is a certified Agile Coach, Project Manager, and Agile Scrum Master with over 20 years of experience in program and product management within the Government Health IT industry. His career highlights include leading a team of 19 developers, designers, and research staff in the modernization of CMS claims processing systems under the Medicare Payment System Modernization (MPSM) program. Drew has 12 years dedicated to systems modernization, where he has successfully directed cross-functional teams to enhance business operations, boost client satisfaction, and elevate organizational performance.
Known for his superior interpersonal and communication skills, Drew effectively engages with all organizational levels. As the Program Director for the MPSM Program and Pricing and Coding Services contracts, he spearheaded the transition of CMS' Pricers from mainframe to AWS, transitioned code from COBOL to Java, and managed the development of a modernization roadmap for Web Pricers and Pricer APIs, including CI/CD pipeline oversight.
He also developed quarterly Program Increment plans coordinating multiple Application Development Organizations (ADOs) to ensure synchronized feature development and dependency management
Known for his superior interpersonal and communication skills, Drew effectively engages with all organizational levels. As the Program Director for the MPSM Program and Pricing and Coding Services contracts, he spearheaded the transition of CMS' Pricers from mainframe to AWS, transitioned code from COBOL to Java, and managed the development of a modernization roadmap for Web Pricers and Pricer APIs, including CI/CD pipeline oversight.
He also developed quarterly Program Increment plans coordinating multiple Application Development Organizations (ADOs) to ensure synchronized feature development and dependency management
Masha Klyuchko
Head of People Operations
Masha Klyuchko is a results-oriented HR Professional with 10 years of experience in the private business and federal contracting arena, aiming to leverage her proven knowledge of HR management, HR planning, employment, talent and performance management, compensation and benefits, as well as employee and labor relations.
As Skyward’s Head of People Operations, she is responsible for HR strategic planning and operations, including, but not limited to, improving HR practices, talent planning, learning and development, employee relations and engagement, leadership, and strategy.
As Skyward’s Head of People Operations, she is responsible for HR strategic planning and operations, including, but not limited to, improving HR practices, talent planning, learning and development, employee relations and engagement, leadership, and strategy.
Stephanie von Rueden
Head of Talent
Acquisition & Strategy
Early in her career, Stephanie von Rueden played a crucial role in a hospital's organizational transformation, spearheading initiatives to enhance culture and create an unparalleled patient experience. From there, she started her career in government contracting as a Program Manager supporting the FDA. Her responsibilities ranged from providing cutting-edge IT security support to ensuring the contract remained 100% staffed through active recruitment efforts.
When she left the FDA to support CMS, she was part of a group facilitating the transition from waterfall development to the agile landscape. When that wasn't enough of a challenge, she pivoted into recruiting; a seamless transition as she stayed in the government contracting space.
Stephanie matches talent with opportunity, ensuring the assembly of high-performing teams capable of tackling complex challenges head-on. Whether in healthcare or government contracting, she brings a unique blend of leadership, strategic vision, and hands-on experience.
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