Erik Pennebaker brings more than 15 years of experience in systems engineering, Web hosting, computer programming, and systems and network administration to Democracy Engine. His experience with large-scale contribution processing, combined with his intimate understanding of complex data management for bundling operations, make him uniquely qualified to lead Democracy Engine’s technical development efforts.
Pennebaker’s deep commitment to progressive politics and unparalleled knowledge of Web-based fundraising systems have combined to fuel his success working on a number of groundbreaking national political campaigns, including Hillary Clinton’s campaigns for Senate and president. During the 2008 election cycle, the system he created for then-Sen. Clinton was the online heart of her more than $221 million fundraising effort.
After providing Web-based fundraising support for Sen. John Kerry’s 2004 presidential bid, Pennebaker acted as lead developer on a contribution system that powered online donations to several 2006 Senate campaigns. He also oversaw Sen. Kerry’s multimillion dollar bundling operation for various Democratic candidates.
Currently, Pennebaker offers a variety of online fundraising services and technical support through his Wet Gecko Project. His clients include former Vice President Al Gore, for whom he manages a national Web site, as well as progressive grassroots organizations of varying sizes. Pennebaker’s experience with Wet Gecko further underscores his proven track record in building scalable and reliable software for organizations of any size.
Pennebaker earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign’s College of Engineering.
