Meet the Team: Matt Sandstrom
Matt is BlueConduit’s Director, Public Sector Strategy & Development. Here’s a quick Q&A with Matt.
Why did you join BlueConduit?
I joined BlueConduit because it is a very exciting company. The Flint story is a compelling one, and I knew about Eric and Jake’s work in Flint which is about an hour away from my home in Ann Arbor. It was really fascinating to learn about the role of data science in solving Flint’s lead pipe issues and when I learned more about BlueConduit I realized this is something that scales nationwide. I thought I might be able to help with state and federal work, and drive new initiatives for communities all over the nation. Bottom line, it’s super exciting to work at an AI company that’s doing really important work for our water systems.
What professional experience and expertise do you bring to BlueConduit?
I was in the middle of reviewing several State Transportation Plans for the Joint office of Energy and Transportation when I began interviewing for this position. BlueConduit’s team welcomed this experience because the work fell under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which also funds lead service line inventory and replacement. For most of the past decade, I’ve worked as a consultant or managed transportation infrastructure projects that were often funded through federal programs. It seems there is a good bridge between transportation funding and lead service line funding, in terms of how the bills are structured. Having a good understanding of federal funding and finance for infrastructure projects definitely helps a lot in this job, but I still have so much more to learn about our work.
What does a day in the life of BlueConduit’s Director, Public Sector Strategy & Development look like?
I haven’t been with BlueConduit long enough to develop any regular cadence to my work yet. However, the BlueConduit team is incredible to work with and we pull together to bring exceptional value to our customers every day. Our engineering team is creating outstanding tools to help water systems identify lead service lines, and the entire team is absolutely committed and passionate for the value we deliver. I work for a great team that ensures we match our solutions to the needs of public water systems throughout the U.S.
What work accomplishments are you most proud of and what goals have you prioritized for this year?
I want our team to secure contracts with the top twenty states with lead service line challenges, positioning BlueConduit as the leading provider of data science solutions to address the problem. That would be a home run for us—twenty states and twenty state contracts this year.
How do you spend your time outside of work?
Outside! My latest hobby is ski mountaineering. The last couple of years I’ve gone up to Oregon and climbed Mt. Hood and the Three Sisters (A trio of volcanic peaks) with a mountain guide. The sport is pushing me to learn new skills and getting me way out of my comfort zone! I also spend a lot of time on a road bike or mountain bike, but the mountain bike is probably my preference. And I have a family I’m deeply involved in. A 13 year old and a 10 year old—they’re my world. I try to spend as much time as I can with them everyday.
