Joshua Penner ran a city, wrote the laws, and builds the tech.
I spent my career on the government side of the table. I was the mayor of Orting, WA for 8 years, and I serve in the Washington State Legislature. I have been the person a vendor is trying to win, and the person saying no.
I also build. I am the founder and CEO of a GovTech company that turns messy public records into clean, structured data. I know what it is like to sell into government from the outside, not just judge it from the inside.
I hold the Certified Municipal Leader - Advanced credential from the Association of Washington Cities, served on the National League of Cities AI Advisory committee, and served on the Association of WA Cities Board of Directors.
Courses
Multi-day, guided programs to get real results
Lightning Lessons
Free, interactive sessions to explore new topics
The AI Policy Every Local Gov Needs Before It's a Headline
The AI Policy Every Local Gov Needs Before It's a Headline
Why Government Said No to Your Great GovTech Products
Services
Executive Advisory for Public Leaders
A 60-minute coaching session for public executives on leading under real political and operational risk.
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Founder Advisory: Selling Into Government
Ongoing 1:1 advisory for govtech founders and sales leaders. The buyer who said no, in your corner on your live deals.
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Government Deal Teardown
Bring one stalled government deal. In 90 minutes the buyer who said no shows you where it died and what would move it.
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Resources
The Deal Teardown Skill: Read Your Proposal Like the Buyer
Paste your govtech proposal. The skill red-teams it from the government buyer's chair and shows you where it dies.
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The Government Buyer Pitch Review (Free)
Run your pitch through the six questions a government buyer silently asks. Free, from a former mayor.
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The Pre-Mortem Skill: Engineer Failure on a Quiet Tuesday
My Resilience Scaffold method as an AI skill. Assume the project already failed, then engineer the fix before it does.
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