A Peace Corps for Geeks

Jennifer Pahlka, a charismatic 43-year-old Yale grad from Maryland, is the founder and executive director of Code for America. She is photographed in her office in San Francisco.  (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

Code for America staffers Cris Cristina, standing at left, and Aakash Desai discuss a civic engagement opportunity for the city of Oakland, while Catherine Bracy, sitting at left, and Hadley Dynak work on their laptops.  (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

Ariel Kennan of Code for America’s Kansas City team works at the nonprofit’s office in San Francisco. The group condensed its improbable mission down to a few words in its recent annual report: use technology to make government “simple, beautiful, easy to use.”  (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

At Code for America’s San Francisco office, team New York does research and preparation to build the first prototype of an app for the criminal justice system in New York City.  (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

An engaging, open work space describes the San Francisco office of Code for America, where people are encouraged to bring whatever they need to have a productive work environment.  (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

Code for America 2013 fellows pitch their projects for group feedback based on their month-long research in their cities. The team pictured is from Louisville.  (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

The teams return to Code for America’s San Francisco office to brainstorm on ideas for helping fix the local governments they have been embedded with for a month.  (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

A pedestrian walks by the Code for America building in San Francisco. The White House has noticed the organization’s triumphs.   (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)