Public Health Practitioners Who Became Consultants
We're former epidemiologists, health directors, and informaticists who've sat in your seat. We understand your constraints because we've lived them. Woman-owned. 8(a) certified.
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People First We put your team's needs at the center
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Capacity Building Building your team's skills, not dependence
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Scientific Rigor Evidence-based approaches, always
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By Public Health, For Public Health We've lived your reality
Help Public Health Departments Thrive
We exist to help public health departments succeed with technology that actually works for government.
That means solutions that fit your budget cycles, survive leadership changes, and don't require hiring three new staff to maintain.
How We Got Here
F&T Labs was founded in 2018, but it came into its current form during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nebu and Jefferson connected while both were building Salesforce solutions for their respective county health departments—Jefferson engineering AllVax to distribute vaccines to 700,000 Lake County residents, Nebu transforming St. Louis County's disease surveillance to handle 500+ weekly cases.
They started sharing stories and quickly realized they shared the same frustration: too many vendors didn't understand public health realities.
We've been the CIO trying to modernize legacy systems with no budget. We've been the director explaining to the board why that software project went sideways. We've been the analyst pulling reports from five systems that don't talk to each other.
We built F&T Labs because we knew there had to be a better way—consultants who speak your language because they've lived your challenges.
Read the full PH360 story →
Meet Our Leaders
Juliana leads product strategy for PH360 and oversees F&T Labs' operations and service delivery. A mom to two kids, she's passionate about parenting out loud and believes being a mom is her best job title. She speaks at conferences nationwide on AI implementation in public health.
Former public health CIO with deep experience in health informatics and government technology. Jefferson ensures F&T Labs delivers on its commitments and maintains the operational excellence our clients depend on.
Previously at St. Louis County Department of Public Health, Nebu brings deep experience in public health operations and technology implementation. He leads F&T Labs' growth strategy and client relationships.
Certifications & Recognition
Our Values
People First
We put your team's needs at the center of every engagement. Technology serves people, not the other way around.
Capacity Building
Our goal is to build your team's skills and independence, not create dependence on consultants.
Scientific Rigor
We bring evidence-based approaches to everything we do. Public health deserves the same rigor in its operations.
By Public Health, For Public Health
We've lived your reality. We understand your constraints because we've sat in your seat.
About F&T Labs
What makes F&T Labs different from other consultants?
We're public health practitioners first. Our team includes former epidemiologists, health directors, CIOs, and informaticists who've worked inside health departments. We don't just understand public health constraints theoretically—we've lived them. We've managed disease outbreaks, built data systems, navigated grant requirements, and presented to boards of health. This experience shapes everything we do.
What does 8(a) certified mean?
8(a) certification is a Small Business Administration program for small disadvantaged businesses. It provides access to sole-source contracts with federal agencies and preferential consideration in competitive procurements. For health departments, working with an 8(a) certified firm can simplify procurement and demonstrate commitment to supplier diversity. F&T Labs is both 8(a) certified and woman-owned (WOSB).
What services does F&T Labs provide?
We focus on four areas: (1) AI implementation and governance for public health; (2) Custom software development including PH360, our Salesforce-based platform for health departments; (3) Training and workforce development, from AI literacy to executive coaching; (4) Strategic consulting including community health assessments, PHAB accreditation support, and data governance. All our work follows our capacity-building philosophy—we aim to strengthen your team, not create dependence.
Do you work with local, state, and federal health agencies?
Yes. We work with local health departments of all sizes, state health agencies, tribal health organizations, and federal partners including CDC. Our team's experience spans county health departments, state agencies, and national public health organizations. We understand the unique constraints and opportunities at each level of the public health system.
What is your capacity building approach?
We believe consultants should strengthen your team's capabilities, not create dependence. Every engagement is designed to build internal capacity: we document processes so your team can maintain them, include training so staff can evolve solutions, and structure work so knowledge transfers to your organization. When we leave, you should be more capable than when we arrived.
Where is F&T Labs located?
F&T Labs is headquartered in Grayslake, Illinois, but we work with health departments nationwide. Most of our engagements include a mix of remote work and on-site visits. For training and workshops, we regularly travel to client locations. Our team members are distributed across multiple time zones to better serve clients throughout the country.
Let's Talk
We'd love to learn about your department and see if we can help.
Schedule a Conversation →