The founders of Mapkist met in 2004 during a summer internship at MapQuest; while there, they exchanged ideas and developed creative strategies and techniques. Since then they have had diverse careers in geospatial communication and technology working for organizations such as Discovery Communications, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Dewberry, and the Commission for Environmental Cooperation.
Through the years they maintained a dialogue concerning changing technology and its subsequent implications for the modern user. After a combined twelve years experience in the field of Geographic Information Science, they decided to start offering their expertise and services through Mapkist.
Kumiko's professional career is an impressive mix of modern interactive web based neogeography and traditional cartography. She has a firm understanding of GIS and design principles and implements them effectively through geovisualizations in a variety of formats. Her efforts at Mapkist have produced an award-winning application for the District of Columbia and she can often be found reading up on all the latest technologies that may or may not relate to designing her next cartographic challenge.
Kumiko's favorite TV shows are The X-Files and Firefly. She can also recite verbatim one of her favorite movies: Spaceballs.
email: kyamazaki@mapkist.com
Currently a PhD student at Simon Fraser University, Britta's studies in the semantic web, spatial data infrastructures and ubiquitous gaming, has taken her to developing countries such as Guatemala and Barbados. Through her travels, she has established an understanding of the benefits of the geospatial web for sustainable development. She is passionate about reducing our ecological footprint and is currently working with British Columbia Green Schools investigating the use of location-aware devices for environmental learning.
Britta loves pumpkins.
email: bricker@mapkist.com
Kumiko Yamazaki: kyamazaki@mapkist.com