This article seems to be pushing Martini, which at first glance looks interesting (though it doesn't appear to have been mentioned on the mailing list even once, so there may be some boosting involved).
There is Revel, but it seems to be getting a bad rap ("non-idiomatic" label used as a stick).
Check the mailing list for this. There wasn't a large amount of discussion about mobile options when I last checked, but one solution seems to be what you've already listed above: Phonegap/Cordova.
Cheating a bit since I didn't read the article, but having been in and out of that world for a number of years, there were always certain types of clients who didn't want to hire a company--they only wanted to deal with individuals, for reasons stated or unstated.
From a different perspective, has anyone ever taken the time to read local health department restaurant inspection reports (if available)?
I assume most people here eat at restaurants without too much concern, but if you ever read the reports, you'll find experienced industry professionals cited for far worse infractions than these.
If I went into an interview and asked why they chose a document-oriented database, and that one in particular, think I'd be popular? (I like to play with new techologies, too, but it seems odd to see it mentioned as a requirement.)
Have you tried any of the freelance sites (oDesk, Elance, Guru, etc.)?
My two concerns would be the rate and the amount of time it takes to become somewhat established on these sites, but I believe some flexibility on the rate--which wouldn't seem unreasonable given the situation you describe--could help there (and my understanding is that some developers can raise their rates there to something approaching professional levels, with experience).
It's very on-topic, and used to be HN's sweet spot.