Recap: Tech and Government | Hosted by General Assembly

Host: Ryan Fennerty, Business Development, General Assembly

Panelists: Alisia McClain, Director of Community and Education, Microsoft Future of Work Initiative | Clark Cahoon, Technology & Innovation Advisory, Salt Lake City Corp. | Malcom Glenn, Director of Public Affairs, Better.com | Reilly Zlab, Department of Innovation & Technology, City of Boston | Spencer Lucker, Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development, City of Detroit

Prompt: Why are so many cities focused on building tech ecosystems?

Alisia: In Louisville, we want to train people to harness the power of technology instead of being overcome by it. In order for all of us to succeed, we need to change the paradigm around who goes into tech. And we need the tech sector to recognize the value in a diverse workforce.

Spencer: Over 90% of Detroit’s population is not white. If we are going to grow a more diverse and equitable tech sector, we have to invest in the Detroit residents.

Malcom: Many technological advancements to date (ones that are transformative, equity-based, large scale) took place in cities. There’s an opportunity for tech to grow in cities and to help local governments tackle big issues like climate change.

Clark: Salt Lake City has a new mayor who takes technology really seriously. She’s engaged with the local trade association to find out how to share opportunities in communities.

Reilly: Omaha, Nebraska is really catching it’s stride. It is slowly forming a ‘Silicon Prairie’ … many are spinning up headquarters there.

Prompt: What is your city’s strategy to create a more thriving tech sector?

Clark: We are focusing on public-private partnerships. We can get the best outcomes by working with private companies who have core competencies that we may need. We are also working on initiatives for higher education and with the trade associations. We are building 6–12 month programs to get people plugged into the healthcare and biotech industries. Across the board, we are elevating the conversation about this space for those who are not aware of opportunities.

Alisia: It’s about flexibility and understanding how to play to your strengths. We are 100% a work in progress and constantly iterating. We are trying to learn and be receptive to what other cities are doing. Diversity and equity in technology is not an easy task. It takes massive collaborations across cities.

Prompt: What is a good example of a public-private partnership between a city and a technology company?

Reilly: In Boston, we have a partnership with GA. We don’t have a dedicated UX designer for our team, but we are a part of their immersive UX design course. We are a cohort project for the students and they help us with our UX needs. We are able to move projects along faster because of this.

Malcom: From the private side, I think it’s about approaching the city and asking: Can we help solve problems? What do we do as a company (or platform) and is there any consistency with the problem to solve? Can we come up with a mutually beneficial solution? How can we forge true, thoughtful, longterm relationships (vs. leading with a sales pitch)?

A good example: while I was working at Uber, we built a partnership around paratransit in Boston. We leveraged our platform to offer subsidized rides for folks who were part of the paratransit program (with disabilities). We also worked with the city to build more vehicles that could accommodate wheelchairs.

Prompt: What are some other best practices related to forming public-private partnerships?

Spencer: We (on the public side) are excited if a potential private partner has a team that understands granularly what is needed by our residents. They are not just trying to fit their product into our community, they want to work together to do what is best for the city.

Prompt: How can people get involved in civic-tech?

Alisia: I was not on a track to pursue a career in technology, but I think technology has a really bright future. No matter where your interest lies, there’s a component of technology. Technology and AI are going to impact any career that you go into. There’s something for everyone in this sphere. Technology has the power to change the world — with new things like civic-tech and private-public partnerships, where people are working together to use technology to make cities better. It’s creative and open minded. There is so much design, creative problem solving, pattern recognition, and critical thinking. It’s a wide open field and it needs more of everybody in it.

Spencer: I went to school to be a foreign diplomat, then pivoted to domestic work. I spent majority of the past decade working in community and economic development in the rural south. I landed in Detroit a few years ago. I saw similar gaps in the rural south and urban Detroit. Mainly around technology — digital tools, skills, accessing services. Nearly 1/3 of our households don’t have internet or computers. There is also a lot of fear that automation will leave people behind.

In Jan 2021, we are launching Connect 313 (connect313.org). It is a decentralized convening of people interested in increasing digital inclusion in Detroit. It’s an organization of folks from grassroots residents to C-suite leaders of tech companies to philanthropists. It is about getting everybody at the same table to identify what Detroit residents need to do to be a part of the tech revolution and access opportunities within technology.

Reilly: I started as a project manager in the city of Boston. Project management and other roles are available at the city, state, county, and federal level. The new presidential administration may also present opportunities. They are committed to technology. They are forming an organization called the United States of Technologists. The goal is (over the next four years) to infuse 10K+ technologists into the government. Check out the digital service coalitions as well!

Malcom: I have never worked in government, but I’ve worked in policy adjacent spaces. I really value civic engagement. I got an opportunity to move to San Francisco and work at Google a few years ago. While I was there, I saw a truly remarkable juxtaposition of tech and wealth, alongside poverty and homelessness… I targeted my work at Google (and continue to at other companies) towards equity and communities. I believe we need people in these institutions pushing for these things. I also think there should be more passage between public and private spheres. I would love a revolving door from tech and government.

Prompt: What are the most important initiatives in your city related to tech?

Alisia: Everyone really came together in the wake of COVID-19. We (Microsoft) formed a partnership between Humana, the City of Louisville, University of Louisville, General Assembly, and a few others to create the ‘COVID-19 Upskill initiative’. The first part was a laptop giveaway and people were able to take self-led courses through GA (some for free). The second part was offering instructor-led courses / half day workshops through GA. The third part was offering an intensive upskilling training (a 10 week part time course). That level of partnership was unheard of in that city.

Spencer: Civic-tech became more relevant in Detroit when COVID-19 hit. We realized our education and workforce were not ready to move online. As a response private, public, and philanthropic organizations came together to raise $23M for an initiative called Connective Futures. Connective Futures ensured every Detroit public school student had a laptop, every household had free internet access for 6 months, and IT support was available.

Clark: We have something called the pathways program. A few biotech companies pledged to pay employees to go to classes (K-12) and teach STEM related activities. I am excited to get that moving.