Mark your calendars: South Florida's Civic Hacking Day is Sept. 17

By Riley Kaminer

Can the powers of tech be harnessed for good? Increasingly, South Florida technologists think so.

Our region’s GovTech prowess will be on full display Sept. 17 at Fort Lauderdale coworking space General Provision. This will be South Florida’s celebration of the National Day of Civic Hacking, bringing together local techies to work on projects tackling some of our thorniest public problems.

There are several tracks for participants to follow on the day, including disaster response and climate resilience. Each track will include partners from a mix of government and industry. The event is not a typical hackathon-style competition. Quite the opposite, in fact: the main goal is to inspire people in our local tech scene to come together and use their powers for public good.

The event will also feature a few panel discussions. This includes a panel with local mayors and a conversation with Holly Borgmann, vice president of government affairs at Boca Raton-based home security corporation ADT. Organizers predict a turnout of around 75 technology professionals, government leaders, and community members.

Joseph Russo, founder of West Palm Beach-based disaster response startup Emergency Ventures, is one of the event’s organizers. Russo told Refresh Miami that he hopes the event will “give people a crash course in civic tech, and learn how technology can make a difference in our community.”

For Russo, opportunities in the government-focused tech space abound. “Over the last several decades, the federal government has adopted the view that the private sector fuels progress for government efficiency.” He noted that it’s getting easier for startups to break into public procurement processes as well.

South Florida in particular is showing promise as a burgeoning hub for civic tech, asserted Russo, highlighting that Boca Raton has recently hired a full-time innovation strategist.

Of course, there is still an acute need for tech solutions in the public sector. “It’s not just about how we adopt technology, but how we rethink how we do things, and maybe bring a private sector mentality to the departments that need it,” said Russo.

From administrative processes to healthcare, Russo said that the government is still catching up to the private sector. In his estimation, this event will showcase the ability of civic tech hackers to make progress and bring new ideas to government.

“It’s almost like government is a bubble in itself,” said Russo. “And by working together with the stakeholders in those environments, we can pop that bubble and bring innovation and progress to the people that are leading our communities.”

Alongside Russo in organizing this event is Code for South Florida, the local chapter of Code for America. This organization promotes civic innovation for public interest technology across various verticals, including civic engagement, smart cities, and digital transformation.

“Code for South Florida is always excited to be able to curate opportunities for local tech talent to collaborate with social impact nonprofits to solve the mission critical obstacles that our local organizations face when servicing our communities,” Code for South Florida director Whitney Lubin commented.

“I’m looking forward to facilitating these conversations and providing the stage for our local social impact leaders who do so much with so little to get the support they need,” Lubin continued. “This is what National Day of Civic Hacking is all about, and I think the FTL-MIA region is uniquely positioned to set an example for the rest of the nation on how to inclusively civic hack in partnership with your community.”

Code for South Florida Director Whitney Lubin

Are you interested in taking part in this Civic Hacking event? Learn more and sign up here.

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Riley Kaminer

I am a Miami-based technology researcher and writer with a passion for sharing stories about the South Florida tech ecosystem. I particularly enjoy learning about GovTech startups, cutting-edge applications of artificial intelligence, and innovators that leverage technology to transform society for the better. Always open for pitches via Twitter @rileywk or www.RileyKaminer.com.