danielhonker
commented
8 years ago Great to see your submission after chatting a few months ago, @deirdrewalsh! I added some tags.
Open deirdrewalsh opened 8 years ago
danielhonker
commented
8 years ago Great to see your submission after chatting a few months ago, @deirdrewalsh! I added some tags.
danielhonker
commented
8 years ago You're in, @deirdrewalsh! We invite you to pitch your project at the 2016 ATX Hack for Change.
Now that your project has been approved, here are some things we suggest you do next: https://github.com/atxhack4change/2016-project-proposals#once-your-project-is-accepted-here-are-some-things-we-suggest-you-do-next
You will receive an email shortly regarding you speaking slot for the Saturday morning pitches. Please let us know if you will no longer be able to champion your project at the hackathon.
danielhonker
commented
8 years ago @deirdrewalsh - Looks like you've already joined the slack team. The channel for your project is #bigdata4giving. We'll be sending out an email with details on pitches soon.
deirdrewalsh
commented
8 years ago @danielhonker I am so excited about this weekend!
Short description of the idea (140 character tweet):
Help Build a Map that Enables Austinites to make Corporate Giving Decisions Based on Big Data
What is your project concept or idea? What challenge or opportunity will it solve?
As technology advances and our lives become increasingly digital, we have a huge opportunity to use big data to make corporate and civic giving decisions. Specifically, I would like help Austin build a "good neighbor" program.
This initiative starts by leveraging open APIs and data to create a map that Austinites, businesses and non-profits can use to identify the greatest needs by zip code. For example, I have a friend who owns a small business in East Austin. She often gets approached by different groups wanting her to donate money or get involved in volunteer programs. If this map existed, she could use it to make giving decisions based on localized data. Does her neighborhood need more housing for single mothers? If so, she could donate to Green Doors. Or does her neighborhood struggle with STEM education? If so, she could host a Code.org workshop. Right now, she gives money and time based on guesses and passions. A good neighbor map would help her base her corporate citizenship efforts on factual information and data.
Eventually, I would like to build on this and have a system for recognizing businesses that give back. Today, businesses get window stickers for having good Yelp scores or receiving Michelin stars. It would be great for the community to visibly see what organizations are empowering local communities through good service initiatives. The inspiration for this sticker is a red sweater, just like the one Mr. Rodgers used to wear.
Who will benefit from your project? Describe the humans at the center of the problem - who are they?
1) Corporate Giving Decision Makers at Local Businesses: In order for business decision makers to understand how to best contribute to their community, they must first understand the challenges and possibilities of the region. For example, they might be wondering: what’s more beneficial sponsoring a youth football league or providing space for an blood drive? A real-time map of Austin that visualizes a diverse set of data sources can give them better information to make that decision.
2) Non-Profit Fundraisers and Program Leaders: Several non-profits I spoke with said that they would like to have access to opportunity mapping in order to make program and funding decisions.
3) Local Officials: The city and state could easy visualize areas off opportunity and need in order to make policy decisions. The map will have information from a number of data sources and could be sliced in a variety of ways.
4) Most importantly, AUSTINITES! The local community can benefit from the services and informed decisions of the groups above AND can make their own data-driven contributions to the community. Anyone can look on the map and see where they can match their skills to the greatest needs.
Do you have photos of them? Or quotes?
I've interviewed more than a dozen Austinites that represent the four demographics described. All have been supportive of the initiative. Additionally, if it gets approved, there is a good chance I can get free software donated from a big data company to make the project a reality.
Issue area(s) relevant to your project idea:
This project can map data points across a variety of these areas.
*A key to the success of this initiative is to use data that is unbiased. So anything is possible but it has to be vetted. For the purposes of the Hackathon, I would pick one of these areas (open to feedback from my teammates) to test it out.
What is the current state of your project idea?
I have proposed this project idea to Megan Smith, the Chief Technology Officer of the United States, as part of my White House LGBTQ Tech and Innovation Fellowship. Now, I am excited to work with some smart people that are passionate about big data and visualization to help close the opportunity gaps in Austin, empower local business to make smart giving decisions, and enable local non-profits to take advantage of real-time information.
Tell us more about the current state of your project idea.
I have a clear vision and passion to work with others to make it a reality.
Do you have any links to news articles, text, mockups, code, or data?
Here is an overview of my idea: http://www.slideshare.net/deirdrewalsh/red-sweater-society-weaving-together-gaps-caused-by-gentrification.
Tell us about yourself.
I'm an award-winning marketer with 15+ years experience in leadership roles at technology companies. Currently, I'm the director of corporate marketing at Silicon Labs, which provides energy-friendly silicon and software for a smarter, more connected world. I'm obsessed with creating innovative campaigns that measurably impact the 4Rs: reputation, reach, relationships, and revenue. Formerly, I served as the Director of Digital Marketing at Jive Software, which brings the innovation of the consumer web to the enterprise. I have also worked with amazing organizations including National Instruments, Hill & Knowlton, and the Texas Senate. I have been published in several outlets, including the Harvard Business Review and Wall Street Journal; have been a featured speaker at events like SXSW, American Marketing Association, and Gartner; and I'm currently a White House LGBTQ Tech & Innovation Fellow. I graduated with a bachelor of science in public relations and minors in business and English from The University of Texas. I love geeking out about the Internet of Things, travel, photography, food, live music, and sports. I've lived in Austin since 1997, and now happy to call Hyde Park home with my wife and our two dogs. Most recently, I was proud to meet Mayor Adler after fundraising $10k in 10 days for the Hillary Clinton campaign event he hosted.
What is your background? Why is this challenge important to you?
As a kid, I loved Mr. Rodger’s Neighborhood. After school, I would turn on the TV and hear: “I've always wanted to have a neighbor just like you. I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you. So, let's make the most of this beautiful day. Since we're together we might as well say: Would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won't you be my neighbor?”
Now that I'm an adult (sorta), I realize that being a “good neighbor” is way more complex than I once realized. As a society, we often create “opportunity gaps” that put one neighbor ahead of another because they have access to superior education, economic mobility, housing, healthcare, etc. In order to understand and help close these opportunity gaps in my hometown, I want to use open data resources, and make it easy for every Austenite to become a good neighbor.
Since I'm a marketer and not a developer, I am relying on the help of the community for this project.
Are you representing a group in submitting this project idea?
I would like to share the final deliverables with the White House LGBTQ Tech and Innovation Fellowship leaders. I'm the only Austenite that got accepted into the program, and I would love to have something meaningful to represent our great city.