5 Things We Learned at Challenge Festival’s Cities & Transportation Day

Challenge Festival’s final daytime conference, “Civic Tech on the Rise,” took the Lansburgh Theatre by storm today, offering perhaps the greatest number of tactical ideas and insights of any conference this week.
Super excited about today’s topic! #Cities & #Transportation #1776Challenge pic.twitter.com/Db6zKctCYQ
— Aveya Creative (@aveyacreative) May 14, 2015
Here’s what we learned:
1. Government and technology companies often have the same goals—to serve underserved populations—but they’re not always working together…and they should be.
The first panel, “What do smart cities look like for the have-nots?” was worth the effort for audience members who got up early to attend. Right off the bat, panelists raised the hard-hitting points about what it means to offer tech solutions for low-income communities.
Often new innovations involve a smart phone & credit card. But 12-13% of DC households are totally #unbanked. @emilymbadger #1776Challenge — TheWomen’sFoundation (@TheWomensFndtn) May 14, 2015
Great point by .@emilymbadger that the digital divide is about both access and use of online resources #1776Challenge
— RachelW (@Rachel___W) May 14, 2015
Technology is a basic need right now, not a luxury. #1776Challenge #GMFUrban @gmfus — Alissa Akins (@AlissaAkins) May 14, 2015
And if tech is a basic need right now, that means startups need to square with the fact that they can’t just work around local government agencies that also are trying to engage the same populations, said Washington Post reporter and panelist Emily Badger.
Idea behind startups @LocalRootsFarms & @HandUp – help cities engage their community to solve their own problems. #1776Challenge
— Michael O’Brien (@mob_advocacy) May 14, 2015
Need to be thinking about inclusion as a central element in all solutions. @ConnectdotDC #1776Challenge — TheWomen’sFoundation (@TheWomensFndtn) May 14, 2015
But the key takeaway was an insight from Local Roots Farm’s Dan Kuenzi:
“Search for the business model that has do-good built in”: @LocalRootsFarms #1776Challenge
— Julia Thayne (@JuliaThayne) May 14, 2015
2. Smart cities start with offering stable housing to residents—and local government is key.
Next, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro joined us for a fireside chat about how to transform America’s communities into smart cities.
Sharing a laugh with @SecretaryCastro this AM at #1776Challenge… #HUD #ChallengeFestival @1776dc A photo posted by Daniel Swartz (@dswartz) on
.@SecretaryCastro says a true #smartcity is one where every citizen has access to tech assets. #1776Challenge pic.twitter.com/21OBomgIOE — Jake Williams (@JakeWilliamsDC) May 14, 2015
Julian Castro @SecretaryCastro highlighting the need for public sector to continually measure the success of initiatives #1776Challenge — Route Fifty (@statelocal) May 14, 2015
Housing provides the baseline stability in life says HUD @SecretaryCastro at #1776Challenge — Matteo Robiglio (@MRobiglio) May 14, 2015
.@SecretaryCastro: Seen 33% reduction in homelessness bc communities like #SLC are prioritizing getting ppl into housing #1776Challenge — WhiteHat Magazine (@WhiteHatMag) May 14, 2015
Once the issue of housing is cared for, greater stability and innovation emerges. From there, innovators in each city can take advantage of the local community’s strengths and leverage local government to their collective advantage.
“Each community has to play to its strengths” – @SecretaryCastro #1776Challenge — Sean T. McBeth (@moron4hire) May 14, 2015
Federal gov’t is more constrained in speaking w/ private sector than local gov’t is: @SecretaryCastro #whycitiesrule #1776Challenge — Julia Thayne (@JuliaThayne) May 14, 2015
3. For entrepreneurs who want to work with cities: sell solutions, not just products.
Over the last several years, we’ve noticed a new role emerging in city governments: “chief innovation officers.” What exactly does a CIO do? According to panelist Dan Hoffman, he does a bit of everything—including functioning as a ‘front door’ into the government for innovators. When entrepreneurs are looking to enter through that door, though, they should keep several things in mind:
“If it’s a best practice, you should just go do it. My office is here to test new ideas.” @MoCoDanHoffman #1776Challenge — TheWomen’sFoundation (@TheWomensFndtn) May 14, 2015
.@MoCoDanHoffman‘s criteria for projects: can test in lean, iterative manner; potential to scale; experimental in nature #1776Challenge — Jill Melnicki (@JMelnicki) May 14, 2015
Get out of vendor mentality and into solution mentality – Jonathan of @SeamlessDocs re 1776 #1776Challenge — RachelW (@Rachel___W) May 14, 2015
Understand the timing—a recommendation from both Hoffman and Philips’ Suzanne Seitinger. Hoffman advocated timing from a budget perspective, while Seitinger highlighted the need for startups to identify a real problem before attempting to sell a product.
Timing is everything. Is the technology mature and are the stakeholders ready for your #startup solution? #1776Challenge — Steve Beam (@RealSteveBeam) May 14, 2015
Themes from the CIO panel: focus on innovating for solutions rather than acting as a vendor, engage on the local level irl. #1776Challenge — Kathryn Tinker (@ketinker) May 14, 2015
4. Questions about autonomous vehicles—in skies and on our roads—go way beyond policy specifics.
Drone Fever! @LeeLellman talks about the future of drones & all of their potential #1776Challenge #drones pic.twitter.com/jIONIKqaW4 — Brandon Pollak (@BGPollak) May 14, 2015
This panel—”Will Our Robot Masters Be Kind to Us?”—addressed many of our still-looming questions about autonomous vehicles and drones.
Questions for #drone policy: What IDs do we need on drones themselves? Do operators require a license? #1776Challenge
— 1776 (@1776) May 14, 2015
Very valid question from @FrancisVierboom “…will drones have license plates?” #1776Challenge crucial question of accountability. — Robin Tim Weis (@RobinTimWeis) May 14, 2015
Great questions on drone licensing, commercialization, liability. Smart folks: @LeeLellman, @johnverdi, @FrancisVierboom #1776Challenge — Jim Thompson (@JimAtState) May 14, 2015
5. Change is the new status quo.
The changes we’re used to in tech industry are now hitting other industries as well. Moreover, the pace of change is accelerating—to an exponential rate. Cisco’s Maciej Kranz explained that the ‘Internet of Everything’ will have five to 10 times the impact of the entire Internet to date. In 2010, we had 12 billion PCs, tablets, and phones connected to networks. By 2020, that number will reach 50 billion devices, he said.
.@maciejkranz: Nearly every industry will be part of #IoT revolution. Big opportunities, big threats to established models #1776Challenge — WhiteHat Magazine (@WhiteHatMag) May 14, 2015
“I hate the term ‘big data,’ nobody should care how big it is. How smart is it? Does it help us?” -Maciej Kranz #1776Challenge #cisco
— Andrew Dolan (@AKDolan) May 14, 2015
Thanks to actionable, smart data, Kranz further envisioned the future to be one in which everything—every car, home, city and human—has a digital overlay. In order to reach that future, several things will need to happen.
.@maciejkranz: What will #IoT need? 1) Thought leadership; 2) Public private partnerships; 3) Global open standards… #1776Challenge (1/2)
— WhiteHat Magazine (@WhiteHatMag) May 14, 2015
(2/2) @maciejkranz: What will #IoT need? 4) Smart regulations; and 5) New ecosystems and innovations. #1776Challenge — WhiteHat Magazine (@WhiteHatMag) May 14, 2015
Following this full day of insightful panels, we heard pitches from 20 international entrepreneurs who are bringing many of these predictions about the future to bear. We closed the day with our final gala at 101 Constitution—a beautiful view of the Capitol to wrap up the week.