US Department of

State’s International

Visitor Leadership

ProgramDaniel X. O’Neil

Smart Chicago

July 1, 2015

1

@danxoneil @smartchicago

Our PrinciplesTechnology

Open

Everyone

Chicago

July 1, 2015 2

Our PrinciplesTechnology

Open

Everyone

Chicago

July 1, 2015 3

We’re all about technology

• Everything we do relates to technology

• We are of and about the Internet

• We believe in the transformative power of

the Internet to change lives and build the

economy for all

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

We are open

• Open source code

• More importantly: open processes, open

minds, open methods

• Allowing others “in”, wherever that may be

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

Target market: everyone

• We believe in the power of the network

• The network needs everyone in it in order

for it to be powerful

• We work on solutions that cover the entire

city

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

Chicago is our middle name

• All of our work is done here

• Unique and thriving ecosystem

• We serve as a model for others

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

The Strategy

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Access, Skills, and Data

Smart Chicago is a civic organization devoted to improving lives in Chicago through technology. We work on increasing access to the Internet, improving skills for using Internet, and developing meaningful products from data that measurably contribute to the quality of life of residents in our region and beyond.

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

AccessIf you’re not connected

to the Internet, it is

difficult for technology to

be of much use to you.

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

SkillsIf you can’t use the

Internet, being

connected isn’t going to

be all that meaningful.

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

Data

We construe data as content. Because there has to be something meaningful to look at once you’re connected and skilled.

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

The Founders:

2 Philanthropies, 1 Municipality

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The John D. and Catherine T.

MacArthur Foundation

• A center for ideation and

conception

• Julia Stasch: 2007 report,

“The City that NETWorks”

• Our primary source of funding

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

The Chicago Community Trust

• Provides housing for the

organization and is fiscal

agent

• At the center of funding and

knowledge for the region

• Critical financial, human

resources, and other support

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

The City of Chicago

• The most important policy

lever in the region

• Departmental relationships

• A critical partner for having

impact and getting things

done

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

The Funding

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Sources of Capital

• MacArthur: primary; essential

• CCT: critical back-office support as well as grants

• Sprague: on-target programs centered on health

• Knight: an essential, growing partner focused on civic engagement

• Cook County: to do open data work

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

We function as a tech

development outfit.

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The Work

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Focus on infrastructure

We make technology, programs,

and initiatives that allow others

to be more effective— to

provide clarity and impetus

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

Amazon Web Services

• We host dozens of apps for civic hackers

• At a moment’s notice & for as long as they want

• This allows us to be helpful at the moment of inspiration

• Eliminating stoppers, encouraging innovation

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

Project Work and Office Space

• We have three employees at Smart Chicago

• A deliberate strategy to spread revenue, power, and growth across the ecosystem

• We are founding tenants of 1871, going back to May 2012

• We’ve helped jumpstart a half dozen companies

• OpenGov Hack Night— an institution. There because of our seats

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

CUTGroup

• Civic User Testing Group as a new model for UX testing, digital skills development, and community engagement in civic tech

• 800+ residents are available

• We’ve paid each of them a $5 VISA gift card. When they participate in a test, they get a $20 gift card

• We help the developers design and implement UX testing and it allows us to be deeply engaged with communities while improving digital skills

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

Eliminate The Digital Divide

Advisory Committee

• I am the chair of this state-based grant program

• They give grants to community technology centers all over the state of Illinois

• Allows me to be more plugged in to the investments happening outside of a particular jurisdiction

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

Cook County Open Data Work

• We have a contract with the

County to assist them with

their data portal

• Pure block-and-tackle

technical assistance

• Helping publish data that

grows the ecosystem

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

And we produce a lot of software.

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

Foodborne Chicago

• We use computers & code to search Twitter for tweets related to food poisoning in Chicago

• We do as much as we can to automatically zero-in on the tweets we think are really about a possible food poisoning case and really coming from Chicago

• Then real humans review the tweets and @reply back to people with a link back to our site, hoping to generate legitimate service requests

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

Chicago Early Learning

• Easily find early learning programs near your home or work

• Compare programs side-by-side to select the highest quality option for your child

• Kick off the enrollment process

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

Chicago Works For You

• Citywide dashboard with ward-by-ward views of service delivery in Chicago

• Slice, dice, view, review

• Sort by whatever interests you

• Automatic, running totals

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

Chicago Health Atlas

• View citywide information about health trends and take action near you to improve your own health

• Our health programs are run by Kyla Williams

• Also: Smart Health Centers

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

Sometimes I wonder: where are

all the people?

@danxoneil @smartchicago

Big data can

be empty of

humans.

@danxoneil @smartchicago

Thing is:

Humans

have

immense

use.

@danxoneil @smartchicago

We have a chance to make

Chicago the most dynamic

digital city in the world.

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@danxoneil @smartchicago

Tell me where you’re from.

@danxoneil

(773) 960-6045

doneil@cct.org

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@danxoneil @smartchicago