Smart Chicago Collaborative is a new entity that will spearhead information technology-based neighborhood development projects by investing in infrastructure, programs and applications that will make the resources of high-speed Internet more accessible, useful and beneficial to low-income people and neighborhoods. As a significant new center of gravity for civic leadership and investments, Smart Chicago will build long-term capacity to help Chicago and its neighborhoods realize the transformative potential of information technology. Structured as a donor advised fund, Smart Chicago will cultivate broad civic support and raise and invest funds to support innovative programs and policy change efforts. Smart Chicago is governed by an Executive Committee composed of its founders—the City of Chicago, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and The Chicago Community Trust—with guidance from an Advisory Committee of local and national civic leaders and technology experts.
I am incredibly proud to have been part of the team that started EveryBlock. In January 2008, on the day we launched our first three sites, I published a blog post, “What EveryBlock Means To Me“. In it, I recount how my work as a technology contractor for City government lead me to my first civic technology work and ChicagoWorksForYou, the City-sponsored project I created that would allow people to map what’s happening in their neighborhood and connect with their community (user: chicago99 pass: chicago99). I was so grateful for the opportunity to be able to finish that thought, and it feels really good to look back from here and see a straight line to the work of the Smart Chicago Collaborative.
I’ll never forget the magical first six months I spent with Adrian, Paul, and Wilson as we got those first sites ready. It really was something special. I am especially proud of the role we played in the open data/ open government movement. I think we made a difference. I’m also grateful to msnbc.com, who purchased the company in 2009 and helped it grow to where it is now— an essential way to follow neighborhood news and connect with your neighbors. The EveryBlock goal is to help you make your block a better place, and they are succeeding. I can’t wait to see what’s next for them. And remember: I’m not only an EveryBlock co-founder, but I’m also a neighbor.
There is much work ahead on the Smart Chicago Collaborative. I go to work every day at The Chicago Community Trust, where the collaborative is housed. I get to work with some of the sharpest and most energetic people focused on improving the quality of life in Chicago. My most immediate tasks are to build a strong advisory committee, work with donors, fund projects, and hire an Associate Program Officer. If you see yourself in these tasks, please contact me at doneil@cct.org. Let’s get to work.