As we reach the mid-year mark of 2023, CivStart is at an exciting inflection point, having achieved significant milestones and embarked on transformative initiatives guided by our esteemed Board of Directors. We are proud to provide an update on our accomplishments, ongoing projects, and priority initiatives as we continue our mission to foster innovation in local government. Join us as we reflect on our progress and extend an invitation to be part of the dynamic GovTech community at the State of GovTech 2023 in November.
In the first half of 2023, CivStart has achieved remarkable milestones, including our work with cities like Las Vegas, NV, and Raleigh, NC, through the National League of Cities City Inclusive Ecosystems program to identify their challenges and launch pilot programs to meet them. Now finishing our third year of Government Innovation Programs, we’ve had the honor to work with 25 local governments from across the country, from New York City to Manor, TX, to Wichita, KA, to Kirkland, WA. This year, we supported the Raleigh Smart Cities team in organizing their groundbreaking ADU Pitchfest, putting governments in the driver’s seat for the innovation they want to see.
“The program provided a great mixture of cohort learning, structured workplan with monthly deliverables to keep the project moving forward, and individualized feedback sessions with CivStart. . . The project allowed Raleigh to create a highly engaging process with the community and entrepreneurs to tackle a critical issue facing local government.”
— Heather McDougall, PhD, Sr. Manager Strategy & Innovation, City of Raleigh, NC
A new initiative this year, our engaging Hot Topic webinars aimed to get behind the hype and provide a deeper understanding of GovTech trends. More than 300 local government leaders have already tuned in for one of these seven educational conversations. To facilitate deeper learning and idea and resource sharing, we introduced a new community platform just for innovative local government leaders. Finally, the CivStart Accelerator program has begun reviewing applications for our upcoming 2023 startup cohort launching in September.
“It is so easy to kick the can down the road. Our participation with CiviStart kept us moving on this topic.”
— Kim Scrivener, Kirkland, WA
CivStart is actively working on a range of exciting initiatives aimed at driving meaningful change in the Govtech landscape. With over 40 startups having scaled through our Accelerator program since 2019, we’re as excited as ever about the highly anticipated launch of the 2023 Accelerator Cohort, which will be CivStart’s fifth annual cohort. CivStart’s engagement with local government leaders through major associations like the CivStart Innovation Lounge at the NACo Annual Conference will allow us to bring our expertise and cutting-edge solutions to more local government leaders than ever, propelling innovation and collaboration. What’s more, having worked with 25 local governments on their innovation initiatives over the past three years, our new Civic Challenge Lab will allow us to work with over 50 governments in a single, 3-month program, joined by regional innovation partners from across the country, and dramatically expanding the scope and impact of our government innovation work in 2024. Before the end of the year, CivStart is also planning to launch our Govtech Leaders Network for govtech industry leaders, again enhancing the ability of all sectors to support the necessary innovations in local government for a more honest and inclusive ecosystem of solutions.
At CivStart, we are thrilled with our progress thus far, but our journey is far from over. We invite you to join our growing community of changemakers, thought leaders, and innovators at the State of GovTech 2023 in November. We can empower governments, inspire innovation, and enhance the resident experience. Stay tuned for further updates as we continue to drive the future of GovTech.
Innovation awaits. See you at the State of GovTech 2023!
