{"id":935,"date":"2015-03-19T13:31:55","date_gmt":"2015-03-19T20:31:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/industry\/blog\/uncategorized\/connecting-for-civic-tech\/"},"modified":"2023-07-03T11:49:03","modified_gmt":"2023-07-03T18:49:03","slug":"connecting-for-civic-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/industry\/blog\/government\/2015\/03\/19\/connecting-for-civic-tech\/","title":{"rendered":"Connecting for civic tech"},"content":{"rendered":"

I recently wrote about the growing civic technology movement and how local and state governments are expected to invest approximately $6.3 billion in civic engagement technologies this year. That was one of the reasons I was pleased to attend the March 1-4, Accela Connect conference. Accela<\/a>, a Microsoft partner, is not only a key player in the civic tech space, they also have a great partner ecosystem. Another reason for attending the Olympic Valley, Calif., gathering was a bit more personal: I worked with Mark Headd, Accela\u2019s developer evangelist, when both of us worked for the City of Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

I came away from the Accela partner and developer conference with some key takeaways: First, Jennifer Pahlka, founder of Code for America<\/a> , gave an excellent presentation on the state of civic technology and current trends. For many, Jennifer is credited with being one of the chief instigators of the modern civic tech movement and it\u2019s always enlightening to hear her perspective. Also, Microsoft and Accela sponsored last year\u2019s Code for America conference so it\u2019s important to show continued support for an organization that \u201cbelieves government can work for the people, by the people in the 21st century.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another takeaway: Everybody was really nice! Accela has a positive corporate culture that transcends to its partners and developers. I especially enjoyed a 2-hour speed networking session; in fact, I have never collected so many business cards and made so many connections! Accela staffed 12 tables, with partners pitching them on how they could collaborate. While discussing how to work with Microsoft CityNext, I connected with some key players in the civic tech space, including:<\/p>\n