Autumn Evans is the Deputy Director of Digital Equity and Inclusion for the City of Detroit. She’s also the Operations Director for Connect 313.

At the height of the pandemic, she was working for a Detroit nonprofit that delivered food to home-bound and low-income seniors. The city approached her and asked her to help facilitate the distribution of 4,000 internet-connected devices to seniors in less than six weeks.

That was her introduction to the digital divide.

Episode Quotes

On scaling

[10:45] We're gonna scale on more of the resource side for any resident, where they can call a 313 Detroit number and it's a call center: press one to get internet access, press two to get a device, press three for technical support, and really just standardize the way that we support everyone on their journey to being more digitally connected and more confident in their ability to navigate the digital world.

On Connect 313’s Community Ambassador program

[16:31] We have partnered with anchor organizations in order to hire local residents to be ‘digital divide ambassadors.’ What that means is that that person in that specific district is responsible for making sure that everyone in that district is aware of the digital divide– the ways that it manifests. They bring resources into that area, whether it be digital literacy classes or even device distribution and giveaways.

On sharing ideas

[18:04] I have no problem doing one-on-ones, or speaking at different conferences and sharing the stage with other great professionals. I'll be at the National Digital Inclusion Alliance in February. I'm really looking forward to that, because it's like the family reunion of all digital inclusion people.

Show Links:

• Connect 313
• Autumn’s email: [email protected]