The Civic Hacker Podcast

Anca is the founder and director of La Sobremesa where she has worked with civil society organizations and networks in Latin America and the global south for over a decade. In her interview, Anca describes how she founded La Sobremesa to solve a problem that she spotted where there was a lack of spaces for reflection and learning, and for thinking and rethinking realistic solutions from civil society. Anca describes her process of supporting organizations to design their strategies and to rethink and strengthen their institutions, structures and teams. This interview is also available in Spanish.

Links:

La Sobremesa - www.lasobremesa.co

In this BONUS episode, we’re joined by Jens Christian Trier, cofounder of We Make Change, a platform at the forefront of the remote volunteering movement. Jens shares the story behind We Make Change and how it has grown to connect volunteers and nonprofits across the globe. Co-host Charlene Phua, a remote volunteer herself, interviews Jens to learn how the platform ensures impactful partnerships, manages volunteer engagement, and adapts to a post-pandemic world. Listen in to learn more about the future of remote volunteering and how We Make Change is empowering people to make a difference from anywhere in the world.

LINKS:

We Make Change - https://www.wemakechange.org/

Civic Hacker Network Volunteering Info - Https://civic-hackers.org/volunteer24

In this bonus episode, we welcome a panel from YouthMappers, a global community that empowers students to use geospatial technology to tackle critical challenges. Our guests include YouthMappers co-founder Chad Blevins and regional ambassadors Fey Anda and Erick Tamba Mnyali. Tune in to learn how YouthMappers is building the next generation of geospatial experts and civic hackers around the world.

YOUTHMAPPERS - https://www.youthmappers.org/

Join us as we dive into the world of student led tech-for-good with Maria Filipelli, a TechShift Alliance board member, and Ciara Ungar, the acting president. TechShift Alliance is a network dedicated to supporting student groups who focus on creating positive change through technology. In this episode, we discuss how they engage with students, partners, and volunteers to build a thriving community. Whether you're interested in social impact or tech innovation, this episode offers insights into the strategies and partnerships that drive TechShift forward.

LINKS:

https://www.techshift.org/

Joy Malonza is the founder of The Down Ballot, where she is building a one-stop-shop that provides progressive constituents with resources to make informed decisions on who best represents their core values. In her interview, Joy describes how she spotted the problem of disconnect between on the ground work and legislation which led her to create her start-up that helps voters connect the dots between a politician's stance on key issues and the impact that their policy positions will have on various sectors of society. She shares what she has learned through developing The Down Ballot, and dives into how to successfully utilize the power of social media for growth. 

Links to info and resources: 
https://www.thedownballot.org/

In this special bonus episode, guest host Charlene Phua from the Global Civic Hacker Action Team brings us an inspiring story from Singapore. Meet Zhennan Low, the entrepreneur-turned-civic hacker behind Code for Singapore. Discover how Zhennan, without a tech background, successfully launched an organization that harnesses the power of technology for community good. His journey exemplifies the impact of diverse skills and the importance of leadership in civic hacking. Tune in to learn from his experiences and get motivated to lead change in your own community.

Learn More:

BONUS EPISODE! Guest host Charlene Phua introduces BetterSG, a tech for good community in Singapore aiming to bridge the digital divide in nonprofits and charities by helping them leverage tech solutions. With over 2,000 volunteers, BetterSG focuses on skill-based volunteering. Initiatives include the To Be You project, an award-winning interactive storytelling game, that aims to foster empathy and understanding.

LINKS:

BetterSG - https://better.sg/

To Be You Game - https://tobeyou.sg/

Civic Hacker Network - https://civic-hackers.org

Caleb is an explorer of digital spaces and has researched and applied various technologies to address election violence, good governance, extremism and conflict mitigation. Being from Kenya, he has worked with different peace actors across Africa to respond to violent conflict applying digital tools. He has skills in social media monitoring, data, network and narrative analysis and community building. At Build Up, Caleb supports digital conflict programs, social media analysis and depolarization projects. He is also a faculty member at the United Nations Systems Staff college where he teaches a course on data analytics for sustaining peace. He also dedicates time to support community based organizations to develop infographics and data visualizations on development issues.

Links to info and resources: 

- How To Build Up Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://howtobuildup.org/

- Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/howtobuildup/

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/howtobuildpeace

- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5VgEt3Na1zZDJo-PBa86Rg

- How To Build Up's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/how-to-build-up/

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- Original Civic Hacker Summit Session recording (access for ⁠⁠⁠paid members⁠⁠⁠): https://civichackersummit.com/schedule/caleb-gichuhi-2022-summit/

- Civic HackHER Initiative: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://civic-hackers.org/civichackher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

- Support the Civic Hacker Podcast! Donate at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://civic-hackers.org/nonprofit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

- Come to a Monthly Meetup – ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://civic-hackers.org/meetup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

David Corliss is the founder and Director of Peace-Work, an all-volunteer cooperative of statisticians and data scientists applying statistical methods to issue-driven advocacy in poverty, education, social justice, and providing analytic support for charitable groups. In his interview, David describes how Peace-work was born and then delves into the data protocol he developed for those in the human trafficking space, and discusses the impact that data analysis had on public policy during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Links to info and resources: 

- Peace-Work Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.peace-work.org/

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/521459088243115/

- Peace-Work's LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/peacework/

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- Original Civic Hacker Summit Session recording (access for ⁠⁠⁠paid members⁠⁠⁠): https://civichackersummit.com/schedule/david-corliss-2022-summit/

- Civic HackHER Initiative: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://civic-hackers.org/civichackher⁠⁠⁠⁠

- Support the Civic Hacker Podcast! Donate at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://civic-hackers.org/nonprofit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

- Come to a Monthly Meetup – ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://civic-hackers.org/meetup⁠⁠⁠⁠

Melvin Anderson is the developer of a comprehensive SaaS/cloud based platform called ExploreSkillz that offers next generation career discovery apps and solutions. In his interview, Melvin explains ExploreSkillz's unique process of showing children a wide variety of career possibilities unknown to them, helping them develop and follow their individual passions in areas like movies, sports, influencers or brands. ExploreSkillz focuses primarily on helping children in HUD communities and donates their funds back to these communities to continue supporting economic projects.

Links to info and resources: 

- ExploreSkillz Website: ⁠⁠https://www.exploreskillz.com/ ⁠

⁠- Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/exploreskillz⁠

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exploreskillz/?__coig_restricted=1

- Melvin's LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/melvin-anderson-ese/⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- Original Civic Hacker Summit Session recording (access for ⁠⁠⁠paid members⁠⁠⁠): ⁠⁠⁠https://civichackersummit.com/schedule/melvin-anderson-2022-summit/

- Civic HackHER Initiative: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://civic-hackers.org/civichackher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

- Support the Civic Hacker Podcast! Donate at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://civic-hackers.org/nonprofit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

- Come to a Monthly Meetup – ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://civic-hackers.org/meetup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠