Data + Digital

• Modernizing Government

1. • Why Is Congress Still Meeting in Person? [Politico]
   • Sidelined by coronavirus pandemic, Congress cedes stage and authority to Trump [Washington Post] 
   • Graduating from conference calls, House panels livestream committee work [National Journal]
   • House attempts ‘Virtual Congress’ as remote legislation remains uncertain [WJLA via Sinclair Broadcasting, posted by stations around the country]
   • How Congress can improve productivity by looking to the rest of the world [The Hill]
   • Congressional experts call for remote legislative operations [The Fulcrum]
   • Sidelined by Coronavirus, Congressional Leaders Face Pressure to Vote Remotely [NY Times] 
   • 5/20 Estonia Already Lives Online—Why Can’t the United States? [The Atlantic]
   • 8/3 At the Senate’s First Virtual Hearing, an Expert Delivers Testimony from a Truck [FedTech Magazine] 
   • 10/8 Letter on Further Improving the House Committee on Appropriations [Whistleblower.org]

• 2020 Census

1. • The 2020 census can help us fight climate change — if coronavirus doesn’t get in the way [grist.org]
   • Transparency is essential for a successful 2020 Census during the COVID crisis [The Hill]
   • As 2020 Census Approaches, Guidance Abounds for Local Gov [GovTech]
   • 8/18 What Happens If the 2020 Census Fails? [Talking Points Memo]
   • 10/31 Lawsuit Says Census Takers Were Pressured to Falsify Data [KQED]
   • 11/18 Census workers say pressure to end count early led to chaos [Reveal]
   • 1/5/21 – Census Bureau on inaugural clock after missing deadline [Roll Call]

• State Software Collaborative

1. • Beeck Center Launches State Software Collaborative [GovTech]
   • First Post: Oversight Oversights | Civicist [Civic Hall]
   • Next-Generation Engagement Platforms, and How They Are Useful Right Now (Part 1) [Civic Hall]
   • Former 18F staffers create ‘State Software Collaborative’ [StateScoop]
   • 6/3 Group Aims to Help States Streamline Software Projects [StateTech]
   • 7/28 The ‘magic’ of open source: better, faster, cheaper — and trustworthy [GCN]
   • 9/17 Waldo Jaquith: Open Government Technologist [TEN7 podcast] 
   • 11/20 Tech experts call on feds to coordinate benefits solutions [FCW]
   • 1/5/21 – Pro-bono technologists look to help cash-strapped states struggling with legacy systems [FCW]

• U.S. Digital Response

1. • Tech Volunteers Help Overloaded U.S. Government Agencies [ieee.org]
   • Governments turn to tech in coronavirus fight – but at what cost? [Al Jazeera] 
   • Need Help With Covid-19 Tech? This Nonprofit Connects Volunteers with Governments [Route Fifty]
   • Coronavirus: Platform Matches Tech Talent with Gov in Need [GovTech] 
   • Project N95 Launches To Battle 2020 Shortage Of N95 Masks During Coronavirus Outbreak [Forbes] 
   • 6/11 Tech Volunteers Step Up To Help U.S. Governments Digitize Critical Services [The Rockefeller Foundation]
   • 7/15 Pahlka tells Congress ‘we cannot afford’ government’s outdated processes any longer [StateScoop] – also re: State Software Collaborative
   • 8/28 4 ways U.S. Digital Response is helping election offices save precious time [U.S. Digital Response]

• Data + Justice

1. • 7/31 Hicks: Wilson, researchers searching for bias in prosecutions … to eliminate it [Charleston Post & Courier]
   • 7/30 Solicitor Scarlett Wilson launching data-collection project to understand and correct racial disparities [WCBD News 2 – Charleston (NBC)]
   • 7/30 Lowcountry solicitor launches project to analyze data on racial bias in her office [ABC 4 – Charleston]
   • 7/31 Lowcountry Solicitor’s Office partnering with researchers for racial bias study  [WCSC – Charleston]
   • 1/3/21 – Prosecutor seeks to document, eliminate racial disparities in justice system [Univ. of South Carolina]

• State CDO Network

1. • 6/11 What’s New in Civic Tech: CfA Makes All 2020 Events Virtual [GovTech] 
   • 6/15 New handbook for data officers brings states up to speed [StateScoop] 
   • 8/12 CDOs should be more involved states’ economic recovery, researchers say [StateScoop]
   • 8/13 What’s New in Civic Tech: CDOs Key to States’ COVID Recovery [GovTech]
   • 8/27 How data can lead states to post-pandemic recovery [GCN]
   • 9/16 States are striving for smarter data practices during the pandemic [StateScoop podcast] 
   • 10/6 California’s new data strategy aims at interconnectivity [StateScoop]
   • 10/16 To Better Address Covid, States Need to Use Data Better [Route Fifty]
   • 12/17 Time for an Update: How States Can Improve IT Systems to Use Data More Effectively [Route Fifty]

• Other

1. • From the Covid-19 Crisis to Rebuilding our Public Technology Infrastructure in Local Government [NextCity] 
   • Sharing Data for Social Impact: Beeck Center Releases New Guidebook [GovLoop] 
   • Three Tips for COVID-19 Recovery: Get Your Data House in Order (Contributed) [GovTech]
   • 5/7 How to Protect At-Risk Communities With Data Drills [Black News Channel]
   • 6/12 Police data belongs to the people [Boston Globe] 
   • 7/20 New Jersey’s Innovation Office Shares Digital Service Lessons From The Pandemic [NJ Tech Weekly]
   • 8/18 Experts: Why cities must keep pushing for race-based data [Bloomberg Cities] 
   • 8/28 Is your city running data drills for pandemic prep? [StateScoop podcast] 
   • 9/24 OPINION: Citizens must demand the middle ground on the use of domestic force [The Fulcrum]
   • 9/24 Why data drills should be part of emergency planning [GCN]
   • 11/25 How ventilation plays a role in reducing indoor spread of COVID-19 [Crosscut] 
   • 12/1 Three Agency Essentials to Innovate With Purpose [The Atlantic] 
   • 12/3 What’s New in Civic Tech: More States Launch COVID Apps [GovTech] 
   • 12/8 Biden can help states modernize by restoring White House’s ‘power to convene’ [StateScoop]

 

Fair Finance

• Inclusive Community Impact Investing

1. • How local business can drive the coronavirus economic recovery [The Hill] 
   • COVID-19 Chronicles: NFL Players On Moving Money Into Communities Of Color [Forbes]
   • 6/17 Why venture capital doesn’t build the things we really need [MIT Technology Review] 
   • 7/27 How Can We Create A More Inclusive Economy? (podcast) [Hamilton Place Strategies]
   • 7/29 Topside in Revival — Jason Bass and Donte Johnson [Holy Guacamole podcast] 
   • 11/17 Georgetown’s Beeck Center touts Rowan’s dedication to first-gen students and rising research [Rowan Today]
   • 12/10 Future Returns: How Opportunity Zone Funds Could Change Under Biden [Barrons]

• Creating Equitable Capital Markets

1. • 6/3 ‘Poverty Itself is Violence’: Pandemic, George Floyd Death Expose Racial Realities in U.S. [Karma Impact]
   • 6/11 Racially Charged Cases Highlight Persistent Bias in Financial World [Karma Impact]
   • 6/18 Investors give up returns by undervaluing Black fund managers, says new study [CNBC]
   • 6/20 Investment management is overwhelmingly dominated by white men—and it’s costing you money [Fortune]
   • 6/20 Research Key To Equitable Access To Capital [FIN News]
   • 7/7    Hiding in plain sight: Racism in the room made visible by COVID-19 and how to create new pathways [repost of blog by Alliance Magazine]
   • 10/2 The Call No. 23: Changing the Racial Justice Algorithm [ImpactAlpha video]
   • 10/11 Antiracism: How the finance industry can be better [Fortune]

• Reimagining Community Investing for the 21st Century

1. • Overheard at Mission Investors Exchange: Systemic change [ImpactAlpha] 
   • Changing Communities: How to Bring Fairness into Finance [Wharton – UPenn] 
   • 7/30 Yale Philanthropy Conference 2020 recap, includes Lisa Hall mention

• Other

1. • 8/9 Community Resilience: Hands-On Experience and Lessons From Abroad With Sonal Shah [Management Matters Podcast]
   • 8/11 The Call No. 21: Impact investors confront the impact of the November election (audio) [Impact Alpha – $]
   • 9/10 Flattening the Inequity Curve: A Conversation with Nate Wong [NACD Podcast]

Sustainable Student Impact

• VIEWPOINT: Embark on Uncertain Journeys [The Hoya]

 

Other

• Is the Venture Model Leading Us Astray When it Comes to Social Impact? [Stanford Social Innovation Review – SSIR]
• 6/20 Here’s how to make sure the economic recovery from the pandemic helps the people who need it most [Business Insider] 
• 7/1 Reimagining the Impact Investing Gathering for a Locked-Down Era [Karma Impact] 
• 7/24 While Everyone’s Talking Diversity, Is Anyone Telling Us What It Means? [Karma Impact] 
• 8/9 Long Chats Followed Their Alumni Reunion [NYT Vows] – Betsy Zeidman’s wedding
• 11/6 Former Missouri Secretary of State Blasts President Trump’s Doubts on Vote Counting [Cheddar] 
• 11/7 ‘Harris Has the Potential To Change the Face of U.S. Politics’ [Politico Magazine]
• 11/12 What The Biden Administration Must Do For Entrepreneurs [Times of E] 
• 11/20 Building a Trust-Based Philanthropy to Shift Power Back to Communities [SSIR]

• Leadership Transition

  • 1/5/21 – Former Deputy US CTO Zarek Heading Georgetown’s Beeck Center [MeriTalk]
  • 1/6/21 – The Brief: What Agents of Impact expect (video), emission-free steel, immigrant entrepreneurs, affordable homeownership, boom in ESG bonds and funds [ImpactAlpha – $] 
  • 1/6/21 – Cori Zarek named new executive director for Georgetown’s Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation [GovFresh]
  • 1/6/21 – Georgia election results could reshape Kamala Harris’s vice presidency [Fortune – $]
  • 1/7/21 – What’s New in Civic Tech: Beeck Center Names New Leader [GovTech]