The Smart Chicago Model, led by executive director Daniel X. O’Neil, is a civic organization focused on enhancing lives in Chicago through technology by increasing internet access, improving digital skills, and utilizing data. Funded primarily by the MacArthur Foundation and partnered with local philanthropic and municipal entities, the organization develops initiatives and programs that support civic engagement and reduce the digital divide. Their work emphasizes the importance of an open and inclusive approach, creating tools and resources for the entire Chicago community.

1. The Smart Chicago Model
Daniel X. O’Neil
Executive Director
November 2014
1
@danxoneil @smartchicago

2. Points
@danxoneil @smartchicago
• A civic organization devoted to improving
lives in [place] through technology
• The philosophy & why the model works
• The founders & their roles
• The strategy & why it is important
• The funding & how it gets done
• The work & how we do it
• The cities which have shown interest to
date
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3. Our Principles
Technology
Open
Everyone
Chicago
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4. Our Principles
Technology
Open
Everyone
Chicago
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5. @danxoneil @smartchicago
We’re all about technology
• Everything we do relates to technology
• We are of and about the Internet
• We believe in the transformative power of
the Internet to change lives and build the
economy for all
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6. @danxoneil @smartchicago
We are open
• Open source code
• More importantly: open processes, open
minds, open methods
• Allowing others “in”, wherever that may be
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7. @danxoneil @smartchicago
Target market: everyone
• We believe in the power of the network
• The network needs everyone in it in order
for it to be powerful
• We work on solutions that cover the entire
city
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8. @danxoneil @smartchicago
Chicago is our middle name
• All of our work is done here
• Unique and thriving ecosystem
• We serve as a model for others
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9. The Strategy
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10. @danxoneil @smartchicago
Access, Skills, and Data
Smart Chicago is a civic organization
devoted to improving lives in Chicago
through technology. We work on increasing
access to the Internet, improving skills for
using Internet, and developing meaningful
products from data that measurably
contribute to the quality of life of residents in
our region and beyond.
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11. @danxoneil @smartchicago
Access
If you’re not connected
to the Internet, it is
difficult for technology to
be of much use to you.
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12. @danxoneil @smartchicago
Skills
If you can’t use the
Internet, being
connected isn’t going to
be all that meaningful.
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13. @danxoneil @smartchicago
Data
We construe data as
content. Because there
has to be something
meaningful to look at
once you’re connected
and skilled.
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14. The Founders:
2 Philanthropies, 1 Municipality
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15. @danxoneil @smartchicago
The John D. and Catherine T.
MacArthur Foundation
• A center for ideation and
conception
• Julia Stasch: 2007 report,
“The City that NETWorks”
• Our primary source of funding
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16. @danxoneil @smartchicago
The Chicago Community Trust
• Provides housing for the
organization and is fiscal
agent
• At the center of funding and
knowledge for the region
• Critical financial, human
resources, and other support
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17. @danxoneil @smartchicago
The City of Chicago
• The most important policy
lever in the region
• Departmental relationships
• A critical partner for having
impact and getting things
done
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18. The Funding
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19. @danxoneil @smartchicago
Sources of Capital
• Overall budget: ~1.3M per year, not counting special
projects
• MacArthur: primary; essential
• CCT: critical back-office support as well as grants
• Sprague: on-target programs centered on health
• Knight: an essential, growing partner focused on civic
engagement
• Cook County: to do open data work
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20. We function as a tech
development outfit.
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21. The Work
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22. @danxoneil @smartchicago
Focus on ecosystem
We make technology, programs,
and initiatives that allow others
to be more effective— to
provide clarity and impetus
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23. @danxoneil @smartchicago
Amazon Web Services
• We host dozens of apps
for civic hackers
• At a moment’s notice & for
as long as they want
• This allows us to be helpful
at the moment of
inspiration
• Eliminating stoppers,
encouraging innovation
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24. @danxoneil @smartchicago
Project Work and Office Space
• We have three employees at Smart
Chicago
• A deliberate strategy to spread
revenue, power, and growth across
the ecosystem
• We are founding tenants of 1871,
going back to May 2012
• We’ve helped jumpstart a half dozen
companies
• OpenGov Hack Night— an
institution. They are there because
of our seats
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25. @danxoneil @smartchicago
CUTGroup
• Civic User Testing Group as a new
model for UX testing, digital skills
development, and community
engagement in civic tech
• 800+ residents are available
• We’ve paid each of them a $5 VISA gift
card. When they participate in a test,
they get a $20 gift card
• We help the developers design and
implement UX testing and it allows us
to be deeply engaged with
communities while improving digital
skills
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26. @danxoneil @smartchicago
Eliminate The Digital Divide
Advisory Committee
• I am the chair of this state-based
grant program
• They give grants to community
technology centers all over the
state of Illinois
• Allows me to be more plugged
in to the investments
happening outside of a
particular jurisdiction
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27. @danxoneil @smartchicago
Cook County Open Data Work
• We have a contract with the
County to assist them with
their data portal
• Pure block-and-tackle
technical assistance
• Helping publish data that
grows the ecosystem
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28. @danxoneil @smartchicago
Chicago School of Data
• There is a Chicago School of
Data emerging
• One that places people at the
center
• One in the service of people
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29. @danxoneil @smartchicago
#CivicSummer
• 6 week program
• One of many on-ramps to
digital skills
• We learned a lot from our
partners
• Other projects and
technology grow from it
(expunge.io, for example)
• This highlights the
importance of doing— not
just funding and providing
infrastructure for others
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30. @danxoneil @smartchicago
And we produce a lot of software.
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31. @danxoneil @smartchicago
Foodborne Chicago
• We use computers & code to search Twitter for
tweets related to food poisoning in Chicago
• We do as much as we can to automatically zero-in
on the tweets we think are really about a possible
food poisoning case and really coming from Chicago
• Then real humans review the tweets and @reply
back to people with a link back to our site, hoping to
generate legitimate service requests
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32. @danxoneil @smartchicago
Chicago Early Learning
• Easily find early learning programs near your
home or work
• Compare programs side-by-side to select the
highest quality option for your child
• Kick off the enrollment process
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33. @danxoneil @smartchicago
Chicago Works For You
• Citywide dashboard with ward-by-ward
views of service delivery in Chicago
• Slice, dice, view, review
• Sort by whatever interests you
• Automatic, running totals
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34. @danxoneil @smartchicago
Chicago Health Atlas
• View citywide information about health
trends and take action near you to improve
your own health
• Our health programs are run by Kyla
Williams
• Also: Smart Health Centers
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35. And many more.
See our website /projects
page for up to date info
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36. @danxoneil @smartchicago
We seek to help spread the
Smart Chicago model.
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37. @danxoneil @smartchicago
So hit us up.
@danxoneil
(773) 960-6045
doneil@cct.org
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