When I took the challenge to serve as Chief Information Officer for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, I knew there was a lot at stake. Security and Jobs were the most important points on the Government’s agenda, and it is the CIO’s responsibility to enable the tech sector to respond accordingly. We started by unitingRead… Read more »

Yesterday I was in the Eisenhower Executive Center at The White House to honor women and men from across the country who have demonstrated leadership and vision in open government and civic hacking. President Obama and his administration have long promoted the ideals of open government to the point of mantra: transparent, accountable, and collaborative.Read… Read more »

Code for America opened applications for the 2013 Accelerator knowing that the competition would be fierce. This year we received over 190 applications from amazing candidates. Today, we’re pleased to announce the five teams chosen to participate in the 2013 Accelerator. The teams are articulate, knowledgeable, and passionate about their businesses. They come from allRead… Read more »

Code for America Yearbook is an ongoing series of interviews with 2013 Fellows to document their year at CfA. Name: Richa Agarwal Fellowship City: Oakland, Calif. Hometown: Los Altos Hills, Calif. Current Neighborhood: SoMa Role: Programmer DOB: 8/9/85 Q: So—to get started, how did you find out about the Fellowship? Last year I was volunteeringRead… Read more »

Considering applying for the Code for America fellowship, but have some questions you’d like answered? Lingering doubts? Things you’d like clarified? Fret no more: the fellows are here to help! We’ll be holding a live Google Hangout with current CfA fellows on Tuesday, July 23 at 6:00 p.m. Pacific. Fellows will be be available toRead… Read more »

If you’re a government official with knowledge about your local gov’s procurement process or data, we want to hear from you — please take 10 minutes to fill out our Local Gov Procurement Survey. With nearly 60 percent of senior-level government IT officials in a recent Government Technology survey citing the public procurement process asRead… Read more »

Last summer I was biking around western Pilsen, a majority Latino neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, when most of the road disappeared. I’ve lived on the South Side the entire time I’ve been in Chicago, and had always assumed the potholes near me were as bad as it got. But as I navigatedRead… Read more »

The internet is chock-full of cat memes and shopping carts. It is packed to the brim with advertisements and animated GIFs. It has pugs, James Van Der Memes, and a word-for-word remake of Susan Powter’s first workout video…with poodles. Now, I’ll admit: I love cat memes as much as the next guy. I’ll sing alongRead… Read more »

I am coding for America because I know the potential that exists to change the public sector by making the business of governing better and more open through technology. In my career I have been in borough manager offices, housing authority computer centers, and Cabinet Secretaries’ conference rooms and everywhere well meaning people are tryingRead… Read more »

Last Thursday, the Code for America Brigade hosted a Hangout to discuss best practices for starting up and running a hack night. Panelists included: Mark Headd, chief data officer for the City of Philadelphia; Juan-Pablo Velez, organizer of weekly open government hack night in Chicago; and Brigade Captains Michelle Koeth (Code for NoVA), Chris AlfanoRead… Read more »