Best Govlaunch Podcasts (2024)

1
Bloomington, IN makes space for low-cost, impactful innovation 24:50

1+ y ago24:50

24:50

On this episode, Devta Kidd, Innovation Director for Bloomington, Indiana joins me to talk about low budget, impactful innovation that any local government can try. We'll talk about cross-departmental buy-in strategies for engaging the community and what questions we should be asking as we progress through a project lifecycle to ensure innovation r…

1
Hamilton legal drives model policies in the face of major disruptors 25:49

1+ y ago25:49

25:49

The legal division is often assumed to be slow and archaic, even a barrier to innovation. In the City of Hamilton's case, this couldn't be further from the truth. The division has created model policies around some big disruptors, such as the sharing economy, that are now being replicated around the world. Featured government: City of Hamilton, Can…

1
Montréal in Common on putting community needs first and tips for more agile and impactful civic innovation 29:52

2y ago29:52

29:52

Back in 2019, the city of Montréal was a successful bidder of the Canadian government Smart Cities Challenge. This allowed Montreal to kick off a multi-year multi-project effort to tackle everything from food security to mobility. Featured government: Montréal, Canada Episode Guests: Aldo Rizzi, Program Director – Smart City Innovation Program chez…

1
Paris, FR focusing on resiliency to drive impactful and equitable policing 23:30

2y ago23:30

23:30

With police forces in many local governments coming under major scrutiny, we'll hear how one government is looking at risk management, crisis management, internal audit, and ultimately ways to improve resiliency to drive impactful and equitable policing. Featured government: Paris, France Episode Guest: Inès Boubaker, Risk Manager, Paris City Hall …

1
Web3 and blockchain applications for local government 31:58

2y ago31:58

31:58

Olivia dives into what this new tech is and what roles local government practitioners can play in these emerging spaces. Episode Guests: Dani Pico, Director of Community at Forum Dani is a long time start-up operator focused on the education and innovation sectors. Currently, Dani is the Director of Community at Forum Ventures, an early stage fund …

1
Detroit, MI empowers residents to bridge their digital divide 22:46

2y ago22:46

22:46

Digital inclusion work is progressing in Detroit, and citizen-centered projects, and an understanding of their experience has been a major component of the city's success to date. Towards their goal of providing sustainable broadband access to residents via an automatic open access fiber network, Autumn and her team are finding creative ways to tal…

1
Driving transformational change in public finance 31:17

2y ago31:17

31:17

This discussion accompanies our new report: Innovation in Public Finance, which is now available at sapconcur.govlaunch.com. The guide features dozens of local government success stories and is made possible in part by SAP Concur, a company that's helping government teams around the world automate spending processes so they can run more efficiently…

1
Transport for London promotes public transit use with creative storytelling 28:28

2+ y ago28:28

28:28

Siddy Holloway's work is centered around getting the public engaged in mobility through various forms of creative storytelling. With London being home to the world’s oldest underground transit network there is a lot of history and knowledge to reveal. Learn more about how London is sharing its public transit stories and how you may be able to engag…

1
Aurora, IL juices public private partnerships for a more connected, nimble and innovative city 24:58

2+ y ago24:58

24:58

Govlaunch co-founder James Alfano and Michael Pegues from Aurora, Illinois discuss the importance of cultivating public-private partnerships, seeing through the smart city hype, and tips for a strong foundation upon which is smart city or connected community can be built. Featured government: City of Aurora, IL Episode guests: Michael Pegues, Chief…

1
Business continuity and data driven leadership in King County 25:32

2+ y ago25:32

25:32

Tanya joins the Govlaunch Podcast to share her story and to encourage other public sector leaders to think about ways that they can be cloud first, mobile first, and to incorporate omnichannel engagement and strategies for meeting the public wherever they're at 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. More info: Featured government: King County, Washington…

1
Climate Action Network Canada: Coherence and governance challenges standing in the way of climate initiatives and what cities can do about it 22:22

2+ y ago22:22

22:22

As countries focus their efforts on reducing their impact on the environment and cutting back their emissions, cities are an integral part of the solution. Olivia and Caroline dive into what cities are doing and what's still left to be done. Episode guests: Caroline Brouillette, National Policy Manager for Climate Action Network Canada. Visit govla…

1
Data KC focuses on staff engagement and retention 29:53

2+ y ago29:53

29:53

Kate Bender, Chief Analytics Officer for Kansas City, MO joins the Govlaunch podcast to talk about staff engagement, an increasingly important and timely topic as organizations navigate a return to work and high turnover. We'll learn how survey tools and data is helping drive internal culture change and promote retention. Featured government: City …

1
City of Los Angeles looks to data to inform their approach to homelessness, the digital divide, and more 39:01

2+ y ago39:01

39:01

In this episode, Olivia's joined by Jeanne Holm, deputy mayor for the city of LA who's tasked with leading both the innovation and budget portfolios. As a notable figure in the data science space, she's currently leveraging data truths to debunk misconceptions in complex policy areas, such as homelessness. Jeanne has a unique public sector perspect…

1
Toronto leverages circular economy principles for innovation 28:21

2+ y ago28:21

28:21

Olivia sits down with City of Toronto's Manager of Circular Economy and Innovation, Meaghan Davis. Toronto has been fostering a circular approach to many facets of its operations and as cities across the globe pay increasing attention to how their services either harm or help the environment, going for circularity is key. Olivia and Meaghan dive in…

1
Montreal's action plan for social innovation 28:58

2+ y ago28:58

28:58

Social innovations are social practices created with the goal of extending and strengthening civil society. Montréal's action plan aims to encourage innovative initiatives that have a beneficial effect on the community by supporting social economy enterprises (mutuals and cooperatives), NPOs, and private entrepreneurship with a social purpose. More…

1
How partnerships and data are driving a more equitable city in Paterson, NJ 27:49

2+ y ago27:49

27:49

The Chief Data Officer for the City of Paterson in New Jersey joins the Govlaunch podcast. Paterson, like many cities across the globe, is looking to improve equity and outcomes for those historically marginalized. They've partnered with Bloomberg Cities on a variety of projects ranging from license restoration to a guaranteed income pilot. So let'…

1
Smart Cities Part 3 of 3: The future of cities 33:28

2+ y ago33:28

33:28

Dr. Jonathan Reichental is the founder of human future, which is a global business and technology advisory investment and education firm. Former CIO for the city of Palo Alto in California and is also the bestselling author of Smart Cities for Dummies. Reichental co-authored an activity book for kids with Brett Hoffstadt, Exploring Smart Cities Act…

1
Smart Cities Part 2 of 3: Funding innovation 32:39

2+ y ago32:39

32:39

Dr. Jonathan Reichental is the founder of human future, which is a global business and technology advisory investment and education firm. Former CIO for the city of Palo Alto in California and is also the bestselling author of Smart Cities for Dummies. More info: Episode guests: Dr. Jonathan Reichental Visit govlaunch.com for more stories and examp…

1
Smart Cities Part 1 of 3: Tips for getting started 31:16

2+ y ago31:16

31:16

Dr. Jonathan Reichental is the founder of human future, which is a global business and technology advisory investment and education firm. Former CIO for the city of Palo Alto in California and is also the bestselling author of Smart Cities for Dummies. More info: Episode guests: Dr. Jonathan Reichental Visit govlaunch.com for more stories and examp…

1
Innovation leadership in times of crisis 34:49

3y ago34:49

34:49

When in crisis mode, structure and chain of command is paramount. However, innovation is not just nice to have in these moments...It's a necessity. Toronto's Fire Chief Matthew Pegg shares some leadership advice and tips for maintaining calm and driving innovation in times of crisis. More info: Featured government: Toronto, ON Canada Episode guests…

1
Data Leadership with Adam Beck 32:20

3y ago32:20

32:20

As cities continue to leverage data for better decision-making and better outcomes, driving a data culture has never been more crucial. Learn about why local government practitioners should foster a data-centric culture of their own and the steps necessary to achieve this. Episode Guests: Adam Beck - Executive Director, Smart Cities Council Austral…

1
Tips for selling to the public sector 22:37

3y ago22:37

22:37

We've had the opportunity to talk with governments of all sizes and companies ranging from seed stage to establish enterprise giants and know firsthand the difficulties in reaching the public sector. Geoff Milz from Colerain Township, Ohio, and Tom Carroll from Village of Silverton, Ohio, join us to talk more about the obstacles that keep them from…

1
Tools to upskill in the public sector 25:18

3y ago25:18

25:18

Edd Elliot and Mia Millman from PUBLIC, Europe's leading GovTech accelerator and venture firm join the Govlaunch podcast to discuss the core skill set public servants will increasingly need as we move toward more data and technology driven organizations. They share how public servants can up-skill and become equipped to handle this increasingly dig…

1
The State of GovTech with PUBLIC 29:45

3y ago29:45

29:45

With explosive growth in the GovTech marketplace and new technologies aimed to enable local governments to operate an entirely different way, we see tremendous opportunity to redefine public service as we know it. We talk about the state of GovTech and hear advice for those in public service navigating this increasingly complex and fast moving spac…

1
How to Become a Chief "Unplanner" 31:46

3y ago31:46

31:46

Although local governments are notorious for planning, is there merit to learning how to effectively unplan? Listen in for tips on how the most innovative changes can come from taking away from processes versus adding more to them. More info: Featured government: City of Toronto, Canada Episode guests: Denis Carr, Supervisor Open Data Anthea Foyer,…

1
Innovative inventions out of Eden Prairie, MN 23:54

3y ago23:54

23:54

Eden Prairie has created an environment where frontline staff is empowered to experiment and innovate. From allocating time specifically to developing these bespoke innovations to ensuring innovation is embedded in the city's overall objectives, Eden Prairie has been recognized for its innovative spirit, most notably in the realm of public works. B…

1
Lancaster Part 5 of 5: All that is possible with a city united 31:01

3y ago31:01

31:01

In the past four episodes, we've taken a comprehensive dive into the innovative work underway in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. As new leadership has brought a wave of new ideas and philosophies, we can see firsthand what's possible with the right structure and people in place to make it happen. Our hope is that Lancaster's story will inspire other local…

1
Lancaster Part 4 of 5: Public Safety delivering on the promise of strong neighborhoods 25:06

3y ago25:06

25:06

Today, we continue our series with innovative city, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In this episode, I chat with Lancaster's police chief and fire chief about how all departments are coming together around the central goal of engaging the community and taking a more human-centered approach to city leadership. More info: Featured government: Lancaster, PA …

1
Lancaster Part 3 of 5: Equity and inclusion from the inside out 37:16

3y ago37:16

37:16

In this episode, Jess King, Patrick Hopkins and Sharon Allen-Spann from Lancaster share how their roles are promoting more equality in government, from expanding language access to hiring practices that support more equitable governance from within. More info: Featured government: Lancaster, PA Episode guests: Jess King, Chief of Staff Patrick Hopk…

1
Lancaster Part 2 of 5: The path to strong neighborhoods - one block at a time 29:57

3y ago29:57

29:57

In Part 1 of our series on,the up-and-coming innovative city, Lancaster, PA, we talked with Mayor Danene about some organizational changes made to support open lines of communication internally and more effective engagement with residents. This interview with Milzy Carrasco, Director of Neighborhood Engagement and Chris Delfs, Director of Community…

1
Lancaster Part 1 of 5: Leadership, collaboration and communication to build strong communities 26:30

3y ago26:30

26:30

In the weeks to follow, we’ll tap into some core strategies and projects that are defining this mid-sized city. From strategies to support inclusivity and equity to homelessness prevention to establishing a comprehensive plan, Mayor Danene Sorace has been busy. At Govlaunch, we strongly believe that innovation can happen at all levels of government…

1
Transport for London's groundbreaking commercial innovation hub benefits mobility across London and beyond 29:33

3y ago29:33

29:33

Transport for London developed a creative approach to improving their procurement processes, cutting through bureaucracy that hindered co-developing solutions with the market. More info: Featured government: Transport for London, UK Episode guests: Rikesh Shah, Head of Commercial Innovation Visit govlaunch.com for more stories and examples of local…

1
Digital Inclusion Part 2 of 2: The importance of fostering the next generation of government innovators 22:49

3y ago22:49

22:49

Detroit is working tirelessly to implement a city-wide sustainable digital inclusion strategy on behalf of the a hundred thousand plus residents without fixed broadband access. From leveraging a creative win-win strategy for getting buy-in from important stakeholders to taking the time to discuss and engage locally with the community, the city of D…

1
Digital Inclusion Part 1 of 2: Tips to bring stakeholders together and improve citywide connectivity 22:34

3y ago22:34

22:34

In part 1, we talk with Joshua Edmonds to learn about Connect 313 - Detroit's citywide, data-driven digital inclusion strategy. Joshua shares lessons learned and winning strategies for bringing various stakeholders together to improve connectivity and access to devices for Detroiters. Directly reporting to the CIO at the City of Detroit, the Direct…

1
Data Insights Part 3 of 3: Albany, NY works across departments to fight blight with data partner Tolemi 30:33

3y ago30:33

30:33

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with Sam Wells from Albany, New York, to learn about the work they're doing to make better use of their data in-house and to work more collaboratively across departments. The co-founder of Tolemi joins us as well and together we'll learn what made Albany choose Tolemi to help break down their data si…

1
Data Insights Part 2 of 3: City of Tucson puts Qlik tools to use with one-click data visualizations 30:33

3y ago30:33

30:33

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with Collin Boyce, Chief Innovation Officer for the city of Tucson, Arizona, to learn about the work they're doing to build a strong data culture. Scott Morris from Qlik joins us as well and together we'll learn what made Tucson choose Qlik to help with end-to-end data management from analytics to co…

1
Data Insights Part 1 of 3: Miami partners with mySidewalk for data storytelling to improve citywide performance 34:03

3y ago34:03

34:03

Govlaunch is the wiki for local government innovation and on this short series, we’re talking all about data driven insights. I’ll be highlighting some of the innovators in local government leveraging available tools to better use various data sources, to make sense of their data in-house, and ultimately lead more efficient and resilient organizati…

1
Wellington, NZ is the model of Innovation, from Civil Defense to Rules as Code 27:26

3+ y ago27:26

27:26

Take a deep dive into Wellington’s innovative efforts; from implementing a strong “Civil Defense” to establishing “rules as code”. If you don’t know know what these are, or really want to explore how to implement them successfully, this podcast with Innovation Lead Sean Audain of Wellington City Council, New Zealand is a must-listen. More info: Fea…

1
Richmond, VA returns for a project update and to share tips for a successful large-scale product launch 28:00

3+ y ago28:00

28:00

In a previous episode, the city of Richmond joined us to talk about the revamp of their existing 311 service and their approach to vendor management more generally. The episode was a big hit, which doesn't come as a surprise. Local governments aren't necessarily looking for fancy new products. Sometimes the best solution is something already procur…

1
Helsingborg, Sweden talks about their groundbreaking three pipe sewer system, AI robots, and their citywide approach to fearless innovation 27:12

3+ y ago27:12

27:12

In this episode, Olivia from our team chats with the city of Helsingborg. This Swedish city is getting recognized for its bold approach to innovation with these efforts culminating in H22, which is both a movement as well as a citywide expo centered on innovation set to occur in 2022. One of H22’s many projects includes a new approach to sewer syst…

1
Playful Engagement Part 2 of 2: D.C. Office of Planning and American University's Playful Cities Lab return to share projects in the works and how to leverage play in your local gov 23:39

3+ y ago23:39

23:39

Citizen engagement is top of mind for many local governments. And it should be. Local governments continue to grapple with communications strategies around COVID and the vaccine, are working with tightening budgets and are continuing to face pressure to innovate at the same pace as private sector companies. And building and maintaining trust with y…

1
Playful Engagement Part 1 of 2: D.C. Office of Planning and American University's Playful Cities Lab team up to share how playfulness is the key to building the engaging cities of tomorrow 30:20

3+ y ago30:20

30:20

Citizen engagement is top of mind for many local governments. And it should be. Local governments continue to grapple with communications strategies around COVID and the vaccine, are working with tightening budgets and are continuing to face pressure to innovate at the same pace as private sector companies. And building and maintaining trust with y…

1
Finland's Helsinki Smart Region establishes a leading framework for innovation and collaboration 23:16

3+ y ago23:16

23:16

The Helsinki Smart Region is a conglomeration of several municipalities in Finland working towards common goals: things like fighting climate change and improving mobility through innovation ecosystems that are cross-sectoral. More info: Featured government: Helsinki Smart Region Episode guests: Venla Virkamäki, Strategic Advisor on EU Affairs Hels…

1
Census Engagement Part 2 of 2: D.C. and Philadelphia talk network building and keeping engagement momentum alive after the census 19:51

3+ y ago19:51

19:51

As cities with deep digital divides, populations of people that have been historically undercounted and forgotten, and at a time with heightened distrust in government, Philly and DC were able to overcome the odds to boost census participation through some creative, human-centered strategies. We dive into strategies pre-pandemic and their pivot pos…

1
Census Engagement Part 1 of 2: D.C. and Philadelphia share how lessons learned from the 2020 Census are helping shape their ongoing engagement efforts 26:35

3+ y ago26:35

26:35

As cities with deep digital divides, populations of people that have been historically undercounted and forgotten, and at a time with heightened distrust in government, Philly and DC were able to overcome the odds to boost census participation through some creative, human-centered strategies. We dive into strategies pre-pandemic and their pivot pos…

1
Citizen Engagement Part 6 of 6: Clay County, FL looks to Granicus for full suite citizen engagement from online services to communications 28:06

3+ y ago28:06

28:06

In this short series, we’re talking all about Citizen Engagement. I’ll be highlighting some of the innovators in local government leveraging available tools to better engage with the communities they serve. Our goal is to expose more local governments to the tools available to help by efficiently providing useful information about some of the leadi…

1
Citizen Engagement Part 5 of 6: Eden Prairie, MN partners with Polco to leverage survey experts and benchmarking tools for better engagement 29:37

3+ y ago29:37

29:37

In this short series, we’re talking all about Citizen Engagement. I’ll be highlighting some of the innovators in local government leveraging available tools to better engage with the communities they serve. Our goal is to expose more local governments to the tools available to help by efficiently providing useful information about some of the leadi…

1
Citizen Engagement Part 4 of 6: Lancaster, PA partners with CitizenLab to boost inclusive engagement on city projects and more 30:10

3+ y ago30:10

30:10

In this short series, we’re talking all about Citizen Engagement. I’ll be highlighting some of the innovators in local government leveraging available tools to better engage with the communities they serve. Our goal is to expose more local governments to the tools available to help by efficiently providing useful information about some of the leadi…

1
Citizen Engagement Part 3 of 6: Portland, ME and CBE collaborate with Civil Space to help inform and meaningfully engage their communities. 33:53

3+ y ago33:53

33:53

In this short series, we’re talking all about Citizen Engagement. I’ll be highlighting some of the innovators in local government leveraging available tools to better engage with the communities they serve. Our goal is to expose more local governments to the tools available to help by efficiently providing useful information about some of the leadi…

1
Citizen Engagement Part 2 of 6: Williamsburg, VA and Arlington, TX are leveraging Citibot’s chatbot and texting tools to reach more citizens and improve city-wide operations. 35:20

3+ y ago35:20

35:20

In this short series, we’re talking all about Citizen Engagement. I’ll be highlighting some of the innovators in local government leveraging available tools to better engage with the communities they serve. Our goal is to expose more local governments to the tools available to help by efficiently providing useful information about some of the leadi…

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