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As you may have noticed over the past few months, I’ve been talking more and more about the “social sector.” As I’m sure you’ll have assumed, this has been intentional on my part to begin to reach out beyond my comfort zone of humanitarian aid and international development to the wider community of social actors; people who consider themselves social entrepreneurs, philanthropists and even intrapreneurs who see opportunity within their existing companies and organization to make change that will both serve those in need, but also improve our prospects for human flourishing. It is in this context that I’m excited to introduce you to Lev Gonick, the CEO of DigitalC. As you’ll hear in our conversation, Lev is passionate about how technology can be used as an enabling platform to bring change to legacy cities. Now, like me, you may ask what exactly is a “legacy city”? Here’s how DigitalC frames it: Many communities that were built on a 20th century manufacturing base now face the challenge of transitioning to a digital economy. Communities everywhere need strategies and practical programming that support their transition. So, again as you’ll hear just a minute, places like Cleveland, where Lev lives, were once the pinnacle of modern civilization, but now find themselves with realities that are more akin to sub-Saharan Africa in terms of individual outcomes, like infant mortality or higher education. And, while it comes out clearly in our conversation, I don’t think we could have a better guest on the show to talk about the needs of legacy cities and how powerful solutions can be crafted. From 2001 to 2013, Lev was Chief Information Officer at Case Western Reserve University and his leadership helped create the Case Connection Zone, catalyze national initiatives such as US Ignite, (which was launched by the White House Office of Science and Technology Planning), and Gig.U. As you can imagine, this work has resulted in Lev being recognized and awarded for his achievements in numerous place. I know you’re going to love this show about how Lev’s team is helping people in need from Cleveland to Morocco by helping to build new civic agendas, introducing new technologies and opening access to the promises of big data. You can connect with Lev here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levgonick/ https://twitter.com/levgonick
IN TOR 155 YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT
- The phenomena of Legacy Cities in the world and the US, the fragile state of communities living in these places, and how often “chamber of commerce” visions for them don’t fit with the real needs of the city and its inhabitants
- The obsolete paradigm civic leadership is seemingly based on, and the dangers of not understanding how technologies disrupt economies, jobs, and communities
- The value of digital infrastructure in impoverished cities, previously manufacturing centers, for the communities, and why it does not seem to register in corporate ROIs
- How to leverage the relatively low-cost digital infrastructure and civic facilities to create value and respond to the challenges of a service economy
- The reality about the highly touted smartphone penetration in “urban deserts”
- How for Lev the goal is not internet access, but a step towards more college graduates, quality public services
- Lev’s thoughts on creating a for-the-community, by-the-community urban development model, still articulated to a global network
OUR CONVERSATION FEATURES THE FOLLOWING
Names:
- DigitalC
- Case Western Reserve University
- Cleveland Clinic
- Barack Obama, his Presidency
- National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA)
- NDIA’s Digital Inclusion Week
- Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority
- The Cleveland Foundation
- Metrohealth
- National Science Foundation (NSF)
- NSF’s US Ignite
- United Way Worldwide
- Cleveland Water Alliance
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
- City Minded, Meeting of the Minds
- Broadband Communities Summit
- Tweetdeck
Topics:
- Digital Network Infrastructure, Policies, National plan
- Legacy Cities, Post-industrialization, Decline of the middle class
- Digital literacy, Digital access, Digital services Connectivity and internet access in communities, Technological sensibilization
- Community centers and facilities, Community services, Computing centers
- Infant mortality
- Health care, Health care literacy, Welfare services
- Smartphone penetration and usage, data plans
- 2008 US Financial Crisis, Recovery, Stimulus
- Broadband, Fiber optic
- Telcos, Telecommunications market development
- Return on Investment (ROI), Return on Community
- Hackatons
- Grants, Competitive grants
- Gentrification
- Disruptive technologies, effect on manufacturing centers
- Digital economy
- Urban development, economic models
- Millimeter wave technology (Extremely High Frequency)
- Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR)
- Blockchain, auditable ownership
- Analytics
Places
- Cleveland, OH
- San Francisco, CA
- Munich
- Dublin
- India
- Silicon Valley
EPISODE CRIB NOTES
Cleveland, Ohio, Tuesday, May 9, 2017 DigitalC 18-month old Catalyze technology for impact in “Legacy Cities” Cities who underwent “industrial greatness” followed by population decline Now they are in crisis About 100 cities around the world fit the term Challenge to rebuild the middle class DigitalC prioritizes strategic word, agenda, role of technology Practical approach Lev has partnerships in San Francisco, Munich, Dublin (Last two ones arguably Legacy Cities) Cities and communities thinking about a “future blueprint” Baby social startup, things are about to get real “It’s a classic overnight success twenty years in the making” Lev’s involved in community work since the 80s India, Africa, Middle East How technologies have served the public interest over time Lived in Silicon Valley Recruited by Case Western Reserve University Organizations interested in “reimagining, renewing” the city Digital infrastructure Community service and engagement, leveraging infrastructure Work around the campus Many universities have a central place and role, at the heart of legacy cities But neighbors don’t always enjoy the positive presence of a university Lev’s team built a fiber optic network that branched out of Case Servicing museums, libraries, schools, healthcare and government facilities in the community 3 years ago started wondering: What should come next? 1.5, DigitalC is born Stories of positive digital infrastructure leveraging by legacy citizens Men and women coming back: veterans, returning prison and juvenile population, welfare recipients They are the majority They have clear problems: infant mortality A Case Western Study Legacy cities have “chamber of commerce” stories About shiny buildings and clean boulevards All the while citizens don’t enjoy quality digital access Glendale neighborhood Some of the best health care institutions in the world: Cleveland Clinic Right around the corner, people have access to several welfare services, including health care Case focuses on expanding internet access to increase “health care literacy” in the perimeter Computing Centers used to teach MS Office, had no internet Case gives computing, community and senior citizens centers its wi-fi password (figuratively) Pilot programs in energy management, new ideas can be tested thanks to the new connectivity Post-08 financial crash stimulus programs by the Obama administration provide further support Secretary of Commerce announce ambitious nationwide digital infrastructure plan Lev gathers evidence, stories about the value of digital infrastructure, especially in legacy cities Relatively modest investment with large impacts Think about digital infrastructure before malls Lev’s role “All of the above and more” 2005 The program started, still early internet era Lev had experimented with broadband in his dorm Set up an antenna to reach the computing center, housing communities Over time, fiber extension allows more robust connectivity to shelters and other citizen centers Public housing in Cleveland today gives high-speed internet with symmetrical bandwidth Competitive speeds remain today as a result of sensible investments Why isn’t a telco doing this? Stephen: Why is this not seen as a corporate opportunity? “It’s a big question. It’s a fundamental challenge in the United States” The US has no national digital infrastructure policy High variation around states, cities within a state Corporations have strategies without specific regard for legacy and inner city issues Corporations have to prioritize funding, respond to market, investor pressures Little investment in fiber optics as a result “You can wait for a corporation to come,” or develop a self-reliance model Several cities have Cleveland’s problem Autonomy to develop a citizen-focused plan gives better control about the shape of the future market It creates more competitive environments Telcos are coming to Cleveland, with competitive offerings that are also well-priced Cleveland decided on a “civic agenda” before the corporations came with their offers Legacy Cities don’t offer a straightforward path to ROI for telcos Digital Inclusion Week Access, literacy, training, compelling use cases Citizens who succeed in getting value from their city’s digital infrastructure For Digital Inclusion Week, DigitalC will offer personal stories Resilience and personal recovery after losing in the financial crisis People have gained new skills, better jobs, homeowners again (with good internet) “It’s not a story particularly meaningful to a large company” No Return on Community Value On digital illiteracy in industrialized legacy cities in the age of smartphones Smartphone pervasiveness is not quite Smartphone is a status symbol, which helps adoption But in reality, upwards of 40% of the community don’t have data plans Lev has fresh survey data People tend to choose groceries, clothes, health care out-of-pocket over data plans I repeat: Cleveland is not unique Lots of smartphones, little internet, not only in rural areas, not only senior population There are critical challenges in global participation It’s important to shine a light, and create programs Hackathon at Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority “Public Housing Hackathon” People making under USD 1,000 a month should not be expected to spend $100 in data Ideas floating about e-books, home connectivity underwriting Legacy city inhabitants tend to move often, spend a lot in urban transportation Urban food deserts Some unsuspecting cities have legacy-like symptoms (San Francisco) Digital seed How is DigitalC funded? “Our success owes it to a clear strategy” “Pitching a big tent” “Compelling list of challenges” “Communities are involved in developing solutions” Hackaton was a change to find out about citizen’s visions 4-key funding model Grants, charity (Cleveland Foundation, Metrohealth) Organizations ask DigitalC for help in digital health records literacy Tech companies piloting programs seek DigitalC Also successes in competitive grants: National Science Foundation NSF’s US Ignite, helps in next-gen apps and services Lev is US Ignite board member, DigitalC has received funding Significant flow of support due to the visible impact of the fiber optic network “We try to be bootstrap, fairly agile organization” Will keep trying help local governments, NGOs (United Way Worldwide, Cleveland Water Alliance) Even the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum How to figure out data for good DigitalC gets revenue from data analytics with own repository “We are constantly reinventing our business model, to keep generating value” for communities When does a community officially end its digital isolation? “Honestly, and fully transparently, it remains aspirational” Success means going more than bringing internet access DigitalC’s Restart looks to provide skills, employment to people with connectivity Recycling Programs Laptops, tables for children at home It takes a village to keep a hotspot alive Continuous engagement Authentic partnership No community has finally “jumped over the chasm” Success is not having internet, but children graduating, better air quality Digital infrastructure is a prerequisite Gentrification is at bay in legacy cities, opportunity to decide the right urban renovation the community Political friction, measured in dollars over Mbps We have legacy cities because of disruptive technologies in a globalized world Our civic leaders are from the manufacturing economy era Steel is too small, yet is overrepresented in media Technologies are not understood, communities are not prepared for them, hence the shake-up How to build consensus in the absence of digital, technological leadership Silicon Valley is an exception in civic management of technology There’s no collective vision, state and nationwide Kids have no sense of empowerment DigitalC has tech sensibilization, coding programs Their parents aspired to work in plants, specific jobs Today’s kids don’t have such clear picture about their involvement in the future economy Community reimagining, executing “is easier said than done” People in European legacy cities talk like this, people in American legacy cities talk like that An international community is increasing Highlights the need for a collective digital agenda Dialogs happening around the world Cleveland’s “Meeting of the Minds” next October 2017 http://meetingoftheminds.org/about Attuned to the potential of the digital economy to attend real priorities of communities around the world A community in the making Neighborhood community hives, “the Community Center of the 21st Century” Models developed in legacy cities “Constraints are the mother of innovation, and there’s no place more constrained than legacy cities” To find out what’s possible, go to Africa and Asia, not Silicon Valley Lev’s fiber cable to the future City Minded’s Meeting of the Minds National Digital Inclusion Alliance Broadband Communities Summit US Ignite (health care, education) Tweetdeck Millimeter wave technology (Extremely High Frequency) VR, AR Blockchain, auditable ownershipPlease share and participate
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