I’m glad I extended my annual Halloween trip back home to Philly to make last night’s GovUp at R2L in Liberty 2. Driving through my old stomping grounds at Penn made me want to move back home, but temps in the 30s scared that thought off for now!
What I loved about the Philly GovUp:
- The venue was awesome, with a spectacular panoramic view of the city from 37 floors up.
- Mini cheesesteaks, oh man.
- GovLoop on tour – great to see the DC team at the event
- Lots of Philly government leaders, and Young Government Leaders
- Very informative talk from GSA’s Sue Davaro. Everyone learned something new
- Allan Frank, CTO of Philadelphia, was outstanding (continued below…)
Allan Frank is one of the more impressive people in government I’ve heard speak in awhile. He laid out the many big challenges involved to get an old city to the forefront of technology. Let me tell you, now I know it’s a lot more than getting widespread 4G coverage so my smart phone works better, or upgrading lots of old PCs to the newest version of Windows.
Here are some of Allan’s challenges and advancements (from memory):
- Public Safety tech advancements are the #1 priority – loved that he started off with that
- Getting over 50 tech-siloed agencies sharing resources
- “City Planning” the fiber network of the future like we did for roads, pipes, etc.
- Addressing the digital divide with 41% of citizens without Internet access
- Using GPS and LBS (Location-Based Services) to map every fire hydrant, tree, etc.
- Making city services, like getting a business license, online and accessible
Video Minutes taped the whole thing and I’m sure that will be online soon!
Awesome meeting you last night Chris. Thanks for coming out – keep in touch!
Glad to hear YGL was representing in the City of Brotherly Gov(Up!)
Sorry to have missed the meeting, sounds like a great networking opportunity. Look forward to upcoming Philly GovUp events – are there any currently scheduled?