Are you going to the Code for America Summit, May 16-17? Nava staff want to meet you! We’re hosting several exciting sessions that we’d love for you to attend, including a social hour for people of color.
Tweet at Nava (@NavaPBC) to meet up at the event or say hi to the following folks in-person.
People of color social hour
Tuesday, May 16, 6:30 - 8:30pm at New Heights Restaurant
Join us for networking, hor d’oeuvres, and beverages at an inclusive event for anyone who identifies as a person of color, including Black, East Asian, Indigenous, Latinx, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and other underrepresented groups. This event is hosted by Code for America and Nava PBC. RSVP here.
Prototyping policy change in the WIC program and beyond
Breakout session on Tuesday, May 16, 11:30am - 12:30pm
Martelle Esposito, Lauren Peterson, and Christina Chauvenet
Pandemic policy waivers temporarily removed in-person requirements for the WIC program, creating an opportunity to prototype possibilities for program transformation in the digital age. At the same time, systemic barriers to equitable technology distribution became apparent. The National WIC Association and Nava PBC will share results from a national survey of WIC participants, a technology landscape assessment, and a demonstration project in Montana, showcasing how to use technology research and prototypes as advocacy tools for policy change like 1) making policy waivers permanent and 2) creating more equitable technology access with a national WIC API standard.
A Decade of Civic Tech: Looking Back and Looking Forward
Mainstage on Wednesday, May 17, 9:00am - 11:00am
Sha Hwang, Paul Smith, Todd Park, Mina Hsiang
Nava’s co-founder and COO will join other civic tech leaders to reflect on the past decade’s accomplishments and share his perspective on what’s ahead.
Ending the blame game: How governments and technology vendors can leverage procurement to co-create solutions and deliver better outcomes
Breakout session on Wednesday, May 17, 11:30am - 12:30pm
Rohan Bhobe, Afua Bruce, David Yarkin, and Kathrin Frauscher
In 2021, U.S. states collectively spent $60.6 billion on IT. Despite these significant costs, we repeatedly hear stories about failures in the procurement and implementation of IT projects, and how these often have an adverse impact on local residents and communities. When things fall apart, governments tend to fault vendors, and vendors point to governments. How might we build relationships across this divide that actually deliver better results? In our “real talk” session, we will bring suppliers, government, and tech procurement intermediaries together to unpack pain points in the procurement process. We will share acquisition and contract management solutions that lead to shared accountability, build mutual trust, and ultimately help create user-friendly digital solutions.
We’re so excited to share our mission and work with you at one or several of these sessions!
