Archives Episode 1: What is Civic Innovation Panel

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Event Images courtesy of our panelists and their organizations

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"It's not always about technology and building the next greatest app. It's really more about how can we solve old problems in new ways, and how can we foster a culture of innovation across city government."- Krista Kanalakis

What if the most powerful force for change in your city isn't City Hall — it's you? On this landmark episode of Voices of the Community, host George Koster sits down with three pioneering Bay Area civic innovators: Krista Kanalakis, Deputy Innovation Officer for San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee; Judy Brown, co-founder of Civic Makers; and Susan Stewart Clark, founder of Common Knowledge.

Together, they tackle five defining challenges reshaping civic life: Rethinking innovation beyond apps and hackathons; Breaking government silos through public-private collaboration; Centering grassroots voices in co-designed solutions; Leveraging open data and participatory budgeting tools; Recruiting civic-minded talent into public service

From a smartphone app that gave a blind traveler her independence at SFO to a community-designed voter guide that doubled turnout, these stories prove civic innovation changes lives. Find out more about each guest below and Listen now and discover your role in building a better Bay Area.

Krista Canellakis-Deputy Innovation Officer, SF Mayor’s Office of Civic Innovation

Krista helped make San Francisco a global model for using technology to solve real community problems.

Krista Canellakis was a key architect of San Francisco's reputation as a leader in civic innovation through her leadership at the SF Mayor’s Office of Civic Innovation. She co-created the Startup in Residence Program — connecting startups directly to government work — and led Civic Bridge, which mobilized local tech talent as volunteers for the city. Civic Bridge earned San Francisco an international award at CityLab DC, the premier summit for urban leadership. Since the production of this episode Krista is now the Digital Delivery Program Director at U.S. Digital Response

Susan Stewart Clark-Founder, Common Knowledge

Susan founded Common Knowledge to make sure the communities most affected by big decisions are the ones helping shape them.

Susan founded Common Knowledge to pioneer "community-centric design" — a practice that brings diverse, lesser-heard voices into solving problems like housing, healthcare, and civic participation. Her career spans Brand Manager at Procter & Gamble to Vice President at Del Monte Foods, before shifting her expertise in human behavior toward community engagement. She directs U.C. Davis Extension's annual Public Policy Institute and has advised PayPal, Code for America, and other civic tech organizations. California State Library named her a Champion of Literacy. We've only scratched the surface of what Susan has shared about the importance of Civic engagement. You can hear more from Susan in our Covid-19 Special Series and her panel on the importance of Libraries and Librarians. For the full depth of this conversation—listen to Episode 62.

Judy Brown-Co-founder, Civic Makers

Judi co-founded CivicMakers to put human-centered design to work where it matters most — inside government.

Judi Brown is Chief Impact Officer at CivicMakers, where she applies human-centered design to make government more inclusive and participatory. She brings 12 years of hands-on innovation work across nonprofits, social enterprises, and government agencies. Her field experience includes designing micro-lending evaluation tools for women entrepreneurs in Kenya. She holds a Master's in Sustainable Public Administration from Presidio Graduate School and has taught graduate-level civic design at the same institution. To find out more about Judi and CivicMakers work along with the Civic Innovation Panel discussion she co-hosted go to episode 50 of our Covid-19 Special Series.

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“Community members who participated in the dialogue, the workshop, or the Easy Voter Guide voted at a rate of 72% versus 36% for people who did not participate.”

— Susan Stewart Clark,Founder,Common Knowledge

Thanks to our CoProduction Partner

KCSF Radio is the student-operated radio station of City College of San Francisco (CCSF), functioning as a core component of the Broadcast Electronic Media Arts Department. Was broadcasting at 90.9 FM and is now streaming only online via platforms like TuneIn, KCSF serves as both a training ground for aspiring media professionals and a vibrant community radio voice. The station emphasizes being "Your Community, Your Radio," offering commercial-free, student-driven content in music, news, sports, and public affairs.

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