OpenAccess Philly Showcase: 8 lightning talks on public-private partnerships [VIDEO]

The first Philly Tech Week lunchtime series was the OpenAccessPhilly Showcase, an hour of lightning presentations on important public-private projects that impact Philadelphia.

Each of the eight presenters had five minutes to present a slide deck about their particular initiative and close with a six-word summary of their work. It was a tighter format of the day-long OAP event last fall.

After a brief introduction from Comcast Director of Local Media Development Paul Wright and Jeff Friedman, Manager of Civic Innovation and Participation in the Office of the Philadelphia Mayor, the presenters approached the podium rapid fire over the course of the lunch hour at WHYY in Old City.

Check out video of each presenter and his or her six-word summary after the jump.

Civic hacker and Code for America director of government relations Mark Headd presented on the work CfA does through its Code for America Brigade, an effort to organize city-based groups of citizens to maintain open data applications.

Although he forgot his six-word summary he later told Technically Philly he would have said: “Code for America Brigade join now.”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTVS6Wbd-uM]

Software developer and former Code for America fellow Mjumbe Poe talked about his work with Open Plans, an open data nonprofit, and more deliberately the Change by Us format he helped build last year.

Poe’s six words: “Join projects, start projects build community”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrgg4Dkf9eI]

SEPTA Director of Emerging and Specialty Technology Mike Zaleski discussed SEPTA’s efforts to use open data to improve Philadelphia transit.

Zaleski’s six words: “open transit data, open transit data”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8OQViYBsIg]

Philadelphia Police Department Director of Communications Karima Zedan discussed the PPD’s focus on community engagement through it’s web and mobile sites.

PPD recently launched the mobile version of its website, as Technically Philly reported.

Zedan’s six words: “create (our) public safety story with @phillypolice”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cIOSdHLrRg]

Azavea founder and president Robert Cheetham explained Open Data Philly and hinted that a new partner would be shepherding the project in the future.

Cheetham’s six words: “open data catalyzes communities and change”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Qhg1dQcH8g]

Technically Philly cofounder Brian James Kirk talked about how journalism offered a unique perspective to improve digital access through Connect Philly, an online and SMS mapping application designed to connect Philadelphians without digital access to computing resources.

Kirk’s six words: “rethink how your industry helps Philadelphia”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVE9CI-VNEw]

Lindsey Keck, a co-program manager with the Office of Innovation and Technology with the City of Philadelphia, talked about Philly Keyspot presented by the Freedom Rings partnership, an initiative devoted to digital access and literacy in Philadelphia.

Keck’s six words: “empowering people through technology enabled spaces”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WaD3zkU1eI]

Wright returned to the stage to offer the final presentation on Philly in Focus, community video sharing initiative that is part of Comcast’s Project Open Voice.

Technically Philly reported on the launch of the Philly in Focus public beta here.

Wright’s six words: “helping Philadelphians connect through their media ”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96DCvXWn3u8]