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Could digital navigators close the tech gap?
The digital navigator model is a relatively new system to provide tech support and access to digital resources to the community. The program launched in Philadelphia in 2020, with the city enlisting local orgs to help.
Digital navigators are extremely good at providing individualized attention to residents, helping them troubleshoot issues and access extended resources. But they’re not the only tool to combat inequity. Advocates need to push for systemic change at the same time, they tell Technical.ly.
➡️ Read about how the digital navigator model works
Celebrate the 2024 Technical.ly Awards
After establishing six new Technical.ly Awards categories and collecting nominations, we asked you all to vote for your favorites.
This year’s winners include resources for local startups, supportive community figures and tech companies striving to create a positive impact.
➡️ Find out who won this year’s Technical.ly Awards
News Incubator: What else to know
• Do you have old cell phones and laptops lying around? Here are 16 places you can responsibly dispose of them in Philadelphia. [Technical.ly]
• 2024 was full of milestone anniversaries, national tech conferences, major shakeups and opportunities for Philly to show off on a national stage. Check out this interactive timeline of tech stories this year. [Technical.ly]
• The University City Science Center announced the sixth cohort of its Capital Readiness Program. Ten healthtech companies from around the country will come to Philly for a weeklong bootcamp this month. [The Science Center]
• Coatesville-based founder Susan Springsteen won a spot at the 2024 Global TiE Women Pitch Summit in Bangalore, India. Springsteen’s company H2O Connected develops tech products that identify water loss issues in toilets. [Western Chester County Chamber of Commerce]
• The Health Federation of Philadelphia is accepting applications from Philly orgs to provide funding for a digital health navigator through the National Health Corps Community Health Fellowship Project. These navigators help patients access technology associated with their care. [National Health Corps]
• The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority will distribute over 9,000 laptops across the commonwealth through the Digital Connectivity Technology Program, including 200 for Beyond Literacy in Philadelphia. [DCED]
• Vitara Biomedical raised a $50 million Series B. The company is developing an artificial womb. [Philly Biz Journal]
• The Wharton School hosted a panel about AI regulation and policy. [YouTube]
A year’s worth of insights in 45 mins
Technical.ly’s annual State of the Tech Economy reports drop next week, but you don’t have to navigate the jam-packed downloads yourself — let Chris Wink walk you through them! That’s what’ll happen at the webinar he’s got lined up for next week.
Tune in on LinkedIn Live as industry leaders from across the Mid-Atlantic join Chris to break down trends from the past year and look forward to 2025. What does the new federal administration mean for the local innovation landscape? Which communities are thriving and which are in danger of being left behind? What’s the best way to tell your region’s success stories?
➡️ RSVP for the virtual event at 12 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11
🗓️ On the Calendar
• Princeton Innovation Center BioLabs is hosting a panel about branding on Dec. 3. [More details]
• Philadelphia Data Visualization Meetup’s monthly event is on Dec. 4 at Cesium’s HQ. [More details]
• PHPxPhilly’s last meetup of the year is on Dec. 4 at the Bok building. [RSVP here]
• Philly Tech Entrepreneurs’ monthly marketing webinar happens on Dec. 5. [Details here]
• Sign up to bring a dish to Philly Game Mechanics Potluck Night on Dec. 6. [RSVP here]
• Join Technical.ly CEO Chris Wink at the State of the Economy webinar on Dec. 11. [Register here]
Sarah Huffman is a 2022-2024 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism.Before you go...
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