Be the Change: Leveraging Tech to Connect People to Policy

Featuring: Bhavini Patel

Event Sponsor: EIS and Insight

Event Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82514346419

SUMMARY:

This proposal is grounded in the idea that building resilient neighborhoods requires a deeper understanding of the root causes of structural racism and a comprehensive place-based plan to increase democratic participation. A key challenge in low-income communities and communities of color are often deprived of opportunities to inform elected officials about how their neighborhoods should be revitalized. This talk will provide an in-depth process analysis for the development of an ethical participatory mapping platform called Be the Change led by a majority-minority team and female founder. This presentation will equip attendees with new skills to successfully align creative place-making technology with equitable community development.

BIO:

Bhavini is the founder of Be the Change (by beamdata), a civic action app that helps people connect with their elected officials to share community concerns. In 2019, Bhavini was a candidate for Allegheny County Council and came in second in a competitive three-way race. In 2020, she was appointed to the PA Medical Marijuana Advisory Board by Senator Jay Costa. As a Pittsburgh native, Bhavini volunteers on the Boards of several nonprofits including Second Generation PAC, the Bhutanese Community Association of PGH and Civically Inc. She graduated from the University of Oxford as a Rotary Global Grant Scholar. Most recently, she was recognized as 30 Under 30 by the Pittsburgh Business Times and The Incline's Who's Next Politics 2018.