54 Storytelling, building community, and connecting with others

Civic Tech Chat

#Tech #civictechchat #Ryan Koch

33:58

On June 25th 2025, in collaboration with Open Folk, we presented our first ever live interview event in Los Angeles. As Open Folk put it: "In These Lines is a live event where three artists each bring one song — not just to perform, but to explore. They sit down with Sofia Loporcaro, host of Before The Chorus, to talk about where the song came from, what it meant to write it, and what it still holds. Then they play it. Just the song, and the truth behind it." Find Open Folk on Instagram: @openfolkla Find Gaby on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0K9pSmFx0kWESA9jqx8aCW?si=Wz4RUP88Qlm_RKs7QTLvWQ On Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/gaby-moreno/472697737 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gaby_moreno/ Find Lily on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0p0ksmwMDQlAM24TWKu4Ua?si=Bmdg-uIUTHu-zRUc_dqL3g On Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/lily-kershaw/526884610 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilykershaw/ Find James on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3u50TPoLvMBXNT1KrLa3iT?si=OoLoq7ZTRZyUiytQcz0FsQ On Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/james-spaite/905076868 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesspaite/ Subscribe: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://beforethechorus.bio.to/listen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up for our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.beforethechorus.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@beforethechoruspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@soundslikesofia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ About the podcast: Welcome to Before the Chorus , where we go beyond the sounds of our favourite songs to hear the stories of the artists who wrote them. Before a song is released, a record is produced, or a chorus is written, the musicians that write them think. A lot. They live. A lot. And they feel. A LOT. Hosted by award-winning interviewer Sofia Loporcaro, Before the Chorus explores the genuine human experiences behind the music. Sofia’s deep knowledge of music and personal journey with mental health help her connect with artists on a meaningful level. This is a space where fans connect with artists, and listeners from all walks of life feel seen through the stories that shape the music we love. About the host: Sofia Loporcaro is an award-winning interviewer and radio host who’s spent over 8 years helping musicians share their stories. She’s hosted shows for Amazing Radio, and Transmission Roundhouse. Now on Before the Chorus, she’s had the chance to host guests like Glass Animals, Feist, Madison Cunningham, Mick Jenkins, & Ru Paul's Drag Race winner Shea Couleé. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

4 years ago 47:35

MP3•Episode home

[Matt Scott](https://twitter.com/MattScottGW), creator of [Let's Care](https://www.lets.care/) joins us to talk about their experiences as a story teller and community builder. We'll talk about their craft, the ways empathy can lead to connection, and the lessons they've learned along their path. ### Resources and Shoutouts: - [Empathy for Change](https://www.amyjwilson.com/empathyforchange){:target="_blank"} - [Brene Brown](https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability) ##### Music Credit: [Tumbleweeds by Monkey Warhol](http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Monkey_Warhol/Lonely_Hearts_Challenge/Monkey_Warhol_-_Tumbleweeds)

98 episodes

Civic Tech Chat

54 Storytelling, building community, and connecting with others

Civic Tech Chat

17 subscribers

published 4 years ago

MP3•Episode home

98 episodes

#Tech #civictechchat #Ryan Koch

All episodes

Civic Tech Chat

1
97 Pioneering Progress: Advocating for Experimentation in Government with Nava Labs 53:12

4 weeks ago53:12

53:12

We're talking about experimentation in government services with two experts from Nava Labs, a philanthropically funded part of Nava PBC: Genevieve Gaudet (Director) and Martelle Esposito (Partnerships and Evaluation Manager). Learn about their approach to experimentation, leveraging data, and how they advocate for adoption. Resources and shoutouts - Keep up with the Nava Labs team (make sure to select the "Nava Labs" checkbox): https://www.navapbc.com/nava-newsletter - Nava PBC website: https://www.navapbc.com - Nava Labs’ work, including the AI tools for Caseworkers project: https://www.navapbc.com/labs - AI appropriateness checklist: https://www.navapbc.com/toolkits/ai-public-sector-challenges - Feel free to reach out to the Nava Labs team any time at labs@navapbc.com…

Civic Tech Chat

1
96 We the Songwriters 35:35

8 weeks ago35:35

35:35

We're joined by Ami Yares (https://www.amiyares.com/) songwriter and Executive Director of Build a Bridge (https://buildabridge.org), a non-profit that focuses on transforming lives through art-making, and by Shannon, a User Experience designer with over 20 years experience including time across 3 Federal agencies. We'll talk about their initiative called We the Songwriters (https://www.wethesongwriters.org), which connects federal employees with songwriters to share their stories. Resources and Shoutouts: - Friends of USAID Playlist (https://open.spotify.com/artist/33NtIX8ae3eovd3AQtMEKO?si=S2IhqKRHSFqAA1xKH3Ts8Q&nd=1&dlsi=54817e06c5dd427b) - Song: USAID (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlFaXtVW4VM) Music Credit: Tumbleweeds by Monkey Warhol…

Civic Tech Chat

1
95 Code for America Summit 2025 27:22

9 weeks ago27:22

27:22

We're joined by Amanda Renteria (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-renteria/), CEO of Code for America to discuss their upcoming Summit event. We'll cover a bit about the event itself, the state of the civic tech ecosystem, and the impact that event could have on the space. Resources and shoutouts - https://codeforamerica.org - https://summit.codeforamerica.org/ Music Credit: Tumbleweeds by Monkey Warhol…

Civic Tech Chat

1
94 Infinite Scrolling 16:10

16 weeks ago16:10

16:10

Our host, Ryan Koch, does a breakdown of infinite scrolling. We talk about what this design technique is, why it gets used, and the potential effects it could have on folks using applications. Music Credit: Tumbleweeds by Monkey Warhol

Civic Tech Chat

1
93 Building an accessible web 43:53

22 weeks ago43:53

43:53

We're joined by Mike Gifford (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mgifford), Open Standards and Practice Lead at CivicActions (https://civicactions.com/). We'll dig deep into what it takes to build accessible web services and why that effort is so important. Resources and Shoutouts: - Accessibility Chapter of the Web Almanac (https://almanac.httparchive.org/en/2024/accessibility) Music Credit: Tumbleweeds by Monkey Warhol…

Civic Tech Chat

1
92 Archives: Hack Your Bureaucracy 32:14

27 weeks ago32:14

32:14

We reach back into the archives to re-release episode 84. In it we were joined by Marina Nitze (https://twitter.com/MarinaNitze) to talk about their book Hack Your Bureaucracy (https://www.hackyourbureaucracy.com/). We discussed tactics you can use to get things done in all sorts of organizational environments. Resources and Shoutouts: - Hack Your Bureaucracy (https://www.hackyourbureaucracy.com/) - Recoding America (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61796680-recoding-america) - Power to the Public (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55421550-power-to-the-public) Music Credit: Tumbleweeds by Monkey Warhol…

Civic Tech Chat

1
91 Innovation Fellowships 🧑‍💻 49:31

33 weeks ago49:31

49:31

We're joined by Sarah Schacht (https://smartercivic.squarespace.com/), Senior Data Fellow at Data Foundation and author of a new report called Innovation Fellowship Career Outcomes. We'll dive in and talk about this report, their research, and the innovation fellowship space. Resources and Shoutouts: - Innovation Fellowship Career Outcomes (https://contact-us-a9fb0e.zapier.app/) Music Credit: - Tumbleweeds by Monkey Warhol…

Civic Tech Chat

1
90 Politics Recoded 🗳️ 1:08:43

35 weeks ago1:08:43

1:08:43

We're joined by Aure Schrock (https://aschrock.com/), academic editor and writing coach at their company Indelible Voice and author of the book Politics Recoded. We'll talk about the book and their insights on Code for America, a technology forward non-profit in the civic technology space. Resources and Shoutouts: - Politics Recoded https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262549455/politics-recoded/ - Indelible Voice http://indeliblevoice.com/ - Code for America https://codeforamerica.org/ Music Credit: Tumbleweeds by Monkey Warhol…

Civic Tech Chat

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89 Alliance of Civic Technologists 🏛️💻 37:19

39 weeks ago37:19

37:19

We're joined by Christopher Whitaker (https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwhitaker/), Executive Director of the Alliance of Civic Technologists (ACT) (https://www.civictechnologists.org/) to talk about the organization and it's upcoming membership drive. ACT seeks to fill the vacuum left by the sunsetting of the old Code for America Brigade Network program. We'll talk about how the volunteer space, how they plan to operate in it, and their vision for the future. ### Resources and Shoutouts: - Alliance of Civic Technologists (https://www.civictechnologists.org/join) - ACT Discord (https://discord.gg/EM6ywtMhkP) ##### Music Credit: Tumbleweeds by Monkey Warhol…

Civic Tech Chat

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88 Humans of Public Service 31:14

39 weeks ago31:14

31:14

We're joined by Brian Whittaker (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bwhtt/) to talk about their work with Humans of Public Service (https://humansofpublicservice.org/). A non-profit that shares the human stories of public servants. Music Credit: Tumbleweeds by Monkey Warhol

Civic Tech Chat

1
87 Crowdstrike Outage 10:09

41 weeks ago10:09

10:09

Our host Ryan Koch (https://linkedin.com/in/kochryan) gives a quick briefing about the Crowdstrike outage. We talk about why you should care about it, what happened, as well as a couple of lessons we can take from the event. ### Resources and Shoutouts: - [Cost Estimate](https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/21/business/crowdstrike-outage-cost/index.html) - [What is Crowdstrike?](https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/19/24201864/crowdstrike-outage-explained-microsoft-windows-bsod) - [Why does Crowdstrike have kernel access?](https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366598838/Why-is-CrowdStrike-allowed-to-run-in-the-Windows-kernel) - [Crowdstrike preliminary incident review](https://www.crowdstrike.com/falcon-content-update-remediation-and-guidance-hub/) - [Fix instructions](https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/how-to-fix-crowdstrike-bsods-in-three-minutes-fix-requires-manual-changes-but-they-are-simple ) - [Join us on Discord](https://discord.gg/hECzBJh) ##### Music Credit: [Tumbleweeds by Monkey Warhol](http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Monkey_Warhol/Lonely_Hearts_Challenge/Monkey_Warhol_-_Tumbleweeds)…

Civic Tech Chat

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86 Thinking at Systems Scale 56:07

1 year ago56:07

56:07

We're joined by Greg Jordan-Detamore (https://www.gregjd.com/) to talk about digital services in operations, how applying civic tech practices happen where resources are constrained, and overcoming differing language choices. Resources and Shoutouts: - Greg's substack (https://civicinsighter.com/) - Recoding America (book) (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61796680-recoding-america) - The Fifth Risk (book) (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46266188-the-fifth-risk?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_14) - The Mindset Mentor (podcast) (https://robdial.com/podcast/) - Slow Boring (blog) (https://www.slowboring.com/)…

Civic Tech Chat

1
85 The AI Generated Episode 14:25

2 years ago14:25

14:25

In this episode, our host Ryan Koch demystifies Generative AI and large language models, discussing their potential, risks, and ethical implications. We confront misinformation, privacy issues, and explore questions around authorship and economic impacts. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking a balanced understanding of these pivotal technologies.…

Civic Tech Chat

1
84 Hack Your Bureaucracy 32:08

2 years ago32:08

32:08

We're joined by[Marina Nitze(https://twitter.com/MarinaNitze) to talk about their book Hack Your Bureaucracy(https://www.hackyourbureaucracy.com/). We'll discuss tactics you can use to get things done in all sorts of organizational environments. ### Resources and Shoutouts: - Recoding America (book)(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61796680-recoding-america) - Power to the Public (book)(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55421550-power-to-the-public)…

Civic Tech Chat

1
83 Discovery Sprints Re-release 1:02:19

3 years ago1:02:19

1:02:19

We're pulling one out of the archives to start off 2023! This time we talk discovery sprints! We're joined by Jenn Noinaj (https://www.linkedin.com/in/actuallyjenn/)} and Kathryn Jurick(https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynjurick/), authors of the United States Digital Service guide to discovery sprints. We'll chat about what these are, how they're run, and how they can help. ### Resources and Shoutouts: - USDS Discovery Sprint Guide(https://sprint.usds.gov/)…

Civic Tech Chat

1
82 Community Engagement 49:53

3 years ago49:53

49:53

We are joined by James O'Brien, CX Lead at Seam Social Labs(https://www.seamsociallabs.com/our-team ) for a conversation about community engagement, including chats about inclusion, co-creation, bias, and the power of language. ### Resources and Shoutouts: - Winning on Purpose (book)(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58090620-winning-on-purpose) - Frankenstein (book)(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35031085-frankenstein)…

Civic Tech Chat

1
81 Microbusinesses 52:52

3 years ago52:52

52:52

We are joined by Jeremy Hartman(https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyhartman2022/), VP of Venture Forward and Community Engagement at GoDaddy(https://www.godaddy.com/)to talk about accessibility and sustainability on the web. ### Resources and Shoutouts: - The Accidental President (book)(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35106890-the-accidental-president) - Venture Forward(https://www.godaddy.com/ventureforward/) ##### Music Credit: Tumbleweeds by Monkey Warhol…

Civic Tech Chat

1
80 Accessibility And Sustainability For The Web 40:06

3 years ago40:06

40:06

We are joined by Mike Gifford(https://twitter.com/mgifford, Senior Strategist at Civic Actions(https://civicactions.com/)to talk about accessibility and sustainability on the web. ### Resources and Shoutouts: - https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/40864002-a-psalm-for-the-wild-built - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57094295-termination-shock - https://radioopensource.org/ - https://longnow.org/…

Civic Tech Chat

1
79 Sustainable Volunteer Organizations 34:19

3 years ago34:19

34:19

We are joined by Joseph Tajaran (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tajaran/), organizer and Brigade Captain of Code for Chicago (https://codeforchicago.org), to chat about what it takes to lead a sustainable volunteer organization. ### Resources and Shoutouts: - Chicago UX Book Club (https://www.meetup.com/UXChicago/) - The Conscious Creative (book) (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49098420-the-conscious-creative) - Design Justice (book) (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51151807-design-justice) ##### Music Credit: Tumbleweeds by Monkey Warhol(http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Monkey_Warhol/Lonely_Hearts_Challenge/Monkey_Warhol_-_Tumbleweeds)…

Civic Tech Chat

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78 Technology For Understanding Policy 28:36

3 years ago28:36

28:36

We are joined by Max Ghenis (https://twitter.com/MaxGhenis), co-founder of Policy Engine https://twitter.com/ThePolicyEngine) for a conversation about ways technology can help folks understand the impact of public policy proposals. ### Resources and Shoutouts: - I, Daniel Blake (film)(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5168192/){ - What we owe the future (book)(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59802037-what-we-owe-the-future)…

Civic Tech Chat

1
77 Human Centered Devsecops 38:24

3 years ago38:24

38:24

We are joined by Aidan Feldman(https://twitter.com/aidanfeldman), freelance technologist and former Technology Director at Technology Transformation Services at GSA(https://twitter.com/GSA_TTS) to dive into a conversation about the space where human centered concepts meet with devsecops. Resources and shoutouts: - https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/curb-cuts/ - https://blog.thepete.net/blog/2019/10/04/hello-production/ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wIvXfhWpx0…

Civic Tech Chat

1
76 Digital identity and services delivery 48:52

3 years ago48:52

48:52

We are joined by Jordan Burris (https://twitter.com/JordansRules), Senior Director of Public Sector Product Market Strategy at Socure(https://www.socure.com/) and former Chief of Staff at the US Office of Management and Budget to talk about digital identity and the impact it can have on the delivery of public services. Resources and Shoutouts: - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/public-sector-future/id1552507257…

Civic Tech Chat

1
75 Innovating the social safety net 33:58

3 years ago33:58

33:58

We are joined by Amanda Renteria (https://twitter.com/AmandaRenteria), CEO of Code for America (https://codeforamerica.org) to talk about their new program, the Safety Net Innovation Lab and the impact it could have on government services. ### Resources and Shoutouts: - https://codeforamerica.org/news/audacious-project-investment-to-launch-safety-net-innovation-lab/…

Civic Tech Chat

1
74 Customer experience and government services with Clare Martorana, Mina Hsiang, and Jodi Leo 36:01

3 years ago36:01

36:01

We are joined by Federal Chief Information Officer Clare Martorana (https://www.linkedin.com/in/claremartorana/), United States Digital Services Administrator Mina Hsiang (https://www.linkedin.com/in/minahsiang/), and Nava Chief Delivery Officer Jodi Leo (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-leo-7a21777/). We dive into a conversation about the importance of effective government services delivery and how an executive order focused on customer experience may impact that space. Join us on Discord (https://discord.gg/hECzBJh) Resources and Shoutouts: - https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/12/13/executive-order-on-transforming-federal-customer-experience-and-service-delivery-to-rebuild-trust-in-government/ - https://www.usajobs.gov/ - https://www.usds.gov/apply - https://www.navapbc.com/careers/…

Civic Tech Chat

1
73 Opinion Research 42:12

3 years ago42:12

42:12

We are joined by Adam Probolsky (https://twitter.com/AdamProbolsky), President of Probolsky Research to talk about opinion research and how it can be used effectively by policy makers. ### Resources and Shoutouts: - https://www.ocregister.com/2020/09/20/adam-probolsky-sees-polls-as-the-bridge-between-the-public-and-policymakers/ - https://www.probolskyresearch.com…

Civic Tech Chat

1
72 From Crises Response To Sustainability 50:26

3 years ago50:26

50:26

We are joined by Nava co-founders Rohan Bhobe(https://www.linkedin.com/in/rbhobe/) and Sha Hwang (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shashashasha/) for a conversation about their experiences responding to a crises and facing the challenges of building sustainable technology, processes, and partnerships afterward. Join us on Discord! https://discord.gg/hECzBJh Resources and Shoutouts: - https://civictech.chat/2021/06/how-covid-impacted-local-government - https://www.navapbc.com/case-studies/prioritizing-research-to-quickly-serve-people-during-a-crisis.html - https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/07/the-secret-startup-saved-healthcare-gov-the-worst-website-in-america/397784/ - https://www.navapbc.com/case-studies/Supporting-Veterans-During-the-Pandemic-with-Virtual-Tele-Hearings.html…

Civic Tech Chat

1
71 Dark Patterns 11:10

3 years ago11:10

11:10

Ryan Koch (https://twitter.com/ryan_koch) chats with us a bit about dark patterns, a set of deceptive techniques that are often used in the design of technology products and services. We'll talk about what they are, why they are important, as well as what the government is trying to do about it. Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/hECzBJh Resources and Shoutouts: - Shining a Light on Dark Patterns: https://academic.oup.com/jla/article/13/1/43/6180579?login=false - What are dark patterns and how are they tricking me?: https://www.raconteur.net/technology/dark-patterns/ - Dark pattern types: https://www.darkpatterns.org/types-of-dark-pattern - WaPo piece about Google lawsuit: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/01/24/google-location-data-ags-lawsuit/ - Princeton and UChicago study: https://webtransparency.cs.princeton.edu/dark-patterns/ - FTC enforcement policy statement: https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements/1598063/negative_option_policy_statement-10-22-2021-tobureau.pdf…

Civic Tech Chat

1
70 Civic Technologist Guide Episode Re-Release 40:39

4 years ago40:39

40:39

For our first episode of 2022 we go back into the archives and re-release an episode from October 20th, 2020. The original description follows below! Civic Design Consultant and author [Cyd Harrell](https://twitter.com/cydharrell) joins us for a conversation about their new book [A Civic Technologist's Practice Guide](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55225556-a-civic-technologist-s-practice-guide?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=paFK2DugTf&rank=1){, which seeks to be a grounding document in the space. 🎧 Listen ### Resources and Shoutouts: - [Slow Ideas](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/07/29/slow-ideas) - [Inclusive Design for a Digital World](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46113876-inclusive-design-for-a-digital-world?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=BN5R6KdAsB&rank=1) - [Disability Visibility](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51456746-disability-visibility){ - [So you want to reform democracy](https://medium.com/civic-tech-thoughts-from-joshdata/so-you-want-to-reform-democracy-7f3b1ef10597) ##### Music Credit: [Tumbleweeds by Monkey Warhol](http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Monkey_Warhol/Lonely_Hearts_Challenge/Monkey_Warhol_-_Tumbleweeds)…

Civic Tech Chat

1
69 Civic Innovation Corps 44:10

4 years ago44:10

44:10

We are joined by [Ariana Soto](https://twitter.com/arianaosoto) to talk about the [Civic Innovation Corps](https://www.codingitforward.com/corps), a program that connects recent graduates of two or four year institutions, bootcamps, and certificate programs to government service through a 10 week paid internship. ### Resources and Shoutouts: - [Coding It Forward Website](https://www.codingitforward.com) - [Previous episode about their Federal fellowship](https://civictech.chat/2018/08/coding-it-forward-civic-technology-fellowship) - [Coding It Forward Twitter](https://twitter.com/CodingItForward) ##### Music Credit: [Tumbleweeds by Monkey Warhol](http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Monkey_Warhol/Lonely_Hearts_Challenge/Monkey_Warhol_-_Tumbleweeds)…

Civic Tech Chat

1
68 Why volunteer? Code for America Brigade Congress Live Show! 1:06:35

4 years ago1:06:35