transformation and grassroots innovation, the first HON*CELERATOR competition aims to
inspire the best apps and online tools that use open data to improve the day-to-day lives of
Honolulu residents.
Local software developers, designers, and entrepreneurs are being encouraged to tap into a
growing library of government data to conceptualize, code, and ultimately demonstrate a useful
or novel new app. HON*CELERATOR participants will have to present their work before the
public and a panel of judges on Dec. 1.
That “demo day,” taking place at The Box Jelly coworking space in Kakaako, will mark the
culmination of public, private, and non-profit efforts to harness technology to streamline
government services and encourage civic engagement. These include the first-ever CityCamp
in January, launching the year-long engagement between the national Code for America
organization and the City & County of Honolulu, and a series of community events that have
earned national recognition and coverage.
Working independently or as a team, entrants will vie for a $5,000 first place prize, $3,000
second place prize and $2,000 third place prize, which will be provided by event sponsors that
include Google, Hawaiian Telcom, ESRI, Socrata, and AIIM Aloha Chapter.
“You could say this will be the Superbowl of Hawaii hackathons,” said Forest Frizzell, deputy
director of the city’s Department of Information Technology and a member of the inaugural
class of Omidyar Foundation Fellows. “And all this great work on behalf of local residents is
happening at no cost to taxpayers, being powered by enthusiastic volunteers and sponsors that
see the great value and potential in what we’re doing.”
The HON*CELERATOR event is similar to other open, collaborative and competitive tech
gatherings taking place around the world — from Silicon Valley “hackathons” to Startup
Weekend — but with a civic-minded focus. It is part of a global movement to increase
transparency, collaboration, and innovation at all levels of government and businesses.
“We’ve had a great year, opening up data sets and inspiring creative thinking across the board,
from government workers to independent hackers,” said Burt Lum, executive director of Hawaii
Open Data, Inc. and co-organizer of HON*CELERATOR. “With that momentum, and of course
some cash prizes, we hope to see the best of the best.”
In addition, a video crew from IBM‘s “Smarter Cities” group (in partnership with Centerline
Digital) will be on hand to document the city government’s open government community
engagement efforts.
For more information on HON*CELERATOR, visit hon.celerator.org.
See the original article at: KHON2 Developing Stories
