Open Gov Hub · Hub Happenings

2024 Semi-Annual Newsletter

Celebrating six months of growth, collaboration, and innovation.

50+Events hosted

8+New orgs

90+Active members

As we reach the halfway point of the year, we're excited to share the latest updates, achievements, and milestones from the Open Gov Hub community. These past six months have been a time of growth, collaboration, and innovation. We've welcomed new members, hosted impactful events, and continued our mission to foster transparency, accountability, and civic engagement. Thank you for being a part of our journey.

Member achievements

Accountability Lab: Innovating Against Corruption at HackCorruption Malaysia

The Accountability Lab continues to lead the fight against corruption with its success at HackCorruption Malaysia, a regional hackathon in Kuala Lumpur. Supported by the U.S. Department of State and USAID, the event brought together changemakers from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand to develop tech solutions for issues like climate finance accountability and public procurement transparency. Winning teams receive up to $10,000 in financial support, mentorship, and training.

CIPE: Hosted the Inaugural B5+1 Forum

The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) hosted the inaugural B5+1 Forum in Almaty, Kazakhstan, delivering actionable recommendations for regional integration and economic development in Central Asia. Over 250 participants from ten countries discussed improving trade, investment facilitation, and regulatory harmonization in sectors such as transport, e-commerce, tourism, and renewable energy. CIPE plans to hold the Forum annually.

Data Foundation Hosts RegTech 2023 Data Summit

The Data Foundation hosted the RegTech 2023 Data Summit in Washington, D.C., focused on the Financial Data Transparency Act (FDTA) and its impact on financial services. Federal regulators, industry leaders, and transparency advocates discussed implementing the FDTA, with keynote remarks from SEC Commissioner Hester M. Peirce. datafoundation.org

Development Gateway Releases 2023 Annual Report

Development Gateway released its 2023 Annual Report, reflecting a year of strategic growth, innovation, and collaboration in digital and data for development. DG prioritized local partnerships, expanded its work in digital agriculture, health, and anti-corruption, and earned Digital Public Good status for key platforms. developmentgateway.org

Center for Open Data Enterprise (CODE) Launches Initiative on Democratizing Data

CODE is launching a new initiative to explore how emerging technologies like AI can change how open data is used by individuals and organizations. Recent work includes a Stakeholder Engagement Toolkit for Evidence Building, developed with the Data Foundation. opendataenterprise.org

Climate Justice Alliance Secures $50 Million Grant

The Climate Justice Alliance (CJA) was awarded a $50 million grant through the EPA's 2023 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program for its UNITE-EJ proposal. With partners including The Chisholm Legacy Project, NDN Collective, and JustFund, CJA will serve as a National Grantmaker for the Western U.S., supporting frontline communities. climatejusticealliance.org

Youth Cafe Partners with Global Democracy Advocates for “Youth For Future”

The Youth Cafe partnered with Club de Madrid and the Global Democracy Coalition to host “Youth For Future: Meaningful Representation and Participation” at the University of Nairobi, under the UN Civil Society Conference umbrella. Speakers included former Prime Minister of Mali Moussa Mara. theyouthcafe.com

Trust, Accountability, and Inclusion Collaborative: A New Chapter

The Transparency & Accountability Initiative has changed its name to the Trust, Accountability, and Inclusion Collaborative (TAI), reflecting its commitment to equity and inclusion, integrity in government and corporate sectors, and public good through civic engagement. taicollaborative.org

Our past events

March 7: Scaling Up Development Impact book launch — over 100 guests joined to celebrate a Hub Member's book launch, with Imago Global Grassroots founder Isabel Guerro, co-author Jossie Fahsbender, and Open Gov Hub Director Tony Rodriguez.
April 25: Open Gov Hub Spring Open House — our annual celebration of Members and their accomplishments. This year's theme was the “Race to 100” Members.
June 9: ISSS Conference — the Hub was honored to host the annual conference, with guests arriving from around the world.

Our partners can also use our event spaces. For information on hosting your next report launch, event, team meeting, or conference, visit our Event Info Page.

Coworking & social events

The Open Gov Hub hosts four core Member-only events each month, bringing Members together for collaboration and some fun.

Muffin Mondays (last Monday): complimentary breakfast showcasing a new theme or update each month.
New Member Orientation & Happy Hour (first Tuesday): a Happy Hour for all Members and their guests to help introduce newer members.
Needs, Leads & Brags (second Wednesday): virtual open office hours hosted by Hub Director Tony Rodriguez. Request a “Need,” provide a “Lead,” or “Brag” about your organization's work.
Pizza & Proficiency (third Thursday): a lunch-and-learn with a new topic and complimentary lunch provided by the Hub (hint: not always pizza!).

Beyond these, the Hub hosts additional events each month, from chess to Mardi Gras (Mardi Gras Cake & “Show Some Appreciation Day” in February), “Peanut Butter & JaM Strategies Day,” and an OGH Book Meetup (July 24, 5:00 PM at the Open Gov Hub cafe — bring anything from a childhood favorite to a recent read).

New members

Over the past six months, we welcomed 8 new member organizations to our community.

The Youth Cafe (TYC): a Pan-African non-profit based in Nairobi, Kenya, dedicated to empowering Africa's youth. Founded in 2012, TYC has a network of over 947,000 members and 3,500 organizations.
Athena Infonomics: an impact solutions group driving innovation in policy and practice through research, data models, and digital strategies, with offices in India, the U.S., the U.K., and Kenya.
RNW Media: a digital media accelerator, originally Radio Netherlands Worldwide (1947), promoting freedom of expression, social cohesion, and inclusive governance in restrictive environments.
Red Ciudadana: a non-profit bridging the gap between citizens and their institutions through transparency, accountability, and collaboration.

New consultants and remote workers

Jacob Harold: social change strategist, author, and executive; former President & CEO of GuideStar and co-founder of Candid.
Lenz Bayas: social and behavioral scientist turned consultant, specializing in systems thinking and organizational behavior.
Briana Gardener: digital media artist, graphic designer, and photographer in Washington, D.C., applying art and communication for social change.

Training, development & internships

Over the past six months, the Hub hosted a range of training and development events and welcomed a talented group of interns and fellows.

Jan 20, ARC GIS Intro: ARC GIS is the leading mapping software from ESRI. Hub Members receive a free license.
Feb 17, Pizza & Proficiency with Jam Strategies: a consulting firm specializing in strategic planning with 30 years of experience with domestic and international non-profits.
Internship outing: the Hub hosts interns from different organizations. Interns work hard, and play hard!

Thank you to our internship partners

The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) — Washington, D.C.-based academic internship programs for undergraduate students each summer.
Community Engagement Exchange Program — a year-long leadership development program for civil society leaders ages 21–27.
Community Solutions — a four-month fellowship with a U.S. nonprofit or local government agency, with leadership curriculum and coaching.

Partners

A heartfelt thank you to our valued partners.

Diversity Travel — specialized travel management services aligned with inclusivity and accessibility.
Washington Plaza Hotel — a welcoming environment for our events and guests.
Development Gateway — founder of the Open Gov Hub; creates tools and processes to collect, visualize, and use data for a more equitable world.
ESRI — a global leader in GIS software.
Ocean Solutions — our Managed Service Provider for real-time IT support and infrastructure.

Future events

The DMV Democracy Festival (DemFest), Saturday, October 26, 1pm–6pm. Widen and deepen civic engagement and make democracy more fun, less fractious with a youth- and family-friendly democracy festival in the Washington, DC region. learninglife.info/demfest

Many Members host virtual and in-person events on a regular basis.