Helping Youngstown become more tech-savvy is an imperative. This organization views the lack of a serious approach to focus on, implement, integrate and utilize technology — primarily in the aspect of Web and data — as a key factor as to why the Mahoning Valley isn’t making the resurgence that it is indeed capable of. In the areas of Business, Education, Social, and Political, the use of the web and data is able to streamline so much of what makes the Youngstown area great and focus all of the potential into a symbiotic force to Enable more commerce not just within the city/area, but also to expand Youngstown’s businesses to the world market.
Objectives
- Begin to cultivate a technological culture which then necessitates education to become technology-focused
- Create networks of communication, interaction, collaboration, and even advertising with home-grown platforms that facilitate collaboration among the area’s high-potential individuals, and inspiring others who are otherwise idle
- Enable accountability in the political process (among leaders and citizens) by making it easy for voter registration, political dialog and participation to occur, the broadcasting of political processes disclosure of budget/contract activity, and for issues to be communicated effectively.
While this isn’t a mission to replace everything with technology to where jobs and industries are disrupted (or eliminated), but rather to reshape how existing things are done in order to better enable them in this 21st century Information Economy, it will nonetheless require an amount of reskilling and upskilling for many. This is a good thing, as it reshapes the environment of how things are done and provides individuals with the skill and insight to be able to operate in nearly any environment around the world today. It brings Youngstown to the table of conversation of today. It creates the atmosphere to where taking technology of connectivity, mobile/web and data into consideration of nearly any endeavor compels our area schools to have that as a focus of their curriculum, and it produces individuals who have the acumen high-tech-oriented and large stature companies look for when considering locating to the area.
As an example of urgency, Amazon made a hard-pass on the Youngstown area when Congressman Tim Ryan was courting them to bring their office expansion here due to not only the lack of transportation infrastructure (I.e. — public rail and a commercial passenger airport), but also because of the high level of undereducation, particularly in the technology space. This hurt Youngstown, and it has to be corrected. Neglecting to address this lack of a tech-savvy, tech-embracing culture is a disservice to the citizens and the leaders cannot reasonably expect folks to”stay here” when there isn’t this culture that caters to those who’ve intuitively developed the tech acumen required to thrive in today’s economy. The Mahoning and Shenango Valley isn’t just competing with other area entities, but with the world itself. In fact, the area itself as a collective is in competition with the world. It’s a global market, and Youngstown MUST make itself a legitimate and formidable player.
Here’s our approach to this concern with the Youngstown Technology Initiative:
Business
Helping businesses to successfully operate by using the power of the Web is an essential component of the Youngstown Technology Initiative. Building and promoting web-based businesses that capitalize on connectivity, mobile and web applications, while using data to operate in modes that are not dependent on foot-traffic or reliant upon physical location. In fact, much of the effort is put into eliminating as much physical overhead as possible. By ‘physical overhead’, we mean office and retail space, vehicle fleets (and associated costs), and in many cases — merchandise.
The goal is to develop a number of businesses that begin as web-based only, but grow into start-ups that require hiring business-tech savvy people to run bring them to growth phase.
With the elimination of office and retail space needs, this also relieves entrepreneurs and business-owners of the need to apply, pay, and wait for permits and building inspections or other administrative red-tape to be cleared in order to even begin operations. As well, it is a cost that can be eliminated from their operational expenditures altogether in many cases. It also goes without saying that with the elimination of these costs, it opens the door to many more people who otherwise would not be able to embark on a business venture due to many of the start-up and operational costs that are often associated with physical needs.
In addition to helping businesses succeed with the cost-eliminating nature of the Web, we also are seeking to replace the reliance upon big corporations that have no vested interest in Youngstown, but who are more than happy to have a presence in the area which only results in exploitation of the economically disadvantaged people who are dependent on them for extra income or as their entire source of sustenance. This is also applicable to area businesses such as restaurants and retail shops that rely on delivery and mobile ordering. We are working with RunningH20 to develop viable alternatives to these platforms to provide an equitable choice in the shared-economy space.
These businesses will be locally-based and locally-registered, will use local banks (as much as possible), and be beacons of tech-based, Web-operating, data-driven companies. Locals, especially younger people, will be able to look around and see the presence of innovative firms that call Youngstown home and will be inclined to do the same. Furthermore, with the success of these endeavors and the growth of the businesses, it will empower and position them to be able to recruit talent to the area in high-tech employments positions such as programmers, project managers, and more. With the presence of several high-tech businesses with needs for programmers systems architects, and data-center technicians, this brings about the need and incentive for the school systems to being to churn out students with tech skills who will then have an environment which allows them to manifest these skills, and of course — remain in the area rather than move away!
Education
This aspect of the Youngstown Technology Initiative has already been elaborated on a bit in the Business scope above. As stated, the area needs to have a population that is technologically-savvy and able to fill any high-tech jobs that would come to the area, particularly in the programming space. Going further, there needs to be such a skilled-population to make up a workforce that would even attract companies to the area. As explained in the article which makes a case as to why Youngstown is a place that tech start ups and companies should relocate to, there are many perks that would attract companies to make the Mahoning Valley their home, but there has to be a workforce that is educated and experienced, as well as cultured, to offer candidates for any jobs that companies would need filled.
There may be some semblance of this in the school systems, and some districts more intensely than others, but it’s largely missing. There just isn’t that wave of kids coming out of the city schools who are remarkable programmers writing innovative Python programs or even simple JavaScript. It’s just not the culture in Youngstown, and as a result there are no companies giving Youngstown closer look after seeing them on a map. Youngstown has a consumer-level of tech-savviness, that is they know how to work social media apps and music platforms, but how to manipulate them for commerce or to even build them from scratch — that’s just not what’s going on in Youngstown or the Mahoning Valley at any remarkable scale.
CodeHearted
CodeHearted is a program that started off as a non-profit venture by Youngstown Forward founder (as well as RunningH20 CEO) Jay White. It’s focus and mission is to teach coding and programming skills to adults who are from economically disadvantaged areas and backgrounds, and how they can parley those skills into viable businesses or careers to lift them out of poverty or financial mediocrity. This program has now been incorporated into Youngstown Forward, specifically the Youngstown Technology Initiative, and will refocus to also include training for kids in the Mahoning Valley’s school districts.
We will seek to establish an on-site center where participants can come in physically for learning code by industry-experienced instructors. The center ideally will be inside the city limits, and will be totally free for participants. We’ll also seek to partner with area organizations that specify in employment and vocational training, and will also work closely with returning citizens (specifically those who are formerly incarcerated individuals) in order to address the recidivism problem that is prevalent in Youngstown and Warren. Helping formerly-incarcerated people, who can overcome the problem of employment discrimination easily with high-tech skills such as application and web programming, is a key tactic in building up a skilled, future-forward workforce in Youngstown.
Additionally, the CodeHearted program will work closely with employers (especially with the business we will create that operate on the Web and mobile, needing programmers to facilitate their operation) to provide a path to employment opportunities with CodeHearted participants. Companies and employers that allow remote-work are also options for participants that complete the program. This allows people to take jobs from companies that are not in Youngstown physically, without requiring them to leave the area. Of course, CodeHearted will teach skills that enable them to create their own digital products that result in businesses that can change not only their lives, but the community and even the world. CodeHearted will provide them with the insights and know-how to convert their newly acquired programming skills into businesses and products. It’s essential to have talented and skilled individuals in Youngstown of this caliber to be able to contribute to the furthering of a tech-savvy, innovation-oriented society that we aim to create in the Mahoning and Shenango Valley with the Youngstown Technology Initiative.
Social
The social aspect of the YTI (yes, we’re shortening the title to an abbreviated form now) has aims of creating digital platforms that are exclusive to the Mahoning and Shenango Valley city residents, that enable meaningful dialog and communication, as well as advertising platforms for area businesses and organizations. With this, we seek to enable entities to cut through the noise of the regular social media platforms that are overpopulated and distracting with things not relevant to the area. As well, we’ll be creating platforms and methods that get around the problem of algorithms of mainstream platforms/networks that are quite repressive when it comes to content reach. Not only will the platforms (created in conjunction with RunningH20, and streamlined into the Business aspect of the YTI) be able to transform into tech businesses as well. Without the intrusive data-mining and privacy-invasion, the platforms created can produce a space where area interests can reach people closest to them, and operate in a transparent manner (with open audits) that create an environment of trust.
In this aspect of the initiative, we will also seek to foster an environment where responsible social media and Internet etiquette is cultivated. Not in any way is this intended to be a preachy, and certainly not a censored type of environment, but rather one where open dialog (even in disagreement) is encouraged and enabled. Where there is content that is questionable or which can be seen as offensive or troubling, then conversations exploring resolutions can be had openly and hopefully arrived at. The Social aspect of the YTI is in part intended to guide folks to learn how to properly and respectfully discuss, present, and yes — debate, online.
Unlike the social media platforms in the mainstream, these platforms are also where content of substance and societal value are encouraged to be put forth. They’ll be structured in architecture to accommodate outbound links, so as to encourage sharing of information and things of interest, ideally native to the person who is sharing. These platforms can be ways for area residents to showcase their own creativity or endeavors, again — without algorithms to overcome. Information sharing is also the aim of structuring a link sharing-oriented set up.
At the heart and bottom line of the Social aspect of the YTI, it’s to help Youngstown area people develop a better persona for themselves online and to be able to engage in more meaningful ways with others. This character can then be reflected of Youngstown throughout the entire world, via online.
Political
Ahh, at last everyone’s favorite aspect of life — politics! How can technology, more over a technology initiative have a political scope? Does one really need to ask themselves that…in this day and age? Youngstown Forward realizes that there is a serious disconnect between the political process and the citizens of Youngstown, perhaps the entire Mahoning and Shenango Valley. Politics, or more specifically the engagement/participation, dialog, accessibility and most certainly — transparency is absolutely something that has to be present in the culture of any place that is intent on thriving. The disconnect has to be bridged. Technology can be highly instrumental in this task.
Our goal with technology in the realm of politics is to provide a pathway for pure and meaningful interaction, and engagement between leadership and citizens. As with all of our technology platforms, we will work with RunningH20 for the development of tools that will be available for residents of Youngstown and other cities in the Mahoning and Shenango Valley to engage with the political process. Platforms slated for development to this end are conferencing applications to allow citizens to be present (if only in a spectating capacity) at City Council meetings and ward meetings (of course, if that will be permitted by City Council and City Administrations). Nonetheless, where meetings are indeed open to the public, then the broadcasting on the platforms we will develop with RunningH20 will be available to the public.
Additionally, we have noticed that voter participation in local elections are quite low. In fact the number of people who vote in municipal, county and state elections are exponentially lower than national/presidential elections. This is a national trend of course, but what the rest of the nation does isn’t necessarily a guideline for Youngstown. We have to be better and more engaged. It’s not a competition of course, but the situation of the city (and area) calls for an intense involvement for people to take the choice of their leaders seriously. After all these are the people who will be in charge of how to use funds and make the ordinances that effect the life of residents, and it has to made clear that choosing them is an important choice to be made responsibly. Having said this, we will develop mobile applications for voter registration which can be used by registration workers to go out and proactively get people to register — particularly for the local elections.
The lack of engagement in the local political process is also manifest by citizens not knowing what the candidates’ platforms, plans, and background are. The platforms that we have on the drawing board are those that will provide people with clear looks and insight into what candidates stand for, and what they plan to do once in office. In addition to all of the interaction and insight that the platforms, applications, etc. will enable, it’s also important to provide avenues of education on the political process itself.
To drive home the point of what the goal is for the Political aspect of the Youngstown Technology Initiative, it is to help people develop themselves into an informed and engaged citizen politically, and to look forward in taking responsibility in seeing that their local, county, and state governments are comprised of the best, civic-minded people as possible, and to be proactive and ready to hold them accountable for any and every decision that they make. Lastly, it is to provide both the citizens and the administration with the ability to engage in a meaningful way with one another, and is accomplished via technology.