We found the anti-DOGE in Chicago (5th story)

We can use tech to serve the people but only WITH the people

Apr 18, 2025

Today we bring you the fifth story in our Week of Citizening.

🛑 Today’s focus: how tech can serve the people but only with the people. We’re headed to Chicag featuring Chi Hack Night.

Check out today’s story in this Instagram Reel. If you’d rather not further enrich Mark, here’s the LinkedIn version.

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A post shared by @baratunde

If you’re just tuning in, you can catch:

Our kickoff launch post
The first story about libraries as civic powerhouses
2nd story: on “participatory layoffs”
3rd story: overcoming divisions on a school board
4th story: best way to help? start with listening.

Now…

A woman in a pink dress, identified as Rose Afriyie, stands at a podium speaking into a microphone at Chi Hack Night. She gestures with her left hand while addressing an audience of around a dozen people in a well-lit, modern indoor space. The audience includes a mix of seated and standing attendees, some of whom are using laptops. Above her is a caption that reads “came to Chi Hack Night.” Two illuminated EXIT signs are visible in the background, and a glass-walled room labeled “CivicLab” is behind the speaker. In the lower-left corner, overlaid text reads: “Courtesy Chi Hack Night — Rose Afriyie: What stops people in poverty from getting the help they need? (2016).” The setting reflects a casual yet purposeful community tech event.

Today, we head to Chicago, where a civic gathering called Chi Hack Night is bringing technologists, designers, policy nerds, and everyday residents together to build a better city.

One of their homegrown projects? mRelief, a woman-led initiative that’s made it easier for people to access food benefits. Since 2018, it’s helped unlock $2 BILLION (yes, with a B) in SNAP support for people across the country.

In a time of DOGE and digital distrust, it’s tempting to think all tech can do is tear things down. But this is what happens when we invite everyone—not just the billionaires—into the process of shaping solutions.

This is what citizening looks like:

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 People-powered innovation
🏙️ Tech rooted in place
💡 Making tools with communities, not just for them

💬 Seen something like this in your community, an org that asks first?

Visit stories.howtocitizen.com, join our list, and let us know you have a story to share. You can also comment on this post, reply or tag us on IG/LinkedIn. These stories are everywhere — and we need them more than ever.

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