Fellow Profile: Celia Moreno

Where are you from? Los Angeles, CA

School/grad year/major: San Francisco State University / May 2017 / Political Science

Last thing you searched on Bing: Robots delivering groceries

Why did you choose Microsoft’s fellowship program? Prior to joining the Microsoft team as a Fellow, I was an intern at San Francisco City Hall for the Neighborhood Empowerment Network (NEN). In addition to working with communities, part of my job at the NEN was to work with Scott Mauvais on the Resilience toolkit. It was a smooth transition over to the technology side of the project since not only am I passionate about the tool we are building but would also like to see it to completion.

What’s your favorite civic project in the Bay area? Hack for Good; I like the idea of technology and nonprofits coming together to work on projects for social good.

Who is your civic tech mentor/idol? Scott Mauvais; Scott is well versed in the civic tech field and has always been helpful in my quest to learn more.

What projects are you working on for your position as tech fellow for Microsoft Bay Area? I am currently working on a Resilience toolkit that helps communities in San Francisco plan and prepare their disaster response strategies.

What excites you about civic tech? It’s exciting to think about the potential civic tech has. I believe it can create sustainable, smart cities that improve our day to day lives.

What’s one problem you hope civic tech will solve for cities? I hope civic tech will increase access to resources for people who need it the most. Technology can be neutral but when combined with social good can have a lasting positive impact on marginalized communities.