We can’t believe we’re already wrapping up 2017. It was a whirlwind year where we hosted events around the Bay Area, worked to further civic tech and STEM education nationwide, and even announced a new, sustainable campus. Since 2017 flew by, we’re pausing now to reflect on some of the great stories we got to share right here on our blog.
A look back at 2017 on the Microsoft Bay Area Blog:
January
Civic Tech in 2017: Predictions and Questions
Jessica Weare
What better way to kick off the year than exploring what will happen? In one of our first blogs of the year, Jessica Weare takes a look at the potential growth for civic tech in 2017. What will she predict for 2018?
March
A Letter to Shireen Santosham (From Shireen Santosham)
Shireen Santosham, Chief Innovation Officer for Mayor Sam Liccardo
For Women’s History Month in March, we reached out to local civic leaders, partners, and friends to ask them to write a letter to their teenage and college-aged selves to recall a moment in time when they felt empowered by technology. Shireen Santosham, Chief Innovation Officer for Mayor Sam Liccardo, taught us the importance of taking risks and believing in yourself.
April
Athena Intelligence Brings The Internet of Land, Food, Water, and Energy to Businesses
Bay Area Staff
As we work to further environmental sustainability, partners like Athena Intelligence, a data processing and visualization platform for the data of land, food, water, and energy, are priority. Athena’s Dynamic Context provides businesses with valuable insight into how their practices affect global impact such as greenhouse gases, water efficiency, and more.
May
#MadeInTheBay: TransForm GreenTRIP Connect Helps California Plan Smarter
Bay Area Staff
In California, there is an overwhelming amount of unused parking spaces in rental units — and an underwhelming amount of available housing. TransForm is looking to change that. Their GreenTRIP Connect tool is a new approach to urban planning, offering affordable housing and traffic reduction strategies that provide a wide range of social, environmental, and economic benefits.
June
Filter Bubbles and Civic Engagement with Read Across the Aisle
Nick Lum, Read Across the Aisle
Microsoft first met Nick Lum when his organization BeeLine Reader became a Tech Awards Education Laureate in 2015. His latest venture is just as interesting and transformational! Learn more about Read Across The Aisle.
July
From Crime Data to Parking Intelligence: Code for San Francisco is a Data Springboard
Bay Area Staff
Earlier in 2017, we featured a project conceived at Code for San Francisco that used city data to geographically query crime data. sfcrimedata.org, the resulting portal, is an interactive site that allows users to inquire on crime incident reports based on neighborhood, address, or perimeter. That project is now a springboard for a new project on mapping transportation related data.
August
Another Great Summer With Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Camp — Bay Area
Kim Dault, Event Manager at Microsoft
As part of our commitment to STEM education, we’re thrilled to partner with Girls Who Code year-round. Each summer is special, however, as we get the honor of hosting the Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program at our Silicon Valley campus.
September
Recap: Hack the Future 19 at Microsoft Silicon Valley
Christine Matheney, Technical Evangelism Lead at Microsoft
On August 26th, 2017, Hack the Future (HtF) held its 19th event at the Microsoft Silicon Valley Campus. Hack the Future is a one-day hackathon for youth in grades 5 through 12. Microsoft is a regular sponsor and participant, with this event marking the third time HtF has taken place at a Microsoft campus, including HtF 8 in August 2013 and HtF 14 in November 2015.
October
Sparking Disaster Preparedness at National Day of Civic Hacking
Celia Moreno, Technology & Civic Innovation Fellow
In light of recent tragedies around the world, Code for San Francisco decided to shake things up a bit for this year’s National Day of Civic Hacking by focusing on resiliency and disaster preparedness in San Francisco. In this blog, Technology & Civic Innovation Fellow Celia Moreno takes a look at the day and how we can follow true to Code for America’s slogan: No one is coming — it’s up to us.
November
#Tech4Vets: CALSO — Bringing Drones and Good to Veterans
Bay Area Staff
In the Bay Area, Microsoft is excited to partner with CALSO, an organization that uplifts underemployed communities through skills training. CALSO identifies major roadblocks that disadvantaged people face on their path to success and works to empower these individuals to overcome these hurdles and reach their full potential.
Thank you to all who joined us in 2017 as we worked with technology to bring our communities forward.
