Laurenellen is an organizer, artist and internationally-recognized expert in civic engagement and community technology. For shy of a decade, she's advised and led innovation + policy initiatives that focus on increasing equitable access to information and public participation in civic life. In 2014, she started the movement to bring co-design into civic technology. More at buildwith.org. Currently, Laurenellen steers research and thought leadership in civic innovation at the Open Technology Institute at New America and investigates existing best practices in place-based, community-led tech with the Smart Chicago Collaborative. Her more unusual theories about community-building are tested in the wilds of Washington, DC through The Curious Citizens Project and sometimes involve dinosaurs. Previously, Laurenellen was the National Policy Manager at the Sunlight Foundation, where she co-founded the state & local team, wrote Sunlight’s open data policy platform, and directed TransparencyCamp, the largest unconference for open government in the world. At the end of 2013, TIME Magazine named her one of 30 People Under 30 Changing the World.