Held in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol, Reboot Congress 2017, was an invite-only conversation that brought together a dynamic mix of problem solvers - civic tech innovators, engineers and designers, elected officials, senior staffers, policy experts, and other stakeholders working to modernize Congress. Hosted in Partnership with Democracy Fund the event highlighted ongoing modernization and transparency efforts, amplified the impact of existing change agents, and further defined a roadmap for collaborative success into the future.
Congressman Kevin McCarthy
House Majority Leader and Representative of California's 23rd district
Congressman Steny Hoyer
Democratic Whip and Representative for Maryland’s 5th Congressional District
Congressman Seth Moulton
Representative for Massachusetts's 6th Congressional District
Congressman Will Hurd
Representative for the 23rd District of Texas
Dave Zvenyach
Executive Director of 18F
Betsy Wright Hawkings
Director of Governance Program at Democracy Fund
Carrie Adams
Deputy Digital Director for Leader Charles E. Schumer
Yuri Beckelman
Deputy Chief of Staff for Congressman Mark Takano
Wilsar Johnson
Digital Director for US Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman
Daniel Shuman
Policy Director at Demand Progress, Founder at Congressional Data Coalition
Seamus Kraft
Co-Founder and Executive Director at OpenGov Foundation
Alex Wirth
Co-Founder of Quorum
Erie Meyer
United States Digital Service
Travis Moore
Founder of TechCongress
Eva Pereira
Associate on the Tech Innovation Team at Knight John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Chris Nehls
Research and Systems Associate for the Governance Program at Democracy Fund
Ken Ward
Ceo at Fireside 21
Kathy Goldschmidt
Director of Strategic Initiatives at Congressional Management Foundation
Aaron Snow
COO at cBrain North America; formerly co-founder/Exec Director at 18F
Laurent Crenshaw
Director of Public Policy for Yelp
Joshua Tauberer
Founder of GovTrack
Molly Reynolds
Fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings
Jessica Yabsley
Communications Director at Data Coalition
Alex Kouts
Head of Product at Lincoln
Kirsten Gullickson
Senior Systems Analyst with the Office of the Clerk, United States House of Representatives
Shannon Sartin
Procurement Specialist at USDS
8:30 - 9:00am
Checkin and Opening Remarks
9:00 - 9:30am
Feature vs. Bug: Transforming an Institution Designed to Move Slowly
Featuring Rep. Hurd and Rep. Moulton, moderated by Travis Moore
Presented in partnership with:
9:30 - 9:40am
Democracy Fund Presentation
9:40 - 10:15am
Funding Congressional Modernization: Priorities and Opportunities in the 115th Congress
Featuring Betsy Wright Hawkings - Democracy Fund and Eva Pereira - Knight Foundation, moderated by Alex Kouts - Lincoln Network
10:15 - 10:45am
Remarks by Minority Whip Steny Hoyer and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy
Featuring Leader McCarthy and Minority Whip Hoyer, moderated by Seamus Kraft
Presented in partnership with:
10:45 - 11:00am
Recharge Break
11:00 - 11:45am
Building a Modern Congress: The Bulk Data Task Force Success Story as a Model for Overcoming Institutional Challenges in Congress
Featuring Kirsten Gullickson, Josh Tauberer, Molly Reynolds, moderated by Daniel Schuman
Presented in partnership with:
11:45 - 12:30pm
Investing in Human Capital: Organizational and Tech Strategies That Empower Capitol Hill Staffers to be More Efficient and Effective
Featuring Carrie Adams, Wilsar Johnson, Kathy Goldschmidt, moderated by Yuri Beckelman
Presented in partnership with:
12:30 - 1:30pm
Networking Lunch
1:30 - 2:15pm
50 Shades of Procurement Reform: Why This Subject Seems Hot Right Now and How to Move Beyond the Headlines
Featuring Jessica Yabsley, Dave Zvenyach, Ken Ward, moderated by Shannon Sartin
2:15 - 3:00pm
Digital Service to the Rescue: Lessons Learned So Far and How to Expand the Impact of this Model
Featuring Erie Meyer, Aaron Snow, and Laurent Crenshaw moderated by Seamus Kraft
Presented in partnership with:
3:00 - 3:15pm
Recharge Break
3:15 - 4:00pm
Market Leaders in Congressional Tech: The Triumphs and Challenges of Building a Company Focused on Disrupting Congress
Featuring Alex Wirth - Quorum, Alex Kouts - Countable/Lincoln Network, moderated by Aaron Ginn - Lincoln Network
4:00 - 4:15pm
Closing Remarks
5:30pm
Door Stop Awards 2017 Party
Presented by
Lincoln Network and The OpenGov Foundation are joining forces to present the 2017 Door Stop Awards for Congressional Innovation and Transparency. Awards will be presented on May 17, 2017 in Washington, D.C. at an evening party as part of Reboot Congress.
The Door Stop Awards will recognize Members of Congress, top government officials and staff who are advancing durable and genuine changes to bring Congress into the 21st century. These good government successes almost always happen quietly and outside the limelight, but have resulted in long-term transparency, greater openness, and improved efficiency or effectiveness. The Door Stop Award winners didn’t just open government to the public once, they placed "door stops" ensuring that government remains open and accessible to the American people.
Rep. Seth Moulton
6th Congressional District of Massachusetts
Rep. Will Hurd
23rd Congressional District of Texas
Rep. Mike Quigley
5th Congressional District of Illinois
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers
5th Congressional District of Washington
Kirsten Gullickson
Senior Systems Analyst with the Office of the Clerk, United States House of Representatives
Matt Lira
Former Senior Advisor to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy
Stephen Dwyer
Senior Advisor to House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer
Reynold Schweickhardt
Director of Technology Policy at U.S. House of Representatives
The Democracy Fund invests in organizations working to ensure that our political system is able to withstand new challenges and deliver on its promise to the American people.
Join the largest community of tech professionals devoted to building alliance of liberty and technology. Lincoln is a place to learn, connect, and influence the future of our society.
