In the aftermath of a contentious presidential race last year, tech-saavy Americans looking to get active on the political scene turned to civic engagement apps to learn how they could become more involved in local and national issues.
Apps like Brigade and Countable saw staggering growth in the last 12 months. At Countable, downloads jumped 300 percent, and opinions shared on Brigade now number in the millions. Constituents utilize these apps to contact state representatives, read up on current legislation and start conversations with other users.
But things can get ugly in a public forum where people discuss political actions and opinions. Platforms developed for constructive discussion and education quickly turn into tools for organizing protests and berating state reps.
Yelling at your representative isn't the same thing as engaging with them
A Minneapolis-based startup, Civic Eagle, is taking a different approach with its political engagement app.
“We decided to wait it out,” said CEO Damola Ogundipe of the post-election mayhem. “There was so much noise in the space, and we made a decision not to capitalize on negativity.”
Much like Brigade and Countable, Civic Eagle helps users connect with representatives and constituents in the area, as well as start discussions around issues ranging from data encryption to paying student athletes. The app also assists users with voter registration.
But Ogundipe said that the Civic Eagle team's main goal is to create a platform that promotes discussion and issue-based understanding.
"Yelling at your representative isn't the same thing as engaging with them," Ogundipe said. "We want to serve both sides and didn't want publicity as the app to yell at your elected officials."
Ogundipe co-founded Civic Eagle in 2014 with entrepreneurs Yemi Adewumni, Ken Thompson and Shawntera Hardy, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
In addition to running Civic Eagle, Ogundipe serves as entrepreneur in residence at COCO, a program backed by Google for Entrepreneurs and Code2040, that aims to create opportunity for black and latino entrepreneurs looking to break into the tech industry. As part of this arrangement, Ogundipe received a $40K stipend and support from the Code2040 fellowship to help grow the business.
"I think it shows that they saw high value both in the business and in us as entrepreneurs," he said.
In addition to the app, Civic Eagle recently launched a "constituent relationship management" software for government organizations and officials to connect with voters in the area, and understand their needs and interests. Later this year, Ogundipe said the team also plans to release its virtual town hall tool, Envision.
Currently, the team is working with candidates in the Minneapolis and St. Paul mayoral races to add their information to the app prior the this year's November election.
Civic Eagle currently has around 50,000 downloads and 2,800 monthly active users, according to Ogundipe. He added that the company is largely bootstrapped, and generates revenue through SAAS tools it creates for local and state government.
"Even if you only use the app every four years, we hope people know that they have this resource for truth and engagement," he said.
