DC Inno Beat 3/31: Silicon Valley Lobbyist, Greentech and Pop-up Chaos

By Chris Bing

March 31, 2015, 04:36pm EDT

The Big One

Chris: A group of major players in the Silicon Valley tech scene, including Napster’s Sean Parker and SV Angel founder Ron Conway, have launched a new "ideas laboratory and advocacy organization" called the Economic Innovation Group (EIG). The DC-based lobbying group will work to promote a diverse agenda that is friendly toward growth, investment, and job creation. Steve Glickman, formerly an economic advisor to President Obama, is leading EIG along with former trade association executive and Republican Senate aide John Lettieri.

EIG will focus on issues that they hope will be bi-partisan and prompt economic opportunity, boosting the creation of better-paying jobs in the U.S. Parker has been particularly active in politics, funding voter engagement platform Brigade last fall and as a founder of FWD.us.

Eric: Silicon Valley hasn't had a great record on getting its agenda through Congress, though Parker and his group clearly think they have the right formula this time. But if you've ever heard the comments some Representatives make on C-Span about California and "coastal elites," you'll understand why it's hard not to be skeptical about EIG's chances of promoting its goals.

Making Moves

Chris: Created by two of LivingSocial’s original 20 employees, Galley mobile delivery application aims to deliver 600-to-800 calorie dinners for between $12-$14 to District residents. The mobile and web-based food delivery startup currently offers delivery to a majority of the District, but Galley co-founder Alan Clifford now plans to expand coverage to the entire city and toward northern Virginia within several months. Unlike most food delivery services, which deliver food from existing restaurants, Galley’s chefs cook a three-option menu, which customers can choose from for quick delivery.

Player Personnel

Chris: Optoro has joined the Mayor’s Smarter DC Challenge and announced the hiring ofsustainability director Ann Calamai. In December, Optoro raised a $50 million Series C investment led by KPCB and Calamai will work closely with Kleiner Perkins' Green Growth Fund, which supports rising green tech companies in new markets.

Community:

Chris: The D.C. Zoning Commission has acted to appease District residents who are against the expansion of pop-ups throughout the city. Pop-ups are vertically extended and renovated row homes, which can block a neighborhood’s skyline. The commission voted 3 to 2 in favor of capping the by-right height of single-family row houses at 35 feet; a reduction from the previous limit of 40 feet. Regardless, the new rules won't go into effect until after a review by the federal National Capital Planning Commission can take place.

Brian: Basically, there still needs to be a federal review and final vote, but the commission here has clearly come out on the side of residents who want to stop new “middle-finger” dwellings from dominating their neighborhood skylines.

Final Four:

#DCTechMadness will be wrapping up its 4th round at 5pm today. The winners of the 4th round along with an updated 5th round voting bracket will be available tomorrow morning. Vote.Vote.Vote.

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