ClearGov Named to BostInno’s “50 on Fire” List for 2019

Is it HOT in here or is it us?

The editorial team over at BostInno just confirmed what we already knew — ClearGov is on fire!

BostInno’s 50 on Fire list recognizes the influential people and fast-growing businesses that are driving Boston forward. It’s a celebration of local innovators that spans multiple categories and industries. ClearGov is proud to be one of just five startups honored in the Government & Civic Technology category. So, what makes us hot stuff?

Since our launch in 2015, ClearGov has been on a mission to build a community of modern, transparent, data-driven governments and school districts. To date, we’ve created infographic-based transparency profiles for every civic entity in the U.S. — 40,000+ municipal profiles in all — that collectively display some $15.7 trillion in local government spending. And, that’s just the beginning.

“In the last year alone, we’ve expanded our active client base to include more than 300 local governments in 25 different states,” said ClearGov president Bryan Burdick. “We’ve also raised $5.4 million in venture capital to fuel steady growth.”

So far, 2019 continues to rank as yet another banner year for ClearGov, marked by the launch of robust enhancements to our flagship transparency product — including DIY templates for capital improvement projects, flexible department dashboards, and much more. We also partnered with leading media outlets including Patch, Ballotpedia, and GateHouse to help local agencies expand their reach and battle the growing spread of misinformation. Now, through our growing content distribution network, communities with an active ClearGov transparency profile have a new way to get facts in front of more residents and stakeholders than ever before. 

Meanwhile, client feedback on our increasingly popular budgeting and forecasting solution introduced this time last year has been overwhelmingly positive. Built expressly for the unique number-crunching needs of local governments, ClearGov Budgets reduces the time, effort and frustration often associated with the annual budget process. Now, with a full budget season in the books, the client reviews are in and they’re nothing short of stellar.

“ClearGov is definitely on fire and continues to blaze new trails in the public sector,” says CEO Chris Bullock. “We employ a passionate and fiercely talented team of 26 all-stars who are laser focused on making democracy work better and driving measurable results for local governments. We’re honored to be named to the 50 on Fire list and thank BostInno editors for recognizing our efforts in this way.”

Bridging the generational divide with shoulder pads, alchemy, and stupid ideas 

It’s TED time again. One Tuesday a month, we curate and share three short talks on a theme. This month, our in-house Tedster Lena Pelekoudas suggested we tackle the multigenerational workplace. 

Lena is a ClearGov market development executive, full-time Tufts grad student, and a volunteer with TEDxCambridge, one of the longest-running and largest independently organized TED events in the world. Clearly, she knows her stuff and her TED Talks. Lena’s also a millennial, although she just makes the cutoff for identifying as Gen Z (at least according to Pew Research).

As someone who also straddles the fuzzy line between generations myself (I’m either a very young Baby Boomer or a very old Gen X-er), it’s hard to know which stereotypes to embrace. Should I be a workaholic or a life-balance advocate? Should Lena be idealistic and determined or wary of debt? And who gets dibs on the avocado toast?

For the first time in the modern workplace there are as many as five generations congregating at the proverbial water cooler. And, if we’re to believe the stereotypes, it’s absolute mayhem. But, is it? Really? 

Researchers use generational cohorts to understand how formative experiences like world events ultimately shape who we are — and that’s important. Whether we were born pre- or post- 9/11 or came of age in a period of recession may influence our world view, but does it change how we come to work, or the talents we bring to the table?

In the links below you’ll see three entertaining and insightful takes on navigating today’s multigenerational workplace. Find out how shoulder pads, alchemy, and stupid ideas may or may not help to bridge the divide. Enjoy!

Watch: How generational stereotypes hold us back at work

Don’t believe everything you find on page one of your Google results. In this fun, 11-minute talk, social psychologist Leah Georges argues that an age diverse workplace may be easier to navigate than you think and far less adversarial than we’ve all been led to believe. 

Watch: What baby boomers can learn from millennials at work — and vice versa

Since roughly 40 percent of the municipal workforce is currently within five years of retirement, entrepreneur Chip Conley’s short talk on the merits of forming multigenerational teams seems particularly relevant. Conley makes a compelling case for finding the balance between wisdom and disruption (think Tony Bennet meets Lady Gaga).  

Watch: 8 Lessons on building a company people enjoy working for

In this fast, five-minute talk from “The Way We Work” series, Patty McCord dispenses eight valuable lessons that challenge traditional workplace conventions. The former chief talent officer at Netflix, McCord’s no-nonsense insights are profoundly relevant whether you work at a small startup, a big enterprise, or a local government. Lesson #1? We’re all adults (regardless of when we were born).

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