CivStart State of GovTech 2025
There’s something fitting about hosting a conversation on the future of government in a neighborhood that’s been totally transformed by one of the biggest public-private projects in recent memory. Amazon’s HQ2 in Arlington isn’t just glass and green space – it’s the result of strategic, long-term collaboration. Arlington Economic Development, one of the key players behind the successful bid to bring HQ2 to the region, was also a proud partner in making this year’s State of GovTech possible.
It was the perfect backdrop for a gathering focused on what can happen when governments, startups, and the private sector come together with shared purpose. And last week, it was home to CivStart’s State of GovTech 2025, a two-day gathering of the people working to make government work better and smarter.
CivStart is at the center of that effort. They’re a nonprofit accelerator helping early-stage startups solve real problems in state and local government. But more than that, they’ve become a hub for everyone in the GovTech world – city leaders, founders, investors, policy wonks, and partners like us at EcoMap. The energy at this year’s event was electric. The schedule was packed with keynotes, fireside chats, hands-on breakout sessions, and, yes, a pitch competition. But the tone stayed grounded and collaborative. Less buzzwords, more blueprints.
Broadband, AI, and a Little Bit of Uhura
The conference kicked off with opening remarks from Tara Palacios, Director of BizLaunch in Arlington, and Clarence Anthony, CEO of the National League of Cities. Tara called back to last year when she said she felt like a cruise director. This time, she said she’s stepped into more of a Star Trek Uhura role, helping translate across sectors. A perfect metaphor for the intersection of local government and private innovation that played out across every session.
Clarence followed with a reminder that broadband isn’t just about YouTube speeds, it’s a workforce issue. According to Pew, 43% of adults making under $30K don’t have broadband access. That’s a crisis for education, employment, and equity. He made it clear: if we want transformation, we need public-private collaboration. Dreaming of better cities is great, but if the private sector isn’t at the table, we’re just dreaming.
And when it comes to AI? Most cities want to get started but aren’t sure how. Only 30% of American cities have an AI plan in place. That’s why NLC is launching “AI in Action,” an initiative to help local leaders figure out how to implement AI in meaningful, ethical, and community-centered ways. The takeaway wasn’t fear – it was urgency.
Rita Reynolds, CTO at NACo, summed it up well: “Doing nothing is getting it wrong. Doing something is at least a step in the right direction.” She talked about building safety and training around AI the way we do around a swimming pool – lifeguards, fences, floaties – because innovation should be responsible, not reckless. Her emphasis on human-centered AI stuck with a lot of folks: this isn’t about AI saving people. It’s about people using AI to help save themselves.
Sherrod and Francesca: Data-Driven and Heart-Led
One of the most resonant sessions came from EcoMap’s own Sherrod Davis, who joined Francesca Ioffreda, the first Chief Innovation Officer for the State of Maryland, for a fireside chat that felt more like a TED Talk meets grassroots organizing playbook.
They talked about how Maryland is rethinking inclusive economic development by acting as connective tissue across state agencies. Francesca shared how data helped the state identify that while small businesses are prevalent in Baltimore’s low-income neighborhoods, capital wasn’t reaching them. That insight led to the launch of the Maryland Community Investment Venture Fund, aimed at encouraging fintech adoption in historically disinvested areas.
But it wasn’t just a policy session. It was a real conversation about what it means to engage people with respect. “Those closest to the problem are closest to the solution,” Francesca reminded us, quoting Gov. Moore. That means looping communities in, not just collecting their feedback but circling back to show them what their insights created. That kind of respect builds trust, and it’s central to how Maryland is treating inclusive economic development — not as a side project, but as the job.
Sherrod added the perspective of what it means to build that connective infrastructure, both physically and digitally. It was a great reminder that the most effective government innovation is people-first and systems-smart.
The Pitch Competition: AI Meets Public Service
On Wednesday, I had the chance to serve as a judge for the GovTech pitch competition, which featured 12 startups with just 3 minutes each to pitch their vision for making government services more effective, efficient, and equitable. A few slides. No fluff. Just the problem, the product, and the impact.
The theme this year was clear: AI-powered tools to support public service delivery. There were tools for using computer vision to inspect infrastructure, natural language processing to simplify benefits applications, and predictive AI that helps agencies prioritize inspections and repairs. One pitch even focused on modernizing public meetings using AI summarization to help officials track community sentiment in real time.
It brought me back to my days working with student entrepreneurs at Johns Hopkins, practicing pitches with a stopwatch and trying to condense a mission into a moment. Watching these founders tackle real civic challenges – and seeing government officials leaning in with curiosity and intent – was energizing. There was no “us vs. them” dynamic here. It was about solving problems together.
EcoMap in the GovTech Space
At EcoMap, we’ve always believed that the power of ecosystems lies in their visibility. Local governments are rich with programs, partners, and pathways – but too often, that information is siloed, outdated, or hard to navigate. That’s where we come in.
We’re proud to support local governments from Philadelphia to San Antonio, and state agencies from Nevada to Kansas to Maryland – helping them map their entrepreneurial, workforce, and community development ecosystems so that residents can more easily connect with opportunity.
If your team is thinking about how to better map your ecosystem, modernize your resource directories, or just make government a little easier to navigate, we’d love to talk. Schedule a time to meet with me here or shoot me a note.
Wrapping Up
CivStart’s State of GovTech 2025 was one of those rare conferences that feels both grounded and visionary. It wasn’t about showing off shiny tech. It was about building tools, systems, and relationships that actually help people. Whether it was AI, broadband, or benefits delivery, every conversation centered around meeting communities where they are – and building with them, not just for them.
Huge thanks to the CivStart team for pulling together a lineup that was thoughtful, timely, and energizing. If you’re a startup founder with a civic-minded product, a government official looking to pilot something new, or just someone passionate about the future of public service – definitely check out what CivStart is building. We’ll be following along, and we hope to see you at the next one.