Suppose that you have a friend who’s a self-identified entrepreneur (purely hypothetical scenario, of course). Imagine that this friend told you that she was driven to change the world with an idea. You’ve heard this line before, but since you’re a good friend you ask what it is she plans on giving away at a buy 1 give 1 rate. But to your surprise, this friend doesn’t mention giving out free shoes. Instead, your friend describes a business that exists to solve one problem for millions of people.
Why would such a scenario surprise us? Social entrepreneurship does not mean unprofitable business or uninspired charity. But oftentimes it’s hard to think of social ventures that truly work towards a better future in a new way. Alberto Altamirano’s earned himself a spot on Forbes 30 under 30 and surprised me with a vision for people-centric smart cities that exists to solve one problem for millions of people.
Starting in San Antonio, CityFlag is looking to connect citizenship with their government. With three innovative products, Altamirano revolutionized the way that cities facilitate 311 calls (non-emergency police invoices).
By contracting these products to cities around the country, CityFlag can ultimately improve the quality of life by giving tools for immediate and personalized engagements with the issues of the community. From their website,
“We blended human-centered design principles, data and creativity to create an interactive public service experience”
As we continue to learn about how our ideas can make an impact on the way people live their lives, we ought to appreciate the originality and profitability of this idea.
Altamirano’s innovation, regarding information, is one that is useful and important to civic matters. Information searching, through the government, is often a difficult task that is not easy to navigate. This innovation allows for an option to seek information that is easy. In a world that is obsessed with efficiency, the quicker the results, the happier the people.