The Future of Civic Engagement with Ben Berkowitz

Dive into the technology that helps governments solve problems with Ben Berkowitz, founder of the civic engagement SaaS SeeClickFix. When it comes to city affairs, Ben has always been an actively engaged citizen of New Haven, CT. One day, while trying to report some graffiti in his neighborhood to an unresponsive phone voicemail, Ben realized there had to be a better way to communicate problems to the local government. That is the origin of how Ben founded SeeClickFix, a civic engagement software that allows citizens to report issues to local governments through an app. In the last 15 years over 9 million reports to dozens of government agencies around the world have been submitted through this innovative software. After overseeing an acquisition by CivicPlus, Ben has since made an early retirement. 

 

In this interview, you’ll learn about Ben’s use of transcendental meditation to stay present in every moment, why leaving social media was one of the best decisions he ever made, and how he designed his retirement in a way that works for his family. If you’re interested in exploring the growing entrepreneurial landscape in New Haven and some of the unique companies and maker-spaces that make it ideal for young founders, check out the links below. 

👀  Learn more about SeeClickFix.

🔧 Explore the maker-space Make Haven.

Visit us at Forward Obsessed and join the conversation. 

We Design Demand. Learn more about Digital Surgeons