Reigniting civic engagement in the age of digital

In the pivotal time leading up to the 2020 U.S. presidential election, came a sense of urgency to introduce technology that could support organizers and equip voters of color with everything they needed to amplify their voices as the pandemic changed the rules of canvassing and campaigning.

Woke Vote and Work & Co partnered to launch a new site and all-in-one digital tool designed to help organizers activate others to vote and streamline the process of voting for the user.

Just over a year after launch, Work & Co Managing Director Tyesha Snow joined Woke Vote co-founders DeJuana Thompson, Partner at Think Rubix, and Tristan Wilkerson, Managing Principal at Think Rubix, to explore how the teams worked together to bring Woke Vote to life, and discuss technology’s role in social innovation. Their experiences and perspectives reveal not only the importance of their work but also the ways in which progress can be made—and is.

Make problem solving simple.

That’s a phrase that Think Rubix often recites as they think about their strategy. Making change begins with a deep understanding of the factors that create a scenario. The more an organization understands about the challenges they face, the clearer the solutions become. Although it’s important to not conflate simple with easy, knowledge is a gateway to effectuating action.

Tools can’t replace relationships—but they can enhance them

In civic engagement relationships are core to the work being done, but without technology tools and resources there are massive missed opportunities. Work Vote’s deep connection to engagement brought valuable relationships to the table but they acknowledged gaps in what was possible so together the partnership focused on how to produce something that enhanced the work they were already doing without replacing or trying to replicate it. Allowing the tools to take on the role of scaling that work.

“Technology has been the impetus for change over the last three decades,” claimed Mr Wilkerson. Putting data at the fingertips of organizers has made the work of Woke Vote exponentially more impactful, though technology was only part of the equation.” How technology and product can enhance relationships and a firm knowledge base is a critical lens to build from.

With adversity comes opportunity. Mr. Wilkerson admits that the recent changes related to voter laws are “troubling,” but he remains optimistic. Progress—in this case combating oppression—requires organizations to create programs to proliferate ideas. Now, more than ever, people are equipped with the tools to spread the word and incite action once obstacles are identified. “That’s what I love about working with you all,” said Ms. Thompson, referring to Work & Co’s partnership with designing and developing the Woke Vote digital platform. “You came to the table first asking ‘What are the gaps?’ What you did was listen to what we were trying to accomplish. And all we did was listen to the ground on what they were trying to accomplish. What we were able to produce together was a tool that enhanced our ability to do the work that we already do.”

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About the Work & Co Fund

Woke Vote is one of several projects executed under the Work & Co Fund, a program created to support projects that improve our world. The Fund has invested $1 million specifically towards nonprofits and startups that are focused on advancement in the Black community including Ameelio, GiveBlck.org, NeighborShare, and the DID Collaborative. Learn more about our focus areas and how to apply here.