Hackathon: Co-creating the future of the Tenderloin

"We'll never solve this at city hall" - former mayor of San Francisco (2004-2011), Gavin Newsom

All proceeds will be donated to a Tenderloin community organization we collectively vote for at the end of the event. Please feel free to bring suggestions of organizations that might benefit from this donation.

In a city of abundant wealth and intelligence, why does the Tenderloin, and the people who inhabit one of the most traditional neighborhoods of San Francisco, still struggle to find solutions that make the area a better place for everyone? It has become clear over the years the challenges are multi-faceted, making it increasingly difficult to rely on the government alone for solutions to this complex challenge.

With the intellectual capital the San Francisco holds, can we find the solutions ourselves and push them forward?

Join us for a 1-day design thinking and business model innovation workshop, determined to identify a vision and solutions for the current situation of the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco.

We want you: agents of change, innovators, disruptors, business leaders, influencers, community leaders, residents, technical experts...what do you have to bring to the table to find solutions for the city we all love?

Together, let's co-create a vision and actionable strategies to get there, answering questions such as...

• Homelessness, what are the viable options to house displaced residents?

• Lack of coordination between non-profit organizations

• Drugs, why are they so prevalent and how can reduce their impact in the area?

• Mental illness, what are solutions for increasing support towards the mentally ill?

• Community, how do we come together to help our fellow residents?

• Inclusion, how do we create opportunities to reinstate opportunities for everyone? 

• Education, what is the best approach and how can it have an impact on the short and long-term

Here are some number for you to start thinking about...

• Currently, San Francisco has about 7,500 homeless residents. Of those, around 2,300 are chronically homeless (have been homeless for more than a year or experienced homelessness 4 times or more during the last 3 years).

• Current city spend is $249 million per year on homelessness. 2/3 of this amount is already going to those in supportive housing

• About 1000 residents at any given time are on a waiting list for temporary housing in San Francisco, in addition to the lack of permanent housing.

• Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness, says an additional $100 million is needed, at least, to start solving the situation.

At the end of the day, we will have created real models of solutions for the Tenderloin neighborhood, combined with actionable plans to make them real.

Our goal is to have projects and models that have proven viability. The next step will be to find the financial feasibility with San Francisco based companies and organization that are willing to take the project forward. 

You will be working in groups of 2-5 people. You are welcome to join with friends and colleagues.

Agenda

09:00-10:30: Embrace Uncertainty & Co-Create Options for the Future

Today: What is the current model of the Tenderloin today? Who is living there, what is the value of the location to residents & businesses, what are the resources available, what are the key contributors to the economy of the area, what goes the cost structure look like for the current efforts in the area...

Future: Now fast forward 2 years, 5 years, 10 years...what does this model look like now? What has changed and what has created impact?

10:30-11:00: Break

11:00-12:30: Unpack the World! What are the trends driving change in other parts of the world? How might we turn uncertainty into an opportunity? What is the future of the Tenderloin and it's residents? What do they need today & tomorrow?

12:30-1:30: Lunch

1:30-2:30: Prototyping the Business Models of the Future of the Tenderloin. How might we co-create future-proof models to improve parts of the problems within the neighborhood? What are our riskiest assumptions and how might we test them using prototypes?

2:30-3:30: Get out of the Building! Coffee with your residents, business owners and the community: How might you invalidate (or validate) your assumptions with your prototypes? Time to talk to the people who are living it every day.

3:30-4:15: Pivoting & Pitching your Ideas. Updating your idea and prototypes based on customer validation. Craft your pitch!

4:15-4:30: Pitch your idea (s). Why are your groups ideas the ones with real potential to create a positive shift in the neighborhood?

4:30-5:00: Closing the Day

5:00-6:00: Decompress Over Cocktails