I’ll be honest with you. I’m not entirely sure where this is all going. One thing I do know: When all is said and done, I want the web to be a better place.

It feels like forever ago now that I first heard Karen McGrane talk about the digital divide, and the connection between mobile-ready content and accessibility for underserved populations. But I’m in Flint, Michigan, where this message still has a long way to go and a big opportunity for impact. Today, I’m on a mission to enlist people in my community to help make a better web—especially when it comes to connecting people to the things they need.

It’s about people who need access to resources. It’s also about people with resources to share, business to grow, or their own missions to accomplish. When the web works the way that it should, we can begin to make connections across all sides of the internet. When the web works, really works, it works for everyone.

I want businesses, non-profits, service providers, and people to be equipped to make good digital decisions.

I want the people in my (and every) community to get the information and resources they need.

(It feels complicated and incredibly simple at the same time.)

In trying to focus my brain in a single and productive direction, I keep coming back to data. National statistics make a compelling case about the need for accessible design and content strategy, but so far haven’t invoked the local support I know I need. I have a case to make, and some work to do in making this mission relatable.

From here I plan to find answers to these questions:

  • What digital usage data exists on a local level?
  • Where data is missing, what data can I pull together?
  • Who might be willing to share data for a collective purpose?
  • What is there to apply from models like Collective Impact and Open Data?
  • What specific efforts or programs in Flint can benefit from digital usage data?
  • Can something be built in Flint that other communities can build from?
  • Are other communities addressing this challenge?

There’s no telling how many directions this will lead or shapes this will take along the way, but I plan to share as I go. If you have an idea or question, I’d love to hear from you. If you’re curious about the progression of StrategyCar toward some sort of collective community model for a better web, I invite you to sign up for email updates.

Thanks for being here. The StrategyCar only gets ahead if we make our way together.