#153: Building Smarter, More Connected Local Communities with Alex Pederson, USAFA ‘08

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alex Pederson  (USAFA ‘08) is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at <a href= "https://info.polco.us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Polco</a>, an online platform that supports community engagement in local government.  Alex and his partner built Polco because they found that government officials, specifically those at the local level, have difficulty getting real-time and reliable input from their communities.   </span></p> <p>In this episode, Alex<span style="font-weight: 400;"> and I</span> discuss:</p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How direct feedback from a city manager led to a pivot in his business</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A success story with a small town 90-year old constituent that illustrates how Polco gives community members a chance to share their voices</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why he thinks working with another Academy graduate or military veteran makes for a strong business partnership</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The key skills and lessons learned from his time at the Air Force Academy and in the Air Force that are helping him today as an entrepreneur  </span></li> </ul> <p>Connect with Alex:</p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hialex/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Pederson</a></span></li> <li><a href="https://info.polco.us/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Polco</span></a></li> </ul> <p>If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can <a href= "https://sabmgroup.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer">join our supportive community</a> and get started today.</p> <p><strong>Subscribe and help out the show:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a hre