GovEx Data Points

--- Beth Blauer and Oliver Wise reflect on the roots, risks, and real-world impact of building a data-first culture in government.

--- What began as a bold new idea for equipping cities with better data has become a national model for how local government leads with evidence. In this special retrospective, GovEx founder Beth Blauer joins current Executive Director Oliver Wise to share the untold stories behind the launch of GovEx, lessons from ten years in the field, and what governments must prioritize now, from data governance to community trust, to drive real impact.

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--- With support from the City Data Alliance AI Track, Luján de Cuyo embraced AI and shifted from reactive repairs to proactive service delivery.

--- Matías Meric, Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Luján de Cuyo, Argentina, discusses his experience as one of the first eight city leaders to participate in the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance AI Track and the city’s journey from fragmented data systems to a proactive, AI-driven street maintenance strategy. The city launched a machine learning tool using cameras on garbage trucks to predict potholes, increasing detection precision and cutting manual inspection time. This conversation highlights the leadership, culture change, and commitment required to move from reacting to complaints to anticipating community needs.

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--- The AI Capacity Quiz is helping cities reflect, compare, and take confident steps forward

--- The GovEx team created the AI Capacity Quiz to help local governments understand where they stand with AI and where to go next. In this episode, Mai-Ling Garcia, Justin Elszasz, and Michael Montgomery joined the podcast to talk about how the tool came to life, what makes it different from traditional assessments, and why it’s designed to encourage cities on their AI journey.

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--- The city developed its AI prototype as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance AI Track

--- As one of eight cities in the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance AI Track, Guatemala City worked with GovEx coaches to develop an AI prototype to determine where and how to build tree cover to best mitigate the impact of growing urban heat islands. City officials Julia Galindo and Griselda Valdez joined the podcast to talk about how they did it, what they learned, and why Latin America cities may be more eager to embrace the possibilities of AI.

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--- Mayor Renard Johnson’s participation in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative offers an example of the power of data storytelling.

--- Today, Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence Executive Director Oliver Wise talks to Mayor Renard Johnson of El Paso, Texas, a participant in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. The city finds itself at the center of two national conversations: immigration and AI infrastructure. The mayor is using data to broaden prevailing narratives about El Paso and elevate the social and economic opportunity the metropolitan region has to offer.

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