Civic Tech: Hack for LA
Data-Driven Advocacy for Food Access
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Role: Lead Business Analyst
Skills: Data storytelling, stakeholder strategy, Figma prototyping, cross-functional collaboration, Civic Tech.
Duration: Ongoing (2024- Present)
Website: https://la.foodoasis.net
Challenge / Context
Many Los Angeles Neighborhood Councils (NCs) don’t maintain up-to-date food resource pages, leaving constituents without easy access to help. Food Oasis LA (FOLA) offers a searchable platform of free and low-cost food options. We needed a way to show NCs the value of integrating FOLA into their existing systems.
Insight / Research
We gathered public data from over 90 NC websites to understand what food-related resources were available—or missing. We compared that data with FOLA’s existing listings to uncover gaps, trends, and opportunities for outreach.
Approach / Process
Figma Wireframes
As the Business Analyst and team lead, I translated a civic data challenge into a collaborative design process. Working with volunteer data scientists, I mapped out what needed to be shown—and how—by creating Figma mockups that made the story behind the data clear, accessible, and actionable for non-technical audiences.
Team Collaboration
I also acted as a team coach and project manager: onboarding new volunteers, supporting the team’s learning curve with Google Looker, and keeping energy high despite limited availability and the natural ebb and flow of volunteer work. I kept us aligned around deadlines and purpose—ensuring we stayed user-focused and mission-driven, even with shifting capacity.
Dashboard Interface
I also acted as a team coach and project manager: onboarding new volunteers, supporting the team’s learning curve with Google Looker, and keeping energy high despite limited availability and the natural ebb and flow of volunteer work. I kept us aligned around deadlines and purpose—ensuring we stayed user-focused and mission-driven, even with shifting capacity.
Idea to Impact Timeline or Milestones – A simple graphic showing stages of the project to visually reinforce the steps from idea to impact.
Prototype / Solution
We built an interactive dashboard in Looker that clearly shows how each NC currently supports food access—and how FOLA could fill the gaps. Paired with a clean presentation deck and visual mockups, we created a toolkit that speaks to stakeholders, not just data folks.
Impact / What Changed
The dashboard became a conversation-starter. It’s now used to support outreach efforts and helps NCs quickly understand the value of embedding FOLA into their websites. Beyond the tool itself, we established a replicable method for using civic data as a bridge between communities and digital public goods.
