Episode 50: David Rauch

Meet David Rauch, the strategic planner, open-data enthusiast and onetime journalist who makes connections through Beta City YEG, Edmonton's civic technology meetup. David is the kind of guy who radiates enthusiasm. It's that energy that has animated and incited all kinds of interesting projects, such as the Open Piano project that brought music to city streets; ArtTourYEG, a guide to Edmonton's public art; the LinkYEG app to connect Edmontonians in need with services; and a map of historical Edmonton photos, among many other projects. Beta City YEG convenes citizens, public employees and members of Edmonton's tech community on the fourth Wednesday of the month at Startup Edmonton. They work to apply the power of data and technology to address challenges in our city and region. And, as David notes, baked goods are often involved. The next one, on Sept. 28 at 6:30 p.m., features presentations on the CommonGood web app and the Edmonton Shift Lab. Like many of my recent guests, David came to see me at the Makerspace at the Edmonton Public Library back in June during 100 in 1 Day. I enjoyed our chat, and I hope you do, too. This episode is also available in iTunes, on Google Play, on SoundCloud or on Stitcher. David made a couple of recommendations: Mack Male's indispensable blog, MasterMaq Capital City Records, the collection of locally made music available for streaming and download from the Edmonton Public Library. (There's a podcast, now, too!) He also hails Eugene Chen of Darkhorse Analytics, who always has interesting ideas on the go. This episode of Seen and Heard in Edmonton is brought to you by Taproot Edmonton, a source of curiosity-driven stories about the city, cultivated by the community. Writer Mel Priestley drops by to talk about her story, South Edmonton's surprising deer paradise. Satisfy your curiosity about the city and support more stories like this by joining Taproot.