Hey neighbors,

I miss you guys a lot, and DC is treated me well so far. I enjoy the 6 block commute as apposed to the relentless flights to DC. I've made some new friends and am definitely enjoying the warm weather, still....

I'm posting because I thought you might be interested a live stream I am hosting on Thursday at 12:30 pm on GovLoop.com with the folks from Challenge.gov. Challenge.gov is a place where "we the people" and government solve problems together. It's really pretty cool and they have had lots of success. Would love to see something like this in Boston...

Read below for more info:

INNOVATION AT ITS BEST: CHALLENGE.GOV:

Government has made a ton of progress in innovation in the last few years. And many will find it hard to disagree that some of the most innovative citizen creations have been catalyzed and precipitated with the launch of Challenge.gov. 

What is it? Challenge.gov is simply a place where the public and government can solve problems together. It is built on a platform that allows government to post challenges, drive citizens to bust some brain cells and submit solutions and vote, share the challenges with their friends, and win recognition. Just 14 months old, government agencies have posted over 100 challenges and been the spur of cool new apps and awareness to important issues.

LEARN MORE! CONVERSATION with CHALLENGE.GOV THIS THURSDAY, 11/10, 12:30pm EST:

Here's some news just coming down the pike. This Thursday, November 10 at 12:30 EST, Karen Trebon, Deputy Program Manager and Tammi Marcoullier, Program Manager will be sitting down with Joseph Porcelli of GovLoop to talk about how Challenge.gov got started, top lessons learned from federal agencies that have submitted challenges, and what they wish everyone knew about the platform. This live streamed discussed will be hosted on GovLoop.com. To join in, simply go to GovLoop's homepage. If you have any questions or challenges, please contact lauren@govloop.com or reach out on Twitter @exilauren. Follow live tweets at #govlooplive.

 HOT OFF THE PRESS CHALLENGE.GOV CONTEST RESULTS:

At DCWeek today, members of government such as Aneesh Chopra celebrated the 5 winners of EPA's Apps for the Environment contest that pulled in 38 total apps, 100+ ideas, and 2000+ votes. The winner of the best overall app is called "Light Bulb Finder" - - an "app that makes it easy to switch from incandescent to energy-efficient light bulbs. It empowers users to make informed decisions based on their lighting needs and the financial and environmental impact of their choices. Using the app, the typical American home can cut their annual electricity bill by over $120 and environmental impact by 1,360 lbs. CO2"

GOVERNMENT CHALLENGE FUN FACTS:

Also, just to round things out, here are some fun facts about government challenges. While crowd-sourcing might be a term we think of as new to our current age of Twitter, IdeaScale, and Quora, government challenges actually have a VERY long history. As cited in a Washington Post article in January of this year, "in 1714, the British government offered 20,000 pounds to anyone who could devise a reliable way of measuring longitude at sea, a problem neither Newton nor Galileo could solve. (Clockmaker John Harrison won in 1773.) Napoleon offered a prize for innovations in food preservation for his army, leading to the development of modern canning. And the $25,000 Orteig Prize spurred Charles Lindbergh to make his transatlantic flight." Too cool!