The Last Mile Problem: Why We Created Citizen Codex

As co-founders, we’re an unlikely duo. But, like the data we’ve come to obsess over, we just need more context to make perfect sense.  

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We are different in all the ways that don’t matter and alike in all the ways that do. As a team, we share a common zeal to support underdogs, a belief that anything is possible, and a deep desire to be useful.

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When we first came together several years ago to work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, we marveled at the volume and diversity of data and research produced by this one slice of government. We grew obsessed with why a treasure trove of data that took so much effort to create scarcely saw daylight. We observed the same thing everywhere we looked—DHS, HUD, Air Force, NIH, OPM.

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That fixation turned into purpose and passion in finding a way to free that data and make it more easily available to the world. And thus, we embarked on a journey to figure out how. We spoke to government leaders, University researchers, non-profit leaders, philanthropy, journalists, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and civic tech leaders.

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Through these conversations, we learned about all the brilliant people across sectors of society who were already generating insights from vast volumes of data for the world’s benefit. But in these conversations, we also learned that many of these researchers felt they were screaming into the void—or an echo chamber at best.

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Citizen Codex was born out of this frustration felt by leaders at well-meaning institutions, who produce groundbreaking information that remains trapped and unseen.

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In all our time together as a team, our biggest fight was over whether we should do what one perceived was right versus what the other perceived as fair (dear reader – we did what was right). And what we believe is right, putting in check our ambition, is to focus our attention on the tougher problem. We could build AI-driven products to compete with existing researchers and add to the cacophony of information noise for a quick buck. But, given all the amazing experts working tirelessly in their corner of research, our talents are best used to lift them up rather than talk over them.  

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As co-founders, we’re an odd pair. We shrug and grin at the raised eyebrows when we tell people we left our comfortable jobs to build Citizen Codex. But we believe deeply in our cause and the power of bringing the best talent and tools together in service of institutions that matter – so their voice is heard far and wide.