Over the next few weeks civic accelerator programs will be launched in several East Coast cities, building on the momentum started by the announcement of the Code for America (CfA) backed civic accelerator in San Francisco.
As I telegraphed in a tweet earlier today, announcements for these new efforts are imminent.
Clearly the idea of building viable businesses out of civic projects that use open government data or that leverage government transparency is catching on. What remains to be seen is the specific approach these initiatives will take.
Beyond the kick off announcement of the San Francisco-based accelerator program, there are very few details of exactly how the effort will work, and CfA is still recruiting for someone to lead the venture.
The announcements that will be made on the east coast in the near term will provide more concrete information on exactly how these accelerator programs will work, and offer a glimpse into how supporters believe they can spin civic hacking projects into profitable ventures.
It will be interesting to watch as the upcoming announcements are made. Stay tuned!
(Picture courtesy of Flickr user wvs.)
Civic Innovations 
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