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OCTOpod Adrian interviews the Capitol City Robotics Director and three members of the team that will represent the District of Columbia at the VEX Robotics World Championship in May 2022. The Capitol City Robotics is a robotics and coding educational program that exposes K-12 students to science and technology while inspiring them to pursue a STEM career. We learned about the different roles on a robotic team and how the team made it to the Vex Championship and how community members can support Capital City Robotics. Guests: Michael Ryan Daza  | Read more about Michael at https://www.capitolcityroboticsdc.org/about

In honor of Women’s History Month, we have Joya Matthews, Associate Director of the Mayor’s Office on Women’s Policy and Initiatives (MOWPI). She comes to MOWPI after years of public service in workforce development and here to talk to us about this year's Women's HERstory Month and "the why" behind the creation of an agency that specifically focuses on women's initiatives and policies.   For more information visit women.dc.gov or tag and follow MOWPI on social media @DCMOWPI.  And as always, make sure to follow us for new episodes of the lastest #OCTOpod @octodc!

In honor of Black History DC, we are sitting down with Director Ashley Emerson, the Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of African American Affairs (MOAAA) to talk about how innovation impacts Africans Americans in the DC area, the community, #BlackHistoryDC, and more! Follow @MOAAA_DC and visit http://MOAAA.dc.gov for the city-wide calendar of events. And as always, make sure to follow us for new episodes of the lastest #OCTOpod @octodc!

From parks and recs to building modernization, OCTOPod sits down with the Director of DC Department of General Services (DGS), Keith Anderson to talk about school modernizations, tech lounges, Percent for Art Programs and more! Learn more about the DC Department of General Services: Visit dgs.dc.gov Follow @dcdgs Guest: Keith Anderson Co-Hosts: Mike Rupert Nina Liggett Editor/Producer: Serena Ieng Co-Producer: Shinada Philips Adrian Sutton Thank you for listening to the OCTOPod! Follow us @OCTODC and tag us #OCTOPOD.

From FREE tech support to Senior tech workshops, OCTOPod sits down with Director of Connect.DC, Delano Squires to talk about bridging the digital divide! Connect.DC making technology easier to use, more accessible, more affordable, and more relevant to the everyday lives of District residents. Learn more about all the Connect.DC programs: connect.dc.gov/ connect.dc.gov/free-tech-support connect.dc.gov/seniors connect.dc.gov/spark Guest: Delano Squires Co-Hosts: Mike Rupert Nina Liggett Michele Roseman Editor/Producer: Serena Ieng

The new DC For Hire Vehicles (DCFHV) CIO, Eric Fidler joins OCTOPod to talk about tech and taxis! Discussing his transition to DC government, DC taxis vs. Rideshare apps, "Where Are the Taxis" digital platform and more! Guest: Eric Fidler dfhv.dc.gov/ Co-Hosts: Mike Rupert Nina Liggett Michele Roseman Editor/Producer: Serena Ieng

Having been confirmed just two weeks ago, meet DC's new Chief Technology Officer, Lindsey Parker as she sits down with team OCTOPod to talk about tackling tech and innovation in the nation's capital and more. Guest: Lindsey Parker https://octo.dc.gov/biography/lindsey-parker Co-Hosts: Mike Rupert Nina Liggett Michele Roseman Editor/Producer: Serena Ieng

OCTOPod team Mike, Nina and Michele sit down with Acting Director of the Department of Public Works, Christopher Geldart to "talk trash" about all things DPW. Discussing the new launch of the MyDPW App, smart waste collection solutions, Zero Waste DC and more! Guest: Christopher Geldart https://dpw.dc.gov/biography/christopher-geldart MyDPW App: https://dpw.dc.gov/es/node/1388026 The mobile app can be downloaded from the AppStore and GooglePlay, and can be found using the search terms “MyDPW” or “MyDPW DC.” Zero Waste DC: https://zerowaste.dc.gov/ Co-Hosts: Mike Rupert Nina Liggett Michele Roseman Editor/Producer: Serena Ieng By the Numbers Source(s): https://wapo.st/2T0OMel https://dpw.dc.gov/service/trash-container-repair-and-purchase

In the inaugural OCTOpod Mike and Nina interview DC’s newly hired Chief Information Security Officer, and grill him about why passwords need to be complex, why emails are a big risk, and how DC agencies can work with us to stay innovative but also cyber secure. Guest: Suneel Cherukuri Read more about Suneel: https://octo.dc.gov/release/dc-names-new-chief-information-security-officer-ciso Co-Hosts: Mike Rupert Nina Liggett Editor/Producer: Serena Ieng By the Numbers Source: https://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/636083/10-alarming-cybersecurity-facts/

The OCTOPod is the place to track government techies, geeks and innovators who are making a huge difference in the nation's Capital. There are a lot of cool people in the DC Government tech space and on OCTOPod you can meet them all. Let's tech it out!