OpenOakland
OpenOakland is a volunteer-run civic technology collective founded in 2012 that provides free technology services—including data analysis, prototyping, and user research—to Oakland city agencies and East Bay non-profit organizations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What OpenOakland does
OpenOakland is a volunteer-driven civic technology collective founded in 2012 and based in Oakland, California. It provides free technology services to Oakland city government and East Bay non-profit organizations through six service modules: data analysis and visualization, systems optimization and modernization, rapid prototyping and user testing, technical training, tech sourcing and staffing, and user research and interface design. The organization operates an all-volunteer model with no charges for services and has 1-10 contributors, functioning as a pro bono technical consultancy for the civic sector rather than a commercial product company.
The core technology consists of open-source civic technology solutions built and maintained by volunteer technologists, with code shared publicly via a GitHub repository. Community engagement is the primary distribution channel: OpenOakland maintains a Slack workspace, hosts monthly meetups at Oakland City Hall on the first Tuesday of each month, and organizes the annual CityCamp Oakland unconference (70 attendees in 2025). Partnerships with the Oakland Public Ethics Commission (an 8-year relationship on the Open Disclosure project) and the broader East Bay Civic Technology Network serve as the central institutional relationships.
The business model is volunteer services delivered in-kind, with a website donation option as the only potential monetary revenue stream. OpenOakland is a private nonprofit with no parent company, no venture funding, no recorded M&A activity, and no conventional sales motion; growth is community-led and mission-driven rather than financially motivated.
OpenOakland firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OpenOakland
- Legal name
- OpenOakland
- Website
- https://OpenOakland.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- OpenOakland is a volunteer-run civic technology collective founded in 2012 that provides free technology services—including data analysis, prototyping, and user research—to Oakland city agencies and East Bay non-profit organizations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where OpenOakland is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
OpenOakland business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Volunteer Services (In-Kind): OpenOakland is an all-volunteer collective that provides technology services at no cost to community organizations. The organization does not charge for its services and relies on volunteer contributions. The website mentions a donate option, suggesting individual donor support as a potential revenue stream.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Free services - all volunteer provided |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
OpenOakland product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OpenOakland is an all-volunteer civic technology collective that provides free technology services to Oakland community organizations. Service offerings include data analysis and visualization, system optimization and modernization, rapid prototyping and user testing, technical training, technology sourcing and staffing advisory, and user research and interface design. All services are delivered pro bono by volunteer technologists through direct community partnerships.
Product overview
OpenOakland is an all-volunteer civic technology collective (not a product company) that offers six distinct service modules to Oakland organizations at no cost. The services include Data Analysis (insights and visualizations), Optimization (systems modernization), Prototyping & Testing (rapid prototyping with community testing), Technical Training (tool adoption), Tech Sourcing & Staffing (talent and procurement guidance), and User Research & Design (UX research and interface design). Rather than a unified software product, OpenOakland provides hands-on technical assistance through volunteer expertise.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Data Analysis Volunteer-delivered data science services that help Oakland community organizations uncover insights and create visualizations to drive action.
- Optimization Technology modernization services that provide expert guidance to help Oakland organizations modernize systems and focus on community priorities.
- Prototyping & Testing Rapid prototyping services that create functional prototypes and test them with real Oakland residents for clarity and usability validation.
- Technical Training Volunteer-delivered technical training services that help Oakland organizations adopt new tools and processes.
- Tech Sourcing & Staffing Advisory services that help Oakland organizations find tech talent or tools, including assistance with crafting job descriptions, RFPs, and purchase decisions.
- User Research & Design User experience research and design services that help Oakland organizations understand user needs and create intuitive interfaces for community services.
- Open Disclosure Project A civic technology project partnership with the Oakland Public Ethics Commission delivering ethics disclosure and transparency tools built and maintained by OpenOakland volunteer technologists.
Companies that use OpenOakland
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
OpenOakland technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
OpenOakland partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Oakland Public Ethics CommissioncoreOpenOakland has maintained an 8-year partnership with the Oakland Public Ethics Commission on the Open Disclosure project, providing civic technology for public ethics disclosure and transparency. The collaboration involves volunteer technologists working with commission staff to build and maintain transparency tools.
- East Bay Civic Technology NetworkcoreSupportive network of East Bay organizations leveraging technology for public good, guided by volunteers deeply connected to Oakland. OpenOakland serves as part of this broader civic technology ecosystem.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
OpenOakland competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Code for Boston: Boston-area civic technology brigade within the Code for America Brigade Network. Directly comparable to OpenOakland as a volunteer collective of technologists delivering pro bono civic tech to local government and nonprofits.
- BetaNYC: New York City-based civic technology brigade in the Code for America Brigade Network. Directly comparable to OpenOakland as a volunteer-driven civic tech collective building open-source tools for local government and community engagement.
- Code for San Francisco: San Francisco civic technology brigade in the Code for America Brigade Network. Directly comparable to OpenOakland as a volunteer civic tech collective working with a major California municipal government and Bay Area nonprofits.
- Code for America: National civic technology nonprofit that operates the Brigade Network of which OpenOakland is a member. Directly comparable as the parent movement of volunteer-driven civic tech brigades serving local governments with open-source tools and community engagement.
Others
- The GovTech Fund: Venture capital firm investing in early-stage companies that sell technology to government. Adjacent to OpenOakland's mission (government technology adoption) but represents the for-profit investment counterpart to volunteer civic tech delivery.
- New America Public Interest Technology: Think tank with a public interest technology initiative that supports civic technologists and policy innovation. Comparable to OpenOakland thematically as an ecosystem builder in the civic technology space.
- Microsoft Tech for Social Impact: Microsoft's philanthropic technology program offering grants, cloud credits, and technical support to nonprofits and civic organizations. Comparable to OpenOakland as an enabling force for nonprofit technology capacity, though at vastly larger institutional scale.
Emerging players
- Civilla: Nonprofit civic technology and design organization that partners with public agencies to redesign government services. Comparable to OpenOakland in serving government clients with user-centered design and prototyping expertise.
- U.S. Digital Response: Nonprofit that pairs pro bono technologists with U.S. state and local governments on civic technology projects. Comparable to OpenOakland in mission (volunteer technologists serving public agencies) but operates at significantly larger scale with institutional funding.
Broad incumbents
- OpenGov: Commercial software company serving U.S. state and local governments with transparency, budgeting, and civic engagement platforms. Comparable to OpenOakland in addressing civic transparency and government technology needs but as a paid vendor rather than a volunteer collective.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
OpenOakland social profiles
Digital presenceOpenOakland financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OpenOakland leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
OpenOakland funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OpenOakland M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about OpenOakland
What does OpenOakland do?
OpenOakland is an all-volunteer civic technology collective that provides free technology services to Oakland community organizations. Service offerings include data analysis and visualization, system optimization and modernization, rapid prototyping and user testing, technical training, technology sourcing and staffing advisory, and user research and interface design. All services are delivered pro bono by volunteer technologists through direct community partnerships.
Is OpenOakland a public or private company?
OpenOakland is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was OpenOakland founded?
OpenOakland was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is OpenOakland based?
OpenOakland is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
How does OpenOakland make money?
One revenue line is on record: volunteer Services (In-Kind).
Who are OpenOakland's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Code for Boston, BetaNYC, Code for San Francisco and Code for America. Others are The GovTech Fund, New America Public Interest Technology and Microsoft Tech for Social Impact. Emerging players are Civilla and U.S. Digital Response. OpenGov is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does OpenOakland have an API?
No public API is recorded for OpenOakland.