By Caroline Nickerson, Executive Director
In 2025, Florida Community Innovation Foundation (FCI) continued serving the public with the simple yet foundational idea that the strongest public interest technologies are built not just for communities, but alongside them.
At FCI, that means mentoring students, collaborating with our partners, working alongside volunteers of all ages, and — whenever possible — paying students for meaningful civic work. It also means staying grounded in delivering helpful products and committing to the work of building systems people can actually use.
Below is a full look at what we built, grew , and accomplished in 2025.
What we built (and kept building)
Florida Community Resource Map (FRM)
The Florida Community Resource Map (FRM) is FCI’s flagship project: a statewide, interactive platform that will help residents, social workers, and nonprofits find essential services related to food, housing, healthcare, education, employment, and more.
In 2025, FRM continued its evolution from a static directory into a full-fledged and dynamic data system. Our work focused on the hard, unglamorous infrastructure that makes tools trustworthy at scale, including:
- Strengthening backend data structures that support thousands of nonprofit listings
- Building several workflows that allow nonprofits to edit their own entries, including making descriptions more readable
- Creating a process to track edits in order to increase transparency
- Evaluating AI-assisted monitoring of public-facing nonprofit websites to flag changes in hours, eligibility, or services in order to enhance and streamline human review
An exciting milestone this year was the Orlando pilot, where the FRM was actively tested with local partners to ensure it supports real-world usage by social and community workers.
Recyclepedia
Recyclepedia is a mobile recycling education app developed in partnership with Dream in Green.
Recycling programs often fail because rules are confusing and vary vastly across regions. Recyclepedia addresses this by helping users understand exactly what can be recycled, where, and how. By simplifying recycling rules, citizens are encouraged and empowered to make green choices for their communities.
In 2025, we completed the core build of the app, including:
- Item identification
- County-specific recycling rules and guidelines
- Multilingual access (including Spanish and Haitian Creole)
- Interactive, youth- and family-friendly learning features to engage users
We are thrilled to share that Recyclepedia officially launches in January 2026, with support in outreach and marketing from students at Rollins College.
SHINE
SHINE focuses on improving human trafficking training in hopes of improving the public’s ability to identify and prevent cases.
Across industries, trafficking trainings vary widely, reflecting a lack of standardization. Some programs are evidence-based and actionable , while others are outdated and may not engage their audience. SHINE exists to address these shortcomings, ultimately reducing the gap.
SHINE works to:
- Evaluate trafficking training programs in a more transparent way
- Highlight trainings that are evidence-informed and designed with real-world cases in mind
- Strengthen coordination between industry professionals, law enforcement, advocacy organizations, and community groups
- Ensure training leads to safer decisions and better outcomes
In 2025, SHINE continued research and stakeholder engagement to support human trafficking prevention.
Community convening and civic innovation
CityCamp Gainesville
CityCamp is a community-led unconference, meaning participants create the agenda together on the day of the event.
In 2025, FCI helped bring CityCamp to Gainesville for the first time, joining a global civic tech movement focused on collaboration and action in a creative space. Participants spent the day exploring a wide range of issues including housing, climate resilience, food access, ethical AI, cybersecurity, and civic data. CityCamp concluded with everyone identifying next steps and creating an action plan, continuing the momentum spawned from collaboration.
This event was made possible with the help of our partners QueerCoded @ UF and the Alliance of Civic Technologists.
CodeGNV
CodeGNV is a group of technology professionals who play a supporting role in Florida Community Innovation (FCI).
CodeGNV serves three core purposes:
- Mentor FCI student interns
- Help develop FCI projects and other nonprofit tech projects
- Build the Gainesville tech community through networking and social events
CodeGNV was founded in Gainesville in 2022 by technology professionals working in roles such as CTO, product manager, full-stack developer, product marketing manager, and AI/ML developer. In 2023, CodeGNV connected with FCI, recognized the strong organizational fit, and officially joined forces.
In 2025, CodeGNV continued serving as a critical backbone for FCI — helping prepare the next generation of civic technologists in Florida while contributing real technical capacity to projects that improve Floridians’ lives today.
CodeGNV leadership team:
- Clark Wood — Director
- Jack Wharton — Assistant Director
- Abe Quintero — AI/ML Lead
- Brooke Rowe — Marketing Lead
QueerCoded @ UF (mentorship + cybersecurity partnership)
QueerCoded @ UF is a University of Florida student organization supporting LGBTQ+ students in computing and technology.
In 2025, FCI served as mentors and partners to QueerCoded. Our work together included:
- Mentoring student leaders and members
- Supporting fundraising and organizational sustainability
- Partnering on a cybersecurity guide for queer organizations, focused on practical digital safety for groups that may face heightened risks such as harassment, account compromise, doxxing, and sensitive data exposure
This partnership reflects FCI’s broader commitment to civic tech that prioritizes safety, dignity, and community trust.
QueerCoded @ UF’s leadership team:
- Esse Ciego – President
- Abigail Zheng – Vice President
- Julia Bush – Treasurer
What we launched
Chengyu (成语) for Change
Chengyu for Change is a bilingual (Chinese & English) environmental zine and public dialogue initiative.
On December 4, 2025, the day before Art Basel Miami, we launched the project at the Miami Beach Regional Library. The workshop brought together artists, students, and community members to explore environmental futures through classical Chinese proverbs and contemporary storytelling.
The event culminated in the distribution of 50 limited-edition printed zines, alongside a digital edition designed to amplify the stories and reflections created together.
GoBituary
GoBituary is FCI’s digital public history project centered on Miami City Cemetery.
The project uses storytelling, archival research, and technology to help people connect individual life stories to broader histories—strengthening civic connection, place-based learning, and community memory.
In 2025, GoBituary continued platform development and community engagement, alongside a research paper in draft with collaborators at the University of California, Berkeley examining how public history and storytelling influence civic engagement.
Mutual aid and food access
Gainesville Community Fridge
The Gainesville Community Fridge is a 24/7, free-access refrigerator located outside the Civic Media Center.
Rooted in mutual aid, the fridge operates with no forms, no eligibility requirements, and no barriers, with neighbors simply taking what they need and leaving what they can.
In 2025, FCI supported organization efforts for the fridge, including partnerships, communications, evaluation planning, and sustainability strategy. The launch phase was funded through a local grant, with long-term operations sustained by volunteers and community donations.
Environmental research and education
EMERGE: Engaging Communities in Environmental Research and Geospatial Education
EMERGE is a statewide initiative helping libraries, educators, local governments, and families engage in environmental and public health science using real-world data.
Led by the Geospatial Digital Informatics (GeoDI) Lab at the University of Florida and supported by NASA, EMERGE combines:
- Participatory science tools such as GLOBE Observer
- Open-access curriculum
- Mini-grants for libraries and community organizations
- Trainings, webinars, and data camps
In 2025, EMERGE expanded participation across Florida and deepened its partnership with FCI to connect community science with civic engagement and education.
Student research and university collaborations
In 2025, FCI collaborated with students and researchers from:
- University of Florida (50+ student developers and more)
- University of Michigan (spring break and fall UX work)
- Georgetown University (including Master of Public Policy students researching ethical AI)
- Arizona State University (research on real-time capacity tracking for shelters and services)
- University of Central Florida (IRB-supported research collaboration)
- Rollins College (Recyclepedia outreach and marketing)
- University of California, Berkeley (GoBituary research collaboration)
Across projects, student teams completed 700+ literature reviews, grounding decisions in evidence and best practices.
Regional systems work
THRIVE Roadmap (Central Florida)
THRIVE is a community-led, cross-sector initiative coordinated by the Central Florida Foundation to align regional efforts across housing, health, education, economic stability, and community connection.
In 2025, FCI supported THRIVE as a project manager and facilitator—helping organize community meetings and roadmap planning so organizations could coordinate rather than duplicate efforts.
Catalyst (Northeast Florida)
Through Catalyst, FCI contributed research and analysis supporting nonprofit collaboration and shared regional strategy in Northeast Florida—using data and collective learning to strengthen long-term outcomes.
Mount Dora Community Trust Needs Assessment
In 2025, FCI advanced a needs assessment for the Mount Dora Community Trust, analyzing ten years of grantmaking data, Census trends, and service gaps in North Lake County. The goal is to inform future funding decisions and integrate findings into tools like FRM so insights lead to action.
Policy, safety, and long-term R&D
- Cybersecurity for nonprofits: In 2025, FCI authored a chapter on nonprofit cybersecurity for a handbook headed to bookstores, translating real threats into practical guidance for mission-driven organizations.
- Housing + zoning research: FCI launched early-stage work applying machine learning to zoning and land-use data to explore pathways toward more affordable housing in Gainesville.
Fiscal sponsorship: helping initiatives grow
Tanit XR
FCI served as fiscal sponsor for Tanit XR, a global initiative preserving endangered cultural heritage in Tunisia through 3D scanning, immersive technology, and education. Tanit XR advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 11.4 and demonstrates how local action can connect to global impact.
Climate Futures Studio
FCI also fiscally sponsored Climate Futures Studio, a global climate storytelling initiative blending science, art, and cultural heritage. In 2025, works from the Climate Storytelling 2075 cohort were exhibited in New York City, with additional exhibitions planned for 2026.
Celebrating the FCI Board
FCI’s work is only possible because of an engaged, values-driven board that mentors students, strengthens strategy, and shows up consistently.
In 2025, we were grateful to serve alongside:
- Nicole Dan, President
- Zach Stanford, Vice President
- Aniqa Ahmed, Secretary
- Erin Enabnit, Member at Large
- Leila Ouhri, Member at Large
- Rhiannon O’Donnell, Director of Strategy
- Anna Lanzion, Cybersecurity Lead
Their leadership, mentorship, and belief in this work continue to shape FCI’s direction.
Looking ahead to 2026
In 2026, FCI will focus on:
- Scaling FRM’s Orlando momentum statewide
- Launching and growing Recyclepedia with community feedback
- Advancing SHINE as a practical accountability tool
- Expanding EMERGE participation across Florida
- Continuing to support students and volunteers building public-interest solutions for the long term
Get involved
Want to partner, volunteer, mentor, or support this work?
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