The Foundation Is Poured
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There are moments in this work when everything slows down just enough for you to realize you’re not simply observing a shift, you’re standing inside it.
Oakland Tech Week was one of those moments.
For seven days, the city pulsed with possibility. Not the hyper-polished, corporate brand of innovation but something grounded, cultural, and unmistakably Oakland. Rooms filled with organizers, creators, civic thinkers, technologists, and neighbors all imagining a future that includes everyone.
And this year, PosterChild wasn’t just present.
We were listening. Learning. Paying attention to what communities are actually asking for and how we can build the tools that help them be heard.
A Week Built With the Community, Not Just For It
What stood out most wasn’t the tech.
It was the people shaping it.
At panel discussions, meetups, and activations, attendees spoke openly about what excites them, what stresses them, and what they need technology to do differently. Whether it was a founder, a city employee, or a student, the themes were clear:
People want tools that:
- Make storytelling effortless
- Capture real experiences in real time
- Reflect culture rather than sanitize it
- Help organizations understand their impact, not guess at it later
These weren’t feature requests.
They were lived realities and the exact challenges PosterChild is built to solve.
Bottom-Up Innovation in Action
One moment in particular stood out during the AI for Civic Impact session.
A panel member lifted their phone and said:
“If I can take a picture of a pothole for the city, why can’t I share a moment that matters for my community just as easily?”
The room nodded, not because it was a clever question, but because it was true.
People already use technology for accountability.
But where’s the tool that helps them capture joy, pride, and impact with the same simplicity?
That question, that expectation, reinforced what we’ve always believed:
Communities don’t need more complicated platforms.
They need intuitive ways to document what matters in the moment it happens.
HiiiWav: A Case Study in Community Energy
Among the most energizing activations of the week was HiiiWav’s space which was a celebration of culture, creativity, and community joy.
People didn’t just attend.
They reacted. Reflected. Shared.
Moments of nostalgia, connection, pride, and possibility spilled naturally across conversations and online feeds. PosterChild captured ten of those voices, not polished quotes, but real testimony from the people who were there.
For us, these weren’t “content assets.”
They were evidence.
Proof that:
- When people feel something, they talk about it
- When the environment feels welcoming, they share more
- When organizations can capture that energy quickly, they gain insights they would have lost
HiiiWav didn’t just create a memorable activation.
They demonstrated product-market fit in motion.
Why These Signals Matter for the Future We’re Building
Oakland Tech Week sharpened a truth we’ve always held:
Innovation is strongest when it is community-authored.
But community-authored stories need infrastructure. Ways to be captured, understood, and amplified before they disappear into everyday noise.
That’s the gap PosterChild fills.
Not by replacing human voices, but by helping organizations hear them better.
What We’re Building Toward Now
Customer success isn’t about features, it’s about understanding real people, in real environments, with real needs.
And this week gave us some of our clearest product direction yet:
- Organizations need effortless, real-time ways to collect community feedback
- Impact measurement shouldn’t rely on post-event detective work
- People share most when the process feels natural, culturally aligned, and quick
- Stories should move as fast as the moments they’re born from
These insights aren’t sitting in a notebook.
They’re shaping our roadmap.
The Foundation Is Poured: Now We Build With Intention
Oakland Tech Week wasn’t a typical conference.
It was a blueprint for a bottom-up tech ecosystem, one where community truth guides innovation, not the other way around.
We’re leaving the week more committed than ever to building tools that honor voice, amplify impact, and help organizations understand their communities in real time.
The stories we captured are just the beginning.
The foundation is poured.
The insights are clear.
And the next version of PosterChild is being built with the communities who will use it and the people who power them.

22Beacon (formerly CSDC)
To eliminate barriers to access, choice, and equity in under-resourced communities nationwide.

AfroPlay Oakland
To achieve oneness and healing among all Black families in the African Diaspora by providing a sacred, supportive intergenerational gathering space that honors the Black experience and empowers Black families through fun, thoughtful, and educational Afrocentric programming.

Berkeley Public Schools Fund
To champion equitable public education for students, families, and our community through grants, volunteers, and STEM programs that center equity for the benefit of all students.

Boys & Girls Clubs (BGCB)
To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.

C4ES (Exceptional Community Connections)
To empower community-centered organizations by providing innovative solutions that enhance equity and social justice in urban areas.

Climate Health Now
To organize and mobilize the California health community to advocate for equitable systems-level climate action that supports health for all.

Colorwave (The Colorwave Project, Inc.)
To help reduce America’s racial wealth gap by connecting underrepresented professionals to opportunities across the innovation economy.

Community Catalyst
To build the power of people to create a health system rooted in racial equity and health justice, and a society where health is a right for all.

DevColor
To empower Black software engineers, technologists, and executives to help one another grow into industry leaders, advance careers, and transform the tech ecosystem.

Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation
To preserve and promote the legacy of the Black Panther Party through exhibitions, public programming, public art, education, and archival preservation.

East Bay Community Foundation
To transform political, social, and economic outcomes for all East Bay residents by partnering with donors, social movements, and the community.

HiiiWAV
To help Black musician-entrepreneurs of all genders benefit from their music, build lasting businesses, and uplift their communities by growing profitable, culturally rich, and socially impactful companies that create generational wealth and timeless music in the Black community.

Hispanic Heritage Foundation
To identify, inspire, prepare, and connect Latino leaders in the community, classroom, and workforce, advancing education, workforce development, societal impact, and leadership with culture at the core.

Houston LEAD
To prepare youth from underserved neighborhoods for success by providing life skills and exposure to new opportunities.

Hyde Park School of Dance
To cultivate a love of dance and strength of body, mind, and character that will benefit students throughout their lives.

KaiXR
To narrow the digital divide by giving students hands-on opportunities to in-demand technologies, preparing them for future careers, and fostering a culture of innovation, critical thinking, and collaboration.

Kingmakers of Oakland
To reimagine systems of education, culture, and wellness while driving narrative change from deficit to asset-framing, celebrating Black boys' inherent greatness and improving educational and life outcomes from Pre-K to PhD through evidence-based programs and community storytelling.
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New Media Ventures
To invest in entrepreneurs and activists building progressive power in the United States by supporting media and tech startups that disrupt politics and catalyze societal change.

Oakland Ed Fund
The Oakland Public Education Fund leads the development and investment of community resources in Oakland public schools so that all students can learn, grow, and thrive.

Oakland School For the Arts
Oakland School for the Arts is a diverse and inclusive public 6-12 charter school that blends immersive, robust arts with comprehensive academics, providing integrated opportunities for collaboration, expression and personal growth.

SMASH
To build a strong, diverse, and socially conscious tech workforce by leveling the playing field through academic learning and experiential engagement for high school and college students.

Shared Harvest
To disrupt the student lending industry by offering innovative opportunities for professionals to earn debt relief while reinvesting in building stronger communities through service and volunteerism.

Stiles Hall
To create pathways to self-determination, promote racial justice, democratic values, and uplift community, while welcoming students from all backgrounds.

Talk A Mile
Talk A Mile elevates the voices of young leaders in conversations about policing, public safety and community. When people engage in 1:1 conversations while walking together, then they build bridges, connection and agency.

The Color of Autism Foundation
Championing Inclusion by Design and Empowering the Autism Community. The Color of Autism Foundation is dedicated to fostering a more inclusive and equitable society where autistic individuals—particularly those from underserved communities—are empowered to thrive. It offers education and support to African-American families affected by autism, addressing inequities in healthcare, education, and societal acknowledgment.

The Hidden Genius Project
To train and mentor Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills to transform their lives and communities.

Town Nights
To provide consistent, safe spaces for community healing, restoration, and engagement, with the goal of reducing violence and supporting the well-being of all community members.

UC Berkeley
To support and advance the mission of the University of California, Berkeley by encouraging private philanthropy, serving as a community ambassador, and advising campus leadership on specific issues.

Urban League of Greater San Francisco Bay Area
The Urban League of Greater San Francisco Bay Area is focused on the economic empowerment, knowledge, access, and equity for African-Americans and other underserved communities. The organization aims to join other leaders, organizations, and corporations in the Bay Area in developing and continuing social, financial, housing, health, and professional programs, as well as policies that enhance and improve equity.
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