Erin Simpson

Erin Simpson is the founding program director of Civic Hall Labs. Erin joins Civic Hall Labs from a Fellowship on Microsoft’s Civic Team, where she supported community organizing around open data and digital equity in the Chicagoland area. Prior to Microsoft, Erin founded and directed a volunteer-run digital strategy consultancy for Chicago nonprofits and local government. Her past work includes civic innovation with the Clinton Foundation and the University of Chicago Institute of Politics, and policy research for the White House Domestic Policy Council. Erin has advised on the execution of hackathons and venture challenges for Microsoft, the Chicago Innovation Exchange, the New York City Economic Development Council, and the Center for Neighborhood Technology. Her award-winning thesis on digital inequality investigated the user experience of public computer centers in Chicago libraries and community centers. Erin is a 2015 Truman Scholar and has a Bachelor's Degree in Public Policy with an emphasis on issues of inequality from the University of Chicago, where she graduated with top honors.