About Open Democracy Manitoba
Open Democracy Manitoba (ODM) is a community organization that builds online resources with the goal of fostering government accountability, transparency and public education. Our board is volunteer-run and our websites are operated in the spirit of openness and community.
We’ve run WinnipegElection.ca during the 2010, 2014, and 2018 Winnipeg civic elections, as well as ManitobaElection.ca for the 2011 and 2016 provincial Manitoba elections. These sites have helped hundreds of thousands of voters research their candidates and learn about their local democratic process. We take measures to ensure that any and all candidate and election-related information is retrieved and presented in a fair and unbiased manner. WinnipegElected.ca was launched in 2016 and was built with help from the Winnipeg City Clerk’s Department.
Open Democracy Manitoba received the Open Data for Democracy award at the 2017 Canadian Open Data Summit in Edmonton, Alberta.
ODM is run by Kyle Geske, Ken Harasym and Mike Lennon.
Open Democracy Manitoba Biographies
Kyle Geske is a computer engineer, web coder, artist and father. He is a co-founder of Open Democracy Manitoba, its current Executive Director and its lead programmer. Kyle has 20 years work experience as a computer programmer and 7 years experience as an open-source contributor. He regularly speaks in public forums to champion open government ideas and open data best-practices. As a programming instructor at Red River College, Kyle challenges and inspires the next generation of Manitoban web and app innovators. Follow Kyle as @stungeye on Twitter.
Ken Harasym works as a multimedia designer, creating digital images to enhance communication. A photographer, videographer and graphic designer, he provides the ODM websites with graphic content. He is also one of the co-founders of Open Democracy Manitoba. Ken is active with many community organizations and enjoys the vibrant culture of Winnipeg. A self-proclaimed illustrator since the age of five, he continues to make images by pushing a pencil, but more so these days by pushing pixels. Follow Ken as @kenharasym on Twitter.
Mike Lennon brings extensive experience in research, data analysis, and organizational planning to the team. Educated in urban studies, marketing, and management, Mike has over ten years of experience volunteering with non-profit organizations where he has engaged in strategic planning and creative problem-solving. His passion for open data and transparency drive him towards supporting a more engaged and represented public.
History of Open Democracy Manitoba
A history of our websites can be seen through our press releases, our press mentions, and our frequently asked questions.
ManitobaElection.ca press releases, press mentions, and frequently asked questions from 2016 and 2011.
WinnipegElection.ca press releases, press mentions, and frequently asked questions from 2018, 2014 and 2010.
Source Code and Datasets
The source code for all our projects is available for others to view, use and extend.
The data that powers our websites is available as open data:
Winnipeg City Council Decisions (HTML, JSON)