Josh Penner for Inquisio.AI
Building the AI-Powered Solution to Solve Government’s Information Problem
We Help Government Agencies access their own Data in Moments
Hello Friends and Supporters!
One of the best things about living in the government space and building into it is the network of people who simply want you to do well.
One hallmark of people who volunteer to serve their communities in an elected role is that they are forever connectors. They want to know your ideas; they want to know how they can help. And while, I've lived in those shoes for many years, I've rarely been the beneficiary in the ways I have through Inquisio.
Sure, Inquisio is targeted to solve their most significant pain points daily. But as you'll see in the updates, it's not just about a transaction; it's about a relationship. "It" being the external factor that goes into selling a new technology sector into perhaps the most stolid form of bureaucracy, government.
I'm more certain now than when we started that the plurality of cities, counties, and other jurisdictions not traditionally served by technology entrepreneurs is a vast open space for civic-minded entrepreneurs to deliver value.
In this update, you'll see the great opportunities to build these relationships (On the Move & In the News). You'll see our (Fundraising Updates). You'll see our (Asks_How you can Help). You'll see a repeat of an earlier section (Our Story) for the many folks added to our updates distribution in the last two weeks.
Thank you so much, and be well. I do look forward to (re)connecting with you soon!
~Josh
CEO, Inquisio.AI
https://calendly.com/inquisio/30-min-conversation
I recently ran into Mike R. while lobbying at the WA State Capitol. Mike is the City Manager of College Place, WA - one of our pilot test partners and a super networker. As we talked, no less than four people approached him to tell him about something they'd worked on together. 
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Our CFO & Co-Founder Scott is deeply engaged at the WA state Capitol with the Mayor of Yelm, WA, an early supporter of our efforts and signator to one of our LOIs. 
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Earlier this month, I was honored to be appointed to the National League of Cities AI Advisory Committee. That means a trip out to DC in March and a tremendous opportunity to live in (and perhaps shape a little bit) the nexus of AI adoption in the ~35k municipalities across the US over the next couple of years.
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Upcoming Keynotes that I Have the Opportunity to Give:
Navigating the AI Revolution: Transforming Local Government with Smart Technology
(March) Washington Municipal Clerks Association (WCMA)
(April) Washington Public Treasurers Association (WPTA)
(April) Oregon Public Risk Management Association (OR-PRIMA)
Other:
(March) Attendee: National League of Cities Congressional Cities Conference
(June) Attendee: Association of Washington Cities Annual Conference
(August) Panel Lead: AI in Government - Washington City Managers Association (WCMA)
Can you recommend another engagement/keynote? If so, let's talk!
$1m Pre-Seed Round
Progress:
- 10% filled. $100k committed so far.
We will use the fundraising for:
- 24 months runway.
- Adding excellent technical and sales team members.
- Targeting $1.5m ARR from 100 jurisdictions.
Want the Deck, Want to Know More? Let's set up some time to discuss.
- We're actively looking to add a startup-minded technical team member. Engineer, Data Guru, Technical lead - know someone, let's talk.
- We're kicking off a Strategic Advisory Group for me/our team. We are looking for five people that are deeply interested in building solutions for local governments and that have a well-fount of knowledge in startup/scaling businesses. Does this sound like you or someone you know? I'd love to connect with them quarterly. This advisory position will be compensated.
Excerpt:
Inquisio, Latin for Investigation
Last week, I got to pitch Inquisio to dozens of investors. As I sat down at our lunch table halfway through the event, I got some advice from a seasoned investor and entrepreneur.
Your tagline was boring; it needs more punch.
After 12 weeks of the Techstars life and, frankly, 15 months of persistently proving and refining our product thesis every day, I ate the bitter feedback with internalized frustration.
But that’s the process. You have to like the taste of your own blood if you want to change the world, right? It was time to flex the muscles so often worked recently and dig to understand the why of the hard advice. That little bit of curiosity on my end opened a full thirty-minute discussion that ranged from his entrepreneurial journey to his mission now as an investor.
Half an hour later, I found myself... click here to read the rest
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Lastly, if you're a jurisdiction in WA state, don't miss this grant opportunity:
$30,000: Grant $ available to WA state jurisdictions that want to implement a technological solution to some aspect of their information access challenge (records processes). (https://www.sos.wa.gov/archives/RecordsManagement/Local-Records-Grant-Program.aspx)