In this episode, Host Taylor Baker sits down with Casey Elliott, co-founder and CEO of PENY, to discuss how his team is modernizing the way cities communicate with residents by centralizing official updates and making civic information easier to find, understand, and act on.
What You’ll Learn
- Why fragmented city communication (websites, emails, texts, social, and more) creates confusion for residents and operational strain for staff
- How a centralized platform can reduce noise while increasing trust in “official” information
- The role AI can play in making dense civic information usable, including summarizing council meetings and answering resident questions on demand
- Why smaller cities can be ideal early adopters for govtech innovation and what it takes to earn their buy-in
- How to think about “life-saving” use cases (timely alerts, urgent updates) as a north star for product impact
- What the innovation adoption curve looks like in the public sector, and how to target the true “innovators” first
- How lean teams can use AI tools to improve outreach and discovery without over-hiring, especially in long-cycle markets
- Why product development in government requires continuous iteration, patience, and tight feedback loops with early pilot partners
Across the conversation, Casey makes the case that better civic communication isn’t just a convenience it’s a public service that can strengthen community participation, reduce friction, and help residents respond faster when it matters most. By combining centralized distribution with AI-powered accessibility, Penny aims to make city information clearer, more timely, and more actionable for everyone.
To learn more about Casey Elliott and their work.