Jennifer Pahlka helps improve how government works

Pahlka is founder and executive director of the nonprofit Code for America, which brings in mid-career tech workers willing to work for a year in cities looking for outside help.

The help comes at a price, but it’s not money. Instead, the cities have to open themselves to new ways of operating. They have to be willing to replace the ever-so-detailed rules and requirements of traditional government with the agility, innovation and feedback of the tech world.

Photo: Peter DaSilva, Special To The Chronicle

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