Sure thing, Ryan. My name is Matt Scott. And first and foremost, thank you so much for having me here as part of Civic Tech Chat. I am a social impact project manager and storyteller, and, really, I'd say my focus is helping communities and organizations, not only listen to the, quote, unquote, hidden figures in their communities to borrow from NASA there, but also to truly unlock the the insights and ideas and innovations that they have to bring to the table. So over the last five years, most notably, I have, worked as the global community manager and storyteller for NASA's Space Apps Challenge. And I did that from 2016 to, 2020 and just left that work full time, working on the world's largest global hackathon, which I'm sure we'll talk about along the way here. It's definitely civic tech aligned, to working at the world's leading climate solutions resource project drawdown really focused on how we could tell stories that invite more people to the table to talk about climate solutions. On top of all of that, since 2017, really, being inspired just after the loss of my dad in March 2017, I started to interview change makers through a project that I started called Let's Care. Really, again, focused on passing the mic to those who often go unheard in the social change space. And so today, it's been 100 plus change makers. I'm still interviewing people about to put out a film called twenties and change San Francisco. And so that is me in a nutshell, but we will definitely dive in more as we as we go along, I'm sure. And what would you say is your personal why? That thing that drives you to get out of bed each morning and and do all the things that you mentioned there. I think it's a couple of things. The first, I would say, the immediate one that comes to mind is just the loss of my dad. I mentioned March 2017. Actually, 03/08/2017 is when he passed away due to a rare form of leukemia. And, part of why I talk about it is just because so many of us, especially looking at the last year with the pandemic, have experienced with different types of losses, like losing people, losing livelihoods, and just changes in life. And so I like to talk about that because it is something that not only was difficult for me to face as someone in this impact space trying to jugg juggle my grief and loss with, with the work I was doing, the impact I was making. But, also, that is what really inspired me to go out and interview change makers and connect with people who are change makers like my dad. But going even deeper, I think losing my dad kind of sparks for me this realization of just how finite time is, how finite our our our current moment is at any point in time. And also this realization that, like like my dad, I was often the only person, the only black person in the room and have often been the only black person in the room when it comes to the work I'm doing, whether that's been with NASA Space Apps, which I helped to change a little bit over time, definitely, and other work that I've done. And so my why, other than just the loss of my dad kind of motivating me and being a driver for me, is making sure that, you know, that that other people don't need to be the only one of them in the room because when you feel uncomfortable or when you feel like you don't belong, it makes it so much harder to actually contribute and to actually make an impact. So I'm trying to kind of use this this motivation from my dad to bridge that gap for people and make sure that more people like me, more people who are often not invited to the table are actually at the table.

Yeah. There there are a lot of books, definitely. I have been big on listening to Audible books on Audible, especially those books that are read by the author just to give that extra, feel of it. But one book I I read, which is actually released today, but I saw an advanced copy, is called Empathy for Change. And it is by someone by the name Amy Wilson who is in the civic tech space. And Amy was a White House presidential innovation fellow starting in the Obama White House. I met her actually as part of just work that I was doing a few years ago on the National Day of Civic Hacking in collaboration with Code for America, in my role at, at an organization called Second Use. And so Amy put out this book that really talks about this innovation mindset and the need for innovation, but also how empathy is critical to that. And I would absolutely recommend it to folks who are listening just because it's a reminder that we can't forget our humanity. We can't forget the humanity of others, especially when we're doing this work, which again goes back to, you know, me sharing my own story about losing my dad, sharing my own story of navigating with my identity. We need to bring all these things to the table and Amy and Empathy for Change are just a phenomenal example for that. So I would recommend that probably above anything else at this point in time. The the only other just general person, general idea I would point to I've been listening to a lot and reading a lot of, about vulnerability, about shame from Brene Brown, who is just phenomenal and internationally known. And that has helped me a lot when it's come to having deep conversations and interviewing people and connecting with them. So, Amy, absolutely empathy for change, but I would I would point to Brene and and especially her writing and speaking on vulnerability. It's just great example to for for folks to to check out.

Yeah. I think it it definitely came in a few different waves where when I was growing up, I actually spent a lot of time working with my dad. He he had a home health care business that he started in about 2004. Before that, he was working in the tech field. So I think in a lot of ways, just engaging in the tech world, it it kind of runs in runs in my blood. But he started a home health care company in 2004 to honor the memory of his mom, my grandmother who passed away. And what I thought was so interesting as I was growing up, you know, because I really worked with him from 2004 to about 2010 when I when I went to college. And I realized how important it was to share his story and share the personal story, his personal why. Like, you asked about my why. And one thing I found as I was growing up is that people didn't always know his why. And so they just thought of his work as, oh, this is another home health care company. It's you know, let's compare them alongside the others. And the thing that I found and really helped him with was lean into your story because I would see people lean in and be inspired and get emotional even hearing about why he was doing what he was doing, which to me helped me understand the importance of stories to inspire. But then it wasn't when I was in college going to George Washington University here in DC, and I was involved in students against sexual assault on campus, that I realized the stories that we told were really critical to engaging people. So, actually, this is very similar to the work I do now with climate change where when it comes to climate, for example, there's one approach of talking about, just how horrible it is and the impacts and fear and chaos and destruction and all of those things. Or you come at it from perspective of we could create solutions. We can make the world a better place. When it came to sexual assault, it's, you know, most people are not contributing to the problem. How could you be part of the solution? And that was the message I normally approached with. So I sort of had this picture of, of a world where, like, I knew that stories inspired people. I knew that stories could engage people. Like, I knew that stories inspired people. I knew that stories could engage people. I didn't really know what that looked like as a career. And then things just kind of unfolded for me where I didn't even honestly, I I couldn't have planned for the path that I had because so much of my path from my first role graduating college to two years later after having a successful time there to now, just recently joining Project Drawdown has been just knowing people and having really positive, deep, meaningful relationships, and then having them think of me when, when opportunities have come up. So I've been really fortunate to have people understand that I care about impact, that I care about storytelling, that I want to make more of an impact. And some of those people that I've met along my journey who have just been familiar with what I care about and who I am have have, have supported me in getting there. So, you know, it started out I started out doing digital storytelling, digital marketing. I shifted more with Second Muse into community engagement and storytelling. So I mentioned NASA Space Apps Challenge, but I also had the amazing opportunity to do work with the United Nations and the Obama White House and, Nike and just all of these amazing people. And now I'm I'm at this place where I'm looking at the climate space in particular and thinking, how can we bring more people into the room while while also with Let's Care, thinking about the same question and interviewing people to to truly learn more and understand more of it. So my it's been a phenomenal journey, but not one I could have planned for at at

Yeah. I mean, we've had so we live in a world that has a lot to be afraid of and a lot of negativity. But the thing that I realized at some point, maybe it was, going back to college. It probably was going back really far to my childhood just seeing the ability for people to step up and to to make a difference. So I think of, for instance, my time on a college campus, working or working. It really felt kind of like a part time job at the time. But, being part of Students Against Sexual Assault, I realized that while I was doing my work on my campus and in the DC area and connecting with with survivors of sexual violence in my campus and and in my community, it still was making a difference. So maybe it wasn't having the impact that I would go on to have with with Space Apps, for example, reaching tens of thousands of people, but it it was still making a difference to people. And that's something that triggered for me that we all have this power to make an impact. It might not feel huge, but it's definitely meaningful. Even if we're helping one person or or 10 people or a 100 people, it's still meaningful, because there's the ripple effect when it comes to that. So I I would say that for me, it's always been natural to connect with people. It's always been natural to look for ways that we could come together because fear is exhausting. Like, I I I know that I myself have been afraid of of a lot of things in our world, whether it's, like, looking at identity and, like, my experience as a young black queer man. And I don't you know, I I think that we have to sometimes go beyond that because fear could be debilitating. Fear could stop us from making an impact and from showing up and contributing our skills. Community, though, and connecting with others is, like, that reinforcement to help us make more of an impact. So for me, again, after losing my dad, I started interviewing people, and those people, each and every one of those conversations inspired me to keep going. I found I saw myself, in each and every one of those people. I've seen myself in each of those people because I keep doing interviews. But I I've I've seen that, and it's helped push me forward and helped me make more of an impact. So, the reason, I guess, I lean into just connecting connecting in humanity and collaborating is because that's what's worked so well for me. And, also, I've seen it work so well for, like, all the change makers I've connected with, which I think is not a coincidence. I think that collaboration and community are a pathway to change, but they're also kind of underappreciated by a lot of folks, especially beyond the civic tech world. Civic tech world is all about community and collaboration, but, I think more of the world needs that that spirit.

number one, I would say that my identity has been a huge source of that for me. Like, being the only one of me in the room, as a young person, as a black person, as a queer person, I have often felt like I haven't necessarily been understood, and I haven't always been understood. I haven't always been seen as who I am for all I am because it's complicated when you show up and you have a bunch of identities that someone can't necessarily relate to or that they haven't experienced before. You know, how could you expect them to to, to know who you are? And so, you know, for me, it's it's been interesting to go into spaces and recognize that there are people like me. There maybe I maybe they don't look exactly like me. Maybe they don't have the same identities. Maybe they are you know, maybe it's like a cisgender white person who's in a room, but they might have, you know, certain talents or skills that are underappreciated. So everyone has something that makes them different that they bring. And I think my goal has always been to, like, to embrace those skills and bring them in more, not only for my benefit, but also for the benefit of others. So, yeah, empathy is sort of come from my own experiences. I will also say it's something that could be learned by people and something you could lean into. So, interviewing people has been a huge source of empathy for me. Being around a ton of different types of people and just listening to them and asking questions and hearing where they're coming from has been huge for me. And so, yes, I think that, like, so much of that for me comes through identity, but it could also just come from putting yourself out there and exposing yourself to more perspectives that give you a more full world view or, like, a broader mosaic of what perspectives look like, what people look like, where they come from. And and so that's kind of where how it's been for me.

Yeah. So Let's Care is an inclusive impact media project that I'm building. And, again, it's really focused around this mission that I have, which is to pass the mic to those who often go unheard in the social change space. And I just started it out in 2017, interviewing people that I knew who were making impact. So, actually, the very first person I interviewed, it was Tim Yoon, who, was involved in the National Day of Civic Hacking. His project at, at, the National Day for Civic Hacking in Sacramento, I believe, in 2016, won an award and was recognized later on in 2017 at the White House, Open Data Innovation Summit. So, that was sort of the the start of Let's Care. Just talking with Tim about who he is and what his impact is, and it kind of evolved where I just started talking with a wide range of people with a wide range of experiences. And it it really has evolved into focusing more on people who don't get the spotlight and who aren't centered in these conversations. I think oftentimes, because I could relate to them. Like, if someone is coming from a background where they're the only one in the room, that's someone who I love to hear from because the experience echoes my own a lot, but it also echoes a lot of the experience of the listeners or those who watch films and and, the podcast and everything that I put out there on YouTube and podcast platforms and everything else. So, it's been really, really incredible to to have that experience. And now, with Let's Care, it's it's at this point where, like, I've I've interviewed more than 100 people. Now, I'm getting ready to release the first pilot film, 20s and Change San Francisco, which I would say is my pride and joy of Let's Care at this point, because I I interviewed 21 change makers over six days in the Bay Area and just really explored identity and inclusion and impact and what that looks like, not only for people in their twenties, but people who've been there and who could relate. And so, that's really been what Let's Care has been. It's just been this epic exploration. It's been a cool learning opportunity for me, and, also, this way to share stories that I really believe and know that the world needs to to see and hear more of.

The very first place I'd start is that I've really been questioning the phrase difficult conversation a lot lately, and I've used it a lot. But the more I have thought about it, the more I have realized that while a lot of the conversations that I have had through Let's Care are about difficult topics sometimes. So talking about someone's experience, facing cancer twice or facing civil war, moving away from their family, or mental health issues, or grief and loss. Like, all of these things are often difficult conversations for for those of us who haven't experienced them, but but for those who do experience them, that's life. Right? So the way that I've started to think about it is that when I'm sitting down to have a conversation with someone and when any of us are sitting down for those difficult conversations, for us, it might be difficult. It might be uncomfortable. It might be awkward. But for the person who's lived it and who's living it, like, that's part of their experience. And kind of going back to to why I talk about grief, I mean, I I do it because it's cathartic to share my own experience. It's cathartic to talk about the the motivation that's come from, just not only my my losing my dad, but also his life and and just having that bond. I I talked about that because grief is something that we don't like to talk about even though we all experience it. So it's it's really interesting to, just to create space for for people to share themselves. And so my my, you know, number one piece of advice for anyone trying to have those difficult conversations is, like, to recognize that you're just you're giving someone a space to share of themselves. You're giving someone the space to be heard and to be seen. And in the process, while I've interviewed people, not only have I given them space to be seen and heard, but, also, I have felt seen in just understanding more of their own experiences and embracing that, you know, in the context of the conversation. So, yeah, it's it's difficult conversations to be intimidating, but so many people are, like, actually dying to have those conversations that I think when you stop to ask people some of those difficult questions about identity, for instance, or about their struggles, that it's actually really a powerful thing that they're finally able to talk about it because people don't ask about those topics nearly enough, which is the big thing I've learned through Let's Care.

Honestly, it all comes from curiosity. Like, I I don't I try not to intellectualize the interviews I do so much as I approach them from a from a place of feeling. So, and and it it's kind of funny because I, you know, I definitely clearly have, like, a process for approaching the interviews, and and there's definitely been a way that I've done them over, like, the last 100 conversations. But, again, it's, like, who do I really want to talk with and learn from, and what are the questions that I genuinely have for them? Because oftentimes, I'll I'll sit down with someone in the case of Amy Wilson, who's the author of Empathy for Change, for instance. I'm going to be interviewing her soon for for Let's Care. And, you know, I know a bit of her story and her background, and I could read up more on that, and I could listen to existing podcast she's done. So I could have that more full understanding of who she is, but I don't I tend to not ask about those things. I tend to really dive into what are the areas that I want to know about and understand more about someone's journey. And then on top of that, I'll also put my own journey into con into the context of that conversation. So that's a place where I've started conversations, whether in recording or in reaching out to someone to interview them, letting them know about why I do what they what I do, letting them know about the part that, my grief journey has to do with my impact journey. And that has has often opened up the conversation to more, more topics beyond what someone does and how they do it. I've really looked to focus on why someone does what they do, what motivated them to do what they do. And part of that for me has meant just being vulnerable, putting myself out there and saying, here's where I come from. Now let's have a conversation about where you're coming from and just dig into the things that are aren't the talking points. Let's dig into the things that are the real human conversations about how you actually do all the amazing things that you do as a change maker. So that's that's how I approach the interviews. And I I really figured it out person by person, which has been cool because looking at twenties and change San Francisco, where it was 21 interviews in six days, there you know, all of the interviews were were scheduled based on people's availability, which was really interesting when you're traveling throughout the Bay Area when you're, like, in Oakland, but then you go to Tenderloin, but then you're in Sausalito, and then Santa Clara or wherever you're going. It was a lot to to run around and do that, and there's so many different topics covered in the film that I couldn't really create an arc for the topics. But the thing that links all of the conversations was just approaching it through the lens of what are my questions, what am I curious about, and that evolves over the course of a week as I have one conversation and go into the next and have that one and go into the next. So I always just come from my own perspective, and I I felt that that's been really cathartic for me, but also people could relate to that, which has been really, really nice to see through Let's Care.

Yeah. I think the the number one thing is just how powerful conversation is because I have I've always been really amazed that and I'm sure you you understand this too, Ryan, that when you sit down with someone and you're you're interviewing them, you're asking them a lot of questions. And, you know, the way that I do interviews, I like for it to be more conversational and informal and just getting to know a person. But I've always been amazed, some sometimes more than others, about how strong someone's reaction is after the interview to doing the interview. And a lot of them will say, that was an amazing conversation. Like, thank you so much. It's been so great knowing you. Like, I mostly have just asked asked you questions about yourself. And to me, that's a reminder that we don't ask people questions enough about themselves. Like, the people who you ask a question to and then who who probably go on forever and ramble, I think those are the people who are often not asked questions and not recognized. And so I'm I'm just seeing people through my work and giving them, the opportunity to be heard. And I think in general, I wish that more people understood the value of seeing someone and asking them questions and diving into who they are because I I didn't really realize this until recently, but like, people don't often ask questions. Like, I I've even been in situations in in meetings where, you know, I'll show up to talk with someone and it's, like, right down to business. Not even like, how are you? Like, what's going on in your world? Like, who are you? Like, let's get to know each other first, which I love to start from that place because I think it's necessary, in a lot of ways. But yeah. Like, people really I I wish more people understood the power of, like, just asking people questions for, like, developing bonds and forming relationships because I think, honestly, my curiosity has probably been the the number one reason why I've had anything why I've succeeded in any of the goals I've had in my life. Just being curious, asking questions, getting to know people, having coffee with them or whatever that looks like. And, yeah, it it's been it's been interesting and powerful to learn that along the way. Yeah. I can I can definitely relate with what you're saying? I've,

Yeah. And I I'll just add to the other thing that I learned is that beyond just asking people about themselves, that people are way more comfortable talking about themselves than I would even realize. And it's kind of wild because to truth be told, I'm literally realizing this in this moment, sitting here with you. But, you know, so after losing my dad, I joined a grief group. And in that grief group, which I was involved into different extents for about two two years or so. You know, at first, I was really going weekly, and then I would kind of drop in. And I I still stay in touch with those people that I I met in that journey. But the thing that I realized in losing my dad, which for some reason I didn't realize is that, you know, like, it's it's never it's it's not painful for me if I'm talking to a griever or if you're talking with me to ask about my dad because my dad is on my mind. Like, my dad is is is part of me and someone who comes up, and I think oftentimes we have hesitations around asking people about difficult topics because we think that that will cause pain for them. So thinking about my experience with grief is one thing, but thinking about, like, sexual violence, for instance, and the experiences I've had connecting with people there, I found that because people, women especially, knew that they could come to me and talk with me about their experiences that they did that. So I would give, like, give a talk to a room of 200 people, and then after the fact, I'd have, like, a few people would come up and say to me, hey. Like, this is what I've gone through. I want like and they would share this part of themselves that often the world is uncomfortable hearing about, that often people don't feel comfortable asking about. So I guess my other big learning just other than asking people questions is knowing that people really want to share about themselves. And if you create that space of comfort for them to share about themselves, that they'll take it if if they feel comfortable and if they feel safe doing it. So I think relates a little bit to something,

like, let's look at let's think about, hackathon, for instance, and think about a hackathon project to put ourselves in a very specific moment. Actually, think about any type of team that you've been part of. So what also came to mind for me is, like, school projects being part of teams. And there are projects that we've all been part of or teams we've all been part of where it's like, okay. What's my role? What do you need me to do? I'm the storyteller, so how do you want me to tell the story? Or I'm a coder. How do you want what you want me to code? And just kind of focusing on that, which I think is a lot more surface and and often overlooks just all that people have to contribute, like, all of the talents and skills and experiences that people have to contribute to different collaborations or projects that they're working on. Then there's a deeper level, which I think is where what conversation enables, where you understand what someone's mission and vision and values are, like, as a person. You understand where they've been and where they're looking to go. You understand all of the ways they could contribute, and not just the the LinkedIn head headline, explanation of them, but really, like, at a deeper level. What is it that you could do to create a space where they could contribute the most? And for me, like, when I think about conversation, when I think about collaboration, the thing that bridges conversation collaboration is, just belonging. So creating space where people feel like they belong, where they feel like it's their space, because where people feel like they belong is where they make the biggest impact. And we see that with communities. We see that with events and teams and collaborations. And so for me, having those conversations and getting to know each other, getting to understand each other more deeply, which is part of what what I mentioned to Amy's book, Empathy for Change, is about too, is diving into understand people first so that we could so that we could know truly, like, what is the potential of what we're creating? What's the potential of coming together and collaborating? Oftentimes, I think we're at we're we're just rushing. And, you know, that's that's part of, like, a hackathon mindset. You have the clock running. That's part of how so many startups and companies work. But when we slow down and kind of do, like, I I mean, it's not thankfully, because of the pandemic, we don't need to do trust falls or anything like that. But, like, the the the virtual version of that, I think, is sitting and having conversations and diving in and just getting to know each other. That, to me, has been critical to the most successful collaborations and and solutions and and problem solving.

I think number one is putting people at the center. Like, always remembering that people are the ones that you're working with and that you're working for. And and when I think about that, I think about my experience on the Space Apps Challenge. So, again, in my role for in 2016, I joined the program really just focused on storytelling and how we amplify the community and amplify their voices. And I think that was a great place to start before I was even community manager and, doing some of the program management work because it helped me to actually, like, put faces to the work that I was doing. And then when I was community manager for Space Apps multiple times in a row, including 2020, I was working with about, you know, 250 or 300 different local leads, local organizers from all around the world who are just choosing to volunteer and host these Space Apps hackathons. And for me, the biggest thing that I could do, and I think the reason why I end up having such strong relationships with local leads was that every email they would send, every Slack message I would get from them, every conversation we would have, I would really take time to learn more and recognize their context because, you know, none of us is is doing our work in the bubble. I I remember one person in particular who comes to mind who, was in Japan. She is in Japan. And at the time, Vive just faced a tsunami in in her part of Japan. They faced a lot of destruction, in her area, and so they were just looking to recover. And that was so powerful for me to see, oh, here's someone who's still committed to hosting a Space Apps hackathon in their community a month after this pretty traumatic event for the community as a way to give them hope. And so for me to kind of see the humanity there and see the value of this for those people and see what the motivation was for them, like, what is what's their mission? What what are their values? What's their vision for what they're creating? That was what's helped me build powerful community, because something that I realized is if you're working with a community of 300 people, there'll be some people who you basically never hear from one on one a lot. But there will be people who really we are in touch with a lot. Some people you're in touch with every day. And it it's just always been critical for me to appreciate that they are not just hackathon organizers, that they're entrepreneurs, that they're artists, that they're storytellers, coders, scientists, engineers, parents, you know, some of them are students. And that's helped me realize that, like, everyone's bringing different things to the table, and it is a part of what they're doing. If we could see what they're bringing to the table, then we could do better to include them and create a more inclusive space for them. So absolutely put people at the center, in your community building. And just don't don't forget that they're human, which is actually really easy to forget when you're when you're working with larger and larger numbers of people. Like, it's hard to make sure that they don't just become numbers sometimes, which I which I get, but it's definitely something to work toward.

Well, I would say it is three things overall. Like, number one is understanding, number two is prioritizing, and then number three is actually doing. So, I mean, to give an example, for me, from my perspective, I mentioned my identity as a way that I've, built my empathy or one of the sources of my empathy. It's also definitely a huge source of my worldview and of the work that I'm doing. And so in in that way, my identities helped me understand just, like, what some of the issues are, what some of the needs are, and so that's definitely been one of my superpowers. I would also say that, you know, having conversations with people and just asking questions and giving people an open space to give feedback and to be heard has been really a huge source of understanding for me. But the biggest thing that I've seen beyond understanding so once you know the issue and know what the needs are, which is much easier said than done, is prioritizing. And, again, for me, as someone with my identities, it's so easy for me to prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging because, like, that affects my day to day life where I'm if I'm in a space that isn't diverse or isn't inclusive or isn't equitable, isn't a place where I feel like I belong, I can't truly show up. And it's difficult. It's challenging. And and there are struggles when it comes to mental health, especially for people who are, you know, the only one of them in the room or who are marginalized and not understood, whether that's intentional or accidental. So when I talk about prioritizing, something that I've seen a lot of is that it has been easy for me at times to, like, push forward certain initiatives that create more diverse inclusive spaces. So within Space Apps, for example, to give just an idea for some folks who are in the civic tech world and organizing communities, number one, in 2018, I believe, I started I started two programs. One was a program called Amplification Collaborators where we were working we began working with organizations including Black Girls Code, Girls in Tech, and Anita Anita Bee's, sister's organization or sister's initiative just to get more people who are not already in the room to get engaged in Space Apps, to host Space Apps events, to, to just participate. And that's something that's continued to this day, which I'm really proud of. The other thing that that I introduced was an ambassador's program, which was essentially just mentors from the Space Apps community. But the unique thing about this group of mentors is that they were essentially all women. Most were women or are women of color, and they served as these authoritative voices within the community to give perspective and give advice and wisdom. And so I think because I prioritize, it was really easy for me to push those things forward. But I think people need to ask themselves how much of a priority is diversity, equity, and inclusion in their work and in their day to day lives. And, unfortunately, for people who aren't directly affected by or at least don't see how they're directly affected by a lack of diversity and equity and inclusion, you know, it might not be prioritized. So ask yourself, are you truly prioritizing this work? And I think the big way to know if you're prioritizing is the last part of doing. So what are you doing to create a change? Are you speaking up to leadership? Are you forming coalitions with other employees? Are you looking at your hiring? Are you looking at how your company's advocating for these issues publicly? So looking at last year, did your company talk about how black lives matter? Did it speak up for black lives and just, more support for black voices and black communities to give an example there? There's I think, overall, looking at just understanding, prioritizing, and doing, that will get people so far. But the the key is truly doing. And if you're not doing anything, like, you might have the best intentions, but if you're not doing, you're not, actually making a more diverse and equitable and inclusive space. And I think sometimes we need to look in the mirror and recognize that, hey, we might not be doing all that we can. How could we do better? And out of that honest look in the mirror, I think has has really come a lot of powerful conversation, but also powerful solutions to some of these issues, at companies and in communities, especially in the last, seven or eight months or so.

Yeah. So number one, I would say that if folks are just interested learning more about me and Let's Care I love to con connect with people. I don't I feel like that's the, maybe the biggest understatement of this conversation and maybe the most obvious thing I've said, but I love to connect with people. And so feel free to to get in touch absolutely, you know, on LinkedIn. I'm Matt Scott. I'm on on social media at matt scot g w. So I'll mention all of that, and you could check out Let's Care, and there's more information on how you could watch the Let's Care film and be part of the premier screening on March 7. So there there's all of that stuff, and I would absolutely encourage people to connect if they're curious to learn more about the things that we've talked about because I'm always happy to have a conversation about it. But even more, I so I I end all of my interviews asking the same question, which is, if your life were a book or documentary, what would the title be and why? And I would encourage all the listeners to think about that question. If your life were a book or documentary, what would the title be and why? Because I think it it helps ground us a little bit more in who we are. Everyone has a different title or if not a different title, everyone has a different reason for their title. And, you know, oftentimes, in the civic tech space and otherwise, we show up, looking to contribute as a storyteller, as a coder, as an engineer, as this LinkedIn headline identity. And that question, at least for me, and I know for a lot of my interviewees, has helped them go deeper and think more about what do they care about, what do they value, where do they wanna see themselves going. When you think about that question, when you have the answer, and show up with that answer, ready to share that with others, I think that creates a much more, productive space of collaboration where you're able to say, here's who I am. Here's why I'm here. Here's what I want to accomplish, let's roll up our sleeves and get to work. That's the power of that question for me. And so I'd encourage people to really think about that and come up with their own titles to their books and documentaries. And, let me know if they if they think they have a really great great title because I'm I I love to hear those, and it's cool to see just the differences and how different people think and where they're coming from.

Yeah. I'm I'm happy to be here. And I would also just say at the end, if anyone wants to get in touch directly, they could reach me at hello at let's stop care on online. I'm I'm very easy to to reach and find, so don't hesitate to reach out. Let's have the conversation.