Published September 19 2025
Civic Challenge recipients to be announced
In a continuing, community-based effort to leverage technology to improve municipal services, the City of Bellevue will celebrate new partnerships and promote civic innovation across the region at an Innovation Exchange event hosted at Bellevue City Hall in October.
The Exchange will be a free, daylong event featuring civic tech demonstrations and talks from educators, entrepreneurs and municipal tech experts, along with interactive exhibits. A sunset social on Bellevue’s City Hall plaza will include refreshments, music, demonstrations and learning opportunities for community members and businesses.
The Innovation Exchange will be Thursday, Oct. 16, with a day session including several different presentations and topic areas 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and an evening celebration immediately after, 4:30-7 p.m. Registration, which can be for either session or both, is required.
While the Eastside tech community—from startups to international titans—is an obvious audience for this event, residents, government partners, policymakers and businesses in other sectors are also welcome. Innovation helps everyone. The Innovation Exchange will include:
- Keynote conversations with Gretchen Peri, chief technology officer for Washington State (WaTech), Rob Lloyd, CTO for the City of Seattle, and David May, president of Bellevue College
- Lightning talks from cities around the state highlighting their innovations
- Pitches from startups, showcasing their innovative ideas
- AI for productivity training for office workers
- E-waste drive accepting donations of old technology to be refurbished and provided to low-income individuals and families in need
The Exchange is also expected to feature a reveal of businesses who were selected through the Civic Innovation Challenge to partner with the city on technology innovation projects. In early June, the city issued its first Innovation Challenge, seeking partnerships with businesses to generate innovative solutions to municipal challenges. Selected projects will receive coaching from seasoned entrepreneurs, help from city staff testing and refining projects, an opportunity to showcase solutions for potential investors and a stipend of up to $15,000.
The Innovation Exchange represents the fourth installment of the city’s Inclusive Innovation Forum, which was launched in late 2024 to bring together diverse stakeholders to collaborate on solutions that enhance city services and improve the quality of life for all residents.
After a preview event in November and meetings in March and June, the Forum has expanded to a broader set of Innovation programs administered by Bellevue’s Information Technology Department.
Reasonable Accommodations
For alternate formats, interpreters or reasonable accommodations, please phone at least 48 hours in advance 425-452-7855 or email diversity@bellevuewa.gov. For complaints regarding accommodations, contact the city’s ADA, Title VI and equal opportunity officer at 425-452-6168.