July 22, 2019

The City of Nelson has partnered with Thoughtexchange, a Kootenay-based online collaboration software, to increase and promote dialogue on community issues

 Nelson, BC - Thoughtexchange and the City of Nelson are proud to partner-up to provide Nelson with improved dialogue and engagement on topics that matter to residents.

Nelson is an active and engaged community, and the City is committed to being responsive to resident concerns and ideas.  Nelson is excited to use this powerful platform to foster open and constructive conversations on important issues, while providing real-time powerful analytics with actionable data. When the City was looking for ways to deepen connections and conversations with its residents, they were excited to find a solution in their backyard with the Rossland-based collaboration software.

“Not only are we supporting a local tech business, we are now able to provide a meaningful way for the community to engage with the Council and staff,” says Mayor John Dooley. “We are pleased to be able to add this idea-sharing platform to our engagement tools and we look forward to hearing from the public on issues that matter to them.”

The City of Nelson launches its first exchange today with a focus on water conservation. The public is invited to participate and share what they are doing to conserve water, how to inspire others to do the same, and what else can be done collectively to ensure Nelson’s water resources are used responsibly.  To join the conversation, click here.

“I don’t know if I’m more excited as a Nelsonite or as a member of the Thoughtexchange team, “ says Jessica Nordlander, VP of Operations for Thoughtexchange and a proud Nelson resident. “It feels great to see our community intelligence platform being put to use to crowdsource ideas in my own town. I’m proud to see our local leaders tap into the collective brain of Nelson to help solve problems.” Nordlander adds that she is looking forward to seeing Thoughtexchange software implemented in a way that provides maximum benefit in a local government setting.

Nelson City Manager, Kevin Cormack, says this collaboration builds on the City’s commitment to supporting Kootenay tech firms, which includes the development of an Innovation Centre and Tech Group that brings together more than 300 tech workers. Also, the City-owned utility Nelson Fibre and its Colocation facility are providing important infrastructure for the local tech economy.

“We’ve known about Thoughtexchange for a while, so this is a great fit for our community. Nelson’s learning and successes will allow Thoughtexchange to pass our experiences onto other local governments and help them expand into the local government market,” Cormack says.

Nelson is known provincially and throughout the country as an innovator and leader and will work with Thoughtexchange to use the software to increase value for its community members as it faces challenges and opportunities, such as adapting to climate change and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Talking about water conservation is just the first of many productive Thoughtexchange conversations the City of Nelson plans on holding. Residents can expect to see a new exchange each month as we work closely with the community on issues that are important to them.  

Media Contacts:

Colin Payne, Thoughtexchange - colin.payne@Thoughtexchange.com / 800-361-9027 x.277

Kevin Cormack, City Manager – City of Nelson kcormack@nelson.ca / (250) 352-8203

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About Thoughtexchange: Thoughtexchange helps leaders crowdsource answers to questions in real-time. AI and machine learning ensure everyone’s response gets considered by others. Powerful analysis tools instantly surface valuable insights into key areas of agreement and disagreement. Leaders can find common ground, inspire trust, and use data to make decisions that get immediate support. Everyone contributes, and everyone learns, without bias.

Millions of people in communities, schools, fast-growth startups, and iconic brands like Allstate Insurance and American Airlines are using Thoughtexchange to learn what matters most, so they can scale, grow, connect and innovate.