StepUP Platform

The Civic Engagement Crisis

The Perfect Storm:

• Algorithmic isolation: Social media optimizes for engagement through outrage, creating polarization without productive action
• The participation paradox: 70% of Americans want to help their communities but can't identify accessible entry points
• Fragmented infrastructure: Thousands of disconnected resources create choice paralysis rather than clear pathways
• Trust erosion: Declining civic trust creates a vicious cycle—people don't engage because they don't trust, they don't trust because they don't engage

The Lived Reality:

• A working parent wants to make their neighborhood safer but doesn't know if they should attend a city council meeting, join a neighborhood watch, or start a petition
• A recent college grad cares about climate change but doom-scrolls environmental news rather than taking action
• An immigrant family wants to get involved but faces language barriers and doesn't know which organizations are welcoming

The Stakes: Without accessible civic infrastructure, we risk permanent fracture. StepUP addresses this by making civic action as simple as finding a restaurant—clear pathways, honest reviews, personalized recommendations based on your interests and availability.

Market Opportunity Deep Dive

The Exhausted Majority (180-190M Americans):

• Tired of culture wars and performative politics
• Want practical solutions to local problems
• Value shared humanity over partisan labels
• Willing to engage across differences when shown how

ALICE Population (42% of U.S. Households):

Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed—working families who can't afford basics despite full-time jobs. They're our primary audience because:

• They need civic pathways to economic mobility
• Small-dollar mutual aid and skill-sharing make real differences
• Community connections unlock job opportunities and resources
• Civic skills (advocacy, organizing, leadership) are career assets

Financial Validation:

• Democracy philanthropy doubled from $200M (2016) to $400M+ (2024)
• Civic tech VC funding reached $2.1B in 2023
• Corporate civic engagement programs growing 35% annually
• Government civic infrastructure budgets increasing post-pandemic

The Conversion Opportunity:

Americans spend 4.5 hours daily on phones—mostly passive consumption. If we convert just 5% of that time (13.5 minutes) into civic micro-actions across our 25K Year 1 users, that's 337,500 hours of community-building annually. At a conservative social value of $25/hour, that's $8.4M in created civic value from Houston alone.

Platform Architecture

8 Civic Pathways:

1. Democracy: Voting access, civic participation, electoral engagement
2. Basic Needs: Food security, housing, economic stability (ALICE focus)
3. Health: Physical, mental, community wellness resources
4. Education: K-12, higher ed, lifelong learning, skill development
5. Environment: Climate action, sustainability, urban green spaces
6. Community: Arts, culture, social connection, neighborhood building
7. Systems Change: Policy advocacy, institutional reform, power analysis
8. Cross-cutting: Justice, equity, belonging, intersectional approaches

United Way 211 Integration:

Direct connection to comprehensive social service database covering emergency financial assistance, healthcare and mental health services, housing and shelter resources, employment and training programs, and legal aid and immigration services.

Engagement Framework Details

Design Philosophy: Progressive Disclosure

We don't ask people to commit to being "activists"—we invite them to satisfy curiosity, build confidence through small wins, then step into larger roles organically.

Gamification & Retention:

• Streaks & Daily Prompts: Replace doomscroll habit with "Daily Action" notification
• Quests & Badges: "Neighborhood Navigator" badge for attending 3 community events
• Teams: Friendly challenges between neighborhoods
• Impact Visualization: See your contribution to community goals

More in Common Alignment: Belonging-first language, shared values emphasis, bridge-building activities, focus on mechanics over motives.

Validation & Success Metrics

Academic Validation: UC Berkeley Partnership

Founder David A. Brown selected as 2025-2026 Catalyst Fellow at the Democracy and Belonging Forum—one of 25 fellows globally working on belonging-centered democracy initiatives.

Evidence-Based Engagement Mechanics

+40% Higher Completion Rates (Progressive Pathway Design): Harvard Kennedy School research shows breaking complex goals into achievable micro-steps increases follow-through.

+48% User Retention (Gamification Elements): Points, badges, streaks create positive feedback loops. Social comparison drives sustained engagement.

+85% Return Rate (Achievement Reward Systems): Stanford research shows celebration of milestones creates emotional investment.

+25% Retention Increase (Community Impact Visualization): Showing tangible outcomes reinforces value and sustains motivation.

Maya's Complete Journey Story

Who is Maya? A 34-year-old working mom, retail manager using a mobility device who noticed how difficult it is to navigate her East End Houston neighborhood—broken sidewalks, no curb cuts, inaccessible businesses.

Month 1: Takes "Find Your Civic Superpower" quiz, discovers accessibility pathway, watches 3 short videos about local policy and advocacy groups, completes reflection exercise. Result: 45 points, "Community Explorer" badge.

Months 2-3: Attends first disability rights meeting using platform's first-timer checklist. Meets three neighbors working on similar issues, exchanges contacts, forms accountability group.

Months 4-6: Conducts accessibility audits of 8 businesses using platform checklists, files 3 city reports, one business commits to improvements. Recruits 2 friends to platform. Result: 125 points, "Active Advocate" status.

Months 7-12: Testifies at city council using platform's testimony prep tools, brings 15 supporters mobilized through StepUP. Council votes $50K for sidewalk repairs. Maya becomes mentor to 5 new users. Final: 595 points, 8 badges, "Community Champion."

The Scaling Impact: Replicated across 25,000 Houston residents creates measurable social cohesion through documented policy changes, sustained participation, deepening relationships, and leadership development.

Competitive Advantages

We're Not Competing—We're Creating a New Category

Our Unfair Advantages:

• Belonging-first design: Requires curiosity, not expertise
• Comprehensive coverage: 8 pathways × 105 areas vs. single-issue platforms
• Online to offline integration: Digital platform drives real-world action
• Measurable cohesion: Track belonging and community trust, not just participation
• Academic validation: UC Berkeley partnership provides credibility
• Perfect timing: Democracy giving doubled, market hunger for solutions

Why We'll Win: We're the first and only platform specifically designed to produce social cohesion outcomes through accessible, research-backed civic pathways.

Complete Team & Advisory Board

Founder: David A. Brown

2025-2026 Catalyst Fellow, UC Berkeley Democracy & Belonging Forum. Graduate of Leadership Houston and ALF Class XXXIII. Founded Arts District Houston, transforming 19 blocks into creative hub. Former Director of Strategic Partnerships, Houston Food Bank. 20+ years designing and leading community-driven initiatives.

Advisory Board (8 National Experts)

Megan Finnerty — USA TODAY Storytellers Project. Narrative-driven community engagement expert.

Tracie Jae — The Quiet Rebel. Inclusive dialogue design and bridge-building frameworks.

Elena Korbut — Refugee equity expert. Global refugee rights and immigrant integration specialist.

Aaron Landsman — Princeton, Guggenheim Fellow. Story-driven civic engagement and participatory art.

Barry Mandel — Mandel Group. Strategic consulting, organizational development, systems change.

Lilyanne McClean — SVP Global Public Policy, FuelCell Energy. 30+ years policy leadership.

María del Carmen Montoya — Ghana ThinkTank. Global participatory art and community-driven solutions.

Evan Yoshimoto — Head of Community, UC Berkeley OBI. Community ecosystem design and belonging research.

Investment Details & Budget Breakdown

Full Platform Launch: $350,000 Budget

Platform Development (40% — $140,000)

• Beta Launch & User Testing ($40K)
• Gamification Features ($35K)
• AI-Powered Recommendations ($30K)
• Mobile App Development ($20K)
• Accessibility Compliance ($15K)

Team & Capacity Building (60% — $210,000)

• Program Director Year 1 Salary ($75K)
• Partnership Coordinator Year 1 Salary ($55K)
• Houston Partner Network Development ($40K)
• Content Creation & Community Management ($25K)
• Texas Expansion Planning ($15K)

Growth Trajectory

• Year 1 (Houston): 25,000 active users, proof of concept
• Year 2 (Texas): Expansion to Austin, Dallas, San Antonio
• Year 3 (National): Network model in 10+ cities

Complete Bibliography

All statistics current as of October 2025. Full citations available upon request.

Core Research Sources

• Pew Research Center (2023). "Americans' Views of Government: Low Trust, But Some Positive Performance Ratings"
• More in Common (2019, 2022). "The Exhausted Majority" & "Hidden Tribes"
• United Way ALICE (2023). "The ALICE Report: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed"
• Harvard Kennedy School Behavioral Insights Group (2021). "Applying Behavioral Insights"
• Yu-kai Chou (2019). "Actionable Gamification: Beyond Points, Badges, and Leaderboards"
• Stanford Behavior Design Lab, BJ Fogg (2020). "Tiny Habits, Big Changes"
• Greater Houston Partnership (2023). "Houston Community Survey"
• Rice University Kinder Institute (2023). "Houston Area Survey"

Houston Strategy & Closing

Why Houston is the Perfect Proof Point

Exceptional Diversity: #1 most diverse city in America with 145+ languages spoken. No ethnic majority—if our belonging-centered approach works here, it works anywhere.

Stronger Connection Appetite: 78% of Houstonians want more civic connection vs. 68% nationally. "Houston Strong" culture with proven mutual aid and grassroots organizing.

Strong Local Infrastructure: 500+ civic organizations ready to partner. United Way 211 system provides service connection backbone. Fiscal sponsor (Impact Hub Houston) offers operational support.

The Scale Plan: Houston → Texas → National

Year 1 (Houston - $350K): Prove the model with 25K users, measurable outcomes, refined mechanics, documented policy wins, and positive belonging scores.

Year 2 (Texas - $1.2M): Austin, Dallas, San Antonio launches. 75K total users across 4 cities with network effects and state-level policy wins.

Year 3 (National - $5M+): 10+ cities across regions, 500K total users, proven playbook for 90-day city launch, SaaS model for municipal contracts.

Closing Message

"The 70% who want to connect need infrastructure—clear pathways, welcoming language, progressive challenges that build confidence and skills. StepUP is that infrastructure. Join us in turning isolation into belonging—one city, one person, one micro-action at a time."