Tackling the Digital Divide in Long Beach

A city can be ranked among the top digital cities and still leave people behind. That was one of the most grounded moments in my recent conversation with Lea Eriksen, Director of Technology and Innovation and CIO for the City of Long Beach. She explains something that is often overlooked in smart city conversations. Online services and modern platforms only matter if residents can actually use them. If people lack reliable internet access, the right devices, or the knowledge to use them, digital transformation becomes another barrier rather than a bridge. Long Beach approached this head-on by treating digital equity as foundational work, not a side initiative. That meant providing laptops to residents involved in civic co-design, meeting people where they are linguistically, and making sure access was never a prerequisite for participation. What struck me most is how practical this is. No grand speeches about innovation. Just a clear recognition that progress fails if it excludes the very people it is meant to serve. This clip is a reminder that closing the digital divide starts with asking a simple question. Who gets left out when we move services online? I would love to hear how other cities, companies, or institutions are thinking about digital equity in real, human terms. https://innovationstorytellers.com/po...