Walter Gabino Rendon on Enhancing Digital Navigation with STEM Alliance - Building for Digital Equity Podcast Episode 21

Sean Gonsalves (00:06):
This is the Building for Digital Equity Podcast where you'll hear from those working on the front lines to expand Internet access, address affordability, and help provide the digital skills and devices necessary to participate in a digital world. This show comes to you from the Community Broadband Networks team at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. [00:00:30] Here you'll find short interviews with digital inclusion practitioners from across the nation, highlighting the work and inspirational stories to ensure everyone has access to high speed Internet. Now, let's see who we have today.

Christopher Mitchell (00:51):
I'm Chris Mitchell, and I'm talking with Walter Gabino Rendon with the STEM Alliance. He's the Chief Program Officer, welcome to the show.

Walter Gabino Rendon (00:58):
Thank you so much. It's great to be here.

Christopher Mitchell (01:00):
[00:01:00] So I was just talking to Meg Kaufer 10 minutes ago. That interview probably ran weeks ago, so people should go back and look for that one. And we talked about a tech ticketing system, so we're going to be talking about that. But first, just give me a sense of what the STEM Alliance does for people who have forgotten it since that show aired.

Walter Gabino Rendon (01:19):
Sure. The STEM Alliance represents New York. We're a nonprofit organization steeped in changing the lives of those in Westchester County, just north of New York City. And so we're really [00:01:30] focused on the digital navigator experience and reaching out to certain partners that already exist in Westchester and trying to give them the digital needs that we found that they have. And a lot of people don't realize that Westchester has that need, though. A lot of people think of Westchester as being an affluent community. We found literally one in five have some underserved need.

Christopher Mitchell (01:50):
And I feel like the STEM Alliance is doing the work that a lot of others are doing, but for a variety of reasons, perhaps because many of you are more technical, [00:02:00] I think you're developing interesting systems that are more useful than a lot of people who are doing this work to get it done.

Walter Gabino Rendon (02:06):
I think. So it would be good to think that that's what we're doing. I do know that our learning curve was huge, and NDIA was one of the major supporters of us and the amazing community around NDIA has given us the ability to ramp up quickly. That being said, we've created what some people call A CRM, but it's really more of a platform to allow us to connect with our clients better. It was growing pains that we had. We realized, oh, we're actually getting a surge [00:02:30] and we're actually doing what we do well. So how do we make sure encapsulate what we're doing and create consistent themes for our digital navigators, but also keep the flow so that we're not losing anything along the way. And on the backend, if I may, it allows us to create and collect data on a more succinct way.

Christopher Mitchell (02:47):
And the CRM is a customer relationship manager or client relationship

Walter Gabino Rendon (02:51):
Manager. I'm sorry. Yeah, client relationship. And this person, so in this case, it's an open face that digital navigators can look at and they can follow [00:03:00] a flow and it has an intake. We have an assessment, we then have started opportunity, and then we want to continue to work with them on an individual basis, meaning the clients with a dedicated digital navigator working through the flow.

Christopher Mitchell (03:14):
And then if a few weeks later, this person has another issue, a digital navigator, it might be a different one, might work with them, but they would have access to the history of how they'd worked with that client

Walter Gabino Rendon (03:24):
Before. That's correct. Yeah. We have a fancy note taking system, but that actually is a very significant part of if a new digital navigator comes into [00:03:30] the space and is going to continue working with the client, they can look at the notes that can follow up. They can look at some of the subtle nuances that make that client experience great, which gives us a higher level of

Christopher Mitchell (03:40):
Success. And you can go over that. I mean, just as someone now that is leading an I'm not leading an organization, don't worry, John and Stacy, I'm not coming for you. As someone who's leading a program, very cognizant that if you're not in the trenches working with people directly, you start to lose touch. [00:04:00] But now a person leading the programs that may not be doing those relationships on a daily basis could be acquainted with what's happening by just poking around in there, I'm guessing.

Walter Gabino Rendon (04:09):
Well, that's very true, and it does make a difference both for the digital navigators, but also for those looking at qualitative information as well as quantitative. And those anecdotes, as one may call 'em, are very significant because not only can we find themes within them, we can also find ways to help solve some of the problems we're finding within those themes [00:04:30] or become a little more successful.

Christopher Mitchell (04:32):
Alright, we're going to talk more about that in a second. But first all know, how did you come into this work? How did you join the STEM Alliance

Walter Gabino Rendon (04:38):
Originally? Well, my background falls much more into education. I was originally at a investment bank and then switched over into education, got my master's and taught in the South Bronx, continued to work in education on different levels, including starting a school that brought me into a unique moment during the pandemic where we realized a lot of things were stripped away and we saw a lot of deficit, not just with the education, [00:05:00] but with all the supports that schools were providing. And one of them was this digital needs access. And that opened the door for me to be able to really enhance what I can do well in the world of education.

Christopher Mitchell (05:11):
And so then you came in and how were you responsible for the ticketing system?

Walter Gabino Rendon (05:17):
I would say that Meg, I and a programmer thought through the process in every single iteration that we knew existed and asked others, where are you falling and where can we pick it up? And then we just created a [00:05:30] huge bifurcated tree of options that make it clear that when you look at the tabs, you could just click and say, oh, this is where I'm at and these are my next few choices. And if you follow that along the way, it makes the process easier, especially for newbies, if I may, for new digital navigators, but also for those who forget and you rush to the end and you forget that there's some nuancing along the way, both because we're working with humans and we're humans.

Christopher Mitchell (05:54):
Okay, so let's say that I am a person that just learned about this opportunity [00:06:00] to work with the STEM Alliance, and I'm going to be working with a digital navigator. What is my first interaction with the ticketing system?

Walter Gabino Rendon (06:07):
We do have a robust setup program. Joanna is an amazing new hire that we have, and she's on the c-suite. And she's just amazing at making sure you understand the work that it takes to go through the system. But the first thing you would do, I think, well, the first thing is if there's QR codes, there's partners, there's ways to get you into the system as a client. And if it's you're sitting [00:06:30] at a table and you've convinced and made someone feel comfortable to fill out that ticket, that ticket then gets filled out. And we have that moment of support as well. Not everyone can fill out a form that easily. There's an inherent joke there where if you don't know technology, then how do you fill out the form properly? And then there's a second form that automatically populates and it's an assessment needs form. And it's a straightforward 15 questions that allow us to flow through the process. And when our digital navigators look at the outputs, we can quickly have a snapshot [00:07:00] of what those needs are and we can have a better conversation with our clients.

Christopher Mitchell (07:06):
How does it end? You do the needs assessment, you get a sense of this. Where does it end up going in the end process right now?

Walter Gabino Rendon (07:18):
Well, of course all of the information is privileged and we keep it safe. First off, that's important.

Christopher Mitchell (07:23):
Yes, very good to note that. Yeah,

Walter Gabino Rendon (07:25):
And we don't use it for anything other than the metrics that come out of that, which is, there's no name attached, [00:07:30] but we do know that there's a demographic and there's certain regions and we are able to collect that data. So if your question is after we think we've successfully reached a final point in the cycle of our clients, we then say, let's ask you a question or two and just make sure there's not new needs that have come around because now you've opened up a door to a new world and that new world may give you more need for more opportunities. And if the answer is no, smartly no, then about three, six months out, we have a follow-up form. [00:08:00] And that allows us to touch base one more time and also reach out to new communities or the continuing communities that we're able to help.

Christopher Mitchell (08:07):
Excellent. Because one of the things that Meg noted is a survey fatigue. And so without having that option, this ability to track data and to figure out what you need to be doing seems really important.

Walter Gabino Rendon (08:18):
Yeah. We realize that that's a big impetus for those to even get the data. But then you realize you're taking someone's time and that should cost something. And so outside of giving them money to take the survey, [00:08:30] which is a valid possibility, there's also just being able to capture them when they're at their peak moment and when we're still helping them.

Christopher Mitchell (08:38):
Is this system available to another group? If I'm sitting in New Mexico and I'm like, oh, I'd love to use this in our organization.

Walter Gabino Rendon (08:46):
That's not the case at this moment. There is ability for me to be able to consult with them and then help create that. And it could almost mime it or copy it, but it also may need to be custom tailored to a little bit of a different flow. If they're just partner based, [00:09:00] then you remove this QR code. There's subtle nuances that can be much more effective for each organization that may want to take advantage of it, but it's certainly open for conversation. I'm certainly hoping to do some more video. The metrics output are great as well, because we really have to still answer to funders, and that's important. And they're wonderful for giving us money, but it's also nice to be able to turn that information around and say either it's great or we're struggling, but this is why.

Christopher Mitchell (09:24):
Yeah, it's great for funders. It's good for accountability in general across the organization. Exactly. I [00:09:30] think a lot of us welcome.

Walter Gabino Rendon (09:32):
That's true accountability for both the digital alligators as they're doing the work. Then we can have these sessions to talk about what's most effective in the work that they're doing on a day-to-day basis, and we can collaborate on how to become more successful. Then there's also management or those looking to say, am I, are my troops doing what they're doing? And they're doing it to the best of their ability? And then finally, the output metrics, which we need to now speak to those who we are answering to.

Christopher Mitchell (09:56):
I work with my hands a fair amount outside [00:10:00] of work, sometimes in work, but I'm always struck that when I do that, I have a product, the work that I do week in and week out. I am relying on conversations with people or my own feelings about whether or not I'm getting the job done. And so having this tool to be able to look back, I think is important for people. When you're working with people, it's not always to know. It's not always easy to know if you're doing a good job and sometimes you need to know that you're doing a good job to keep doing it.

Walter Gabino Rendon (10:24):
Well, that's a valid point. And I do know that when everyone's, I'm fine or I'm good, means [00:10:30] a very different thing. So having a better way to nuance more clear answers based upon clear questions gives us a better view of getting to what we need to do with the work we do. But it also allows us and our digital navigators to be humans and really have this one-on-one interaction, and spend the time to make sure you're working with somebody who is in a position of need.

Christopher Mitchell (10:57):
Excellent. Thank you so much for your time today.

Walter Gabino Rendon (10:58):
Well, thank you so much. It was great speaking [00:11:00] with you. Have

Christopher Mitchell (11:00):
A great lightning

Walter Gabino Rendon (11:00):
Talk. Alright, thank you so much.

Sean Gonsalves (11:03):
We thank you for listening. You can find a bunch of our other podcasts, including community broadband bits at i lsr.org/podcast. And as we continue the Building for Digital Equity podcast, we'd like to ask you a favor. Please give us a rating wherever you found it, especially at Apple Podcast. Share it with friends. You can even embed episodes on your own site. [00:11:30] And let us know what you think. Write [email protected]. Finally, we'd like to thank joseph cca.com for the song on the Verge.