Daniel X. O'Neil

Daniel X. O’Neil is the Executive Director of the Smart Chicago Collaborative, a civic organization devoted to making lives better in Chicago through technology. Smart Chicago was founded by the City of Chicago, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and The Chicago Community Trust. It works on increasing access to the Internet, improving skills for using Internet, and developing meaningful products from data that measurably contribute to the quality of life of residents in our region and beyond. Prior to the Smart Chicago, O’Neil was a co-founder of EveryBlock, a neighborhood news and discussion site serving 16 cities. He was responsible for uncovering new data sets through online research and working with local governments. In August 2009 EveryBlock was purchased by msnbc.com. O’Neil has been a participant in the open data/ open government movement, advising governments and candidates on policy. Prior to EveryBlock, O’Neil was an Internet strategist and project manager. He created a number of sites for municipalities, including the first Web site for the Chicago Inspector General. He’s run a number of independent Web projects, including CTA Alerts, CityPayments, and Wesley Willis Art. He’s published four books of poetry, all of which are still in print. In June of 2011 he was honored by the White House as a Champion of Change for Technology and Innovation.