Screenshots: http://groundcrew.us/screenshots

OUR APPROACH

Until now, only large organizations with multi-million dollar budgets -- from airports and taxi companies to delivery services and construction fleets -- have had access to real-time planning, coordination, and mobilization software.

The consequences of making this software available to ordinary people and to local communities will be profound:

IN THE SHORT TERM

* Our software will be used to facilitate beautiful, desired events in our communities:  playground builds
green retrofits, art projects, you name it.

* Communities of neighbors available in real-time can provide families and whole municipalities with extra help during this economic crisis.

* We can promote civic engagement by giving citizens an easier way to get involved—they mark themselves available just by sending a text message or pressing a button on their phone—wherever they happen to be.

* By providing such a low barrier to be physically and personally involved in a community, we will get many people out of their homes and entertainment centers, onto the streets and public spaces, and under the sun.

IN THE MID TERM

* Use of our software will increase levels of gratitude and trust in our communities by providing an economy of gifts, sharing, and neighborly aid where in the past money transactions or isolation were dominant.

* As pools of available volunteers and physical resources— tools, cars, land, and people—increase in size, these assets will be available to good causes en masse.

IN THE LONG TERM

* Our software will be a key part of building a sustainable economy by coordinating reuse and enabling urban lifestyle redesign. While most talk of green cities focuses on architecture, scheduling and lifestyle changes will be just as important to realize visions of rooftop gardens, local food distribution, etc.   Groundcrew community organizers will be in the best position to help people redesign their lifestyles, on the ground, and direct people towards new paths of getting what they need.

* Through "ambient organizing", socially beneficial ideas will be instantly realizable.   Social entrepreneurship will be something everyone can do.

* Simultaneous events and projects in different cities around the globe will promote global solidarity and peace between nations.

FEATURES

Groundcrew leverages the power of GPS in ordinary cell phones to enable today's 3.2 million mobile users to:

      * Rally individuals or a community around a particular issue or task
      * Gather individuals or a community in real life
      * Mobilize and address individuals or a community in real-time
      * Coordinate geographically in real-time
      * Manage and share resources efficiently

 
Solving Real-Life Logistical Challenges

Groundcrew includes an easily installable application for mobile phones that allows for real-time reporting, location-tracking, task assignment, a web interface for complex coordination tasks. Several styles of communication are possible for creating real-time events and interactions. Most commonly, one person acts as a dispatcher and leader, either from the web or via their mobile, and communicates with either individuals or groups, called "squads."
 
Taking inspiration from games like The Sims, Second Life, and World of Warcraft, which can be viewed as dispatch engines in an imaginary world (i.e. each character has needs, and players find ways to address them), Groundcrew has built the most cost-effective and user-friendly logistics platform to date, allowing us to provide an innovative solution to real-life logistical challenges across a variety of markets—from local community organizers and small field service companies to rock concerts and citizen journalism.
 
Creating an Alternative Economy

A point system provides one of a number of incentives for organizing.   Users are rewarded for optimizing resource usage, for bringing new resources to bear on an issue or need, for involving new people in their community, and for organizing any activity that results in positive experiences for those involved.   The system then supports sharing resources with those who've done good work and gathered points on the system. This setup makes positive action pay. Groundcrew brings real rewards for helping others, so we can each afford to do more. Those who do the most good get the most support.
 
With Groundcrew, even the coordination of resources between organizations—meeting spaces, transportation, tools, community volunteers—becomes possible, making shared use of local resources an everyday phenomenon.

ONLINE PRESENCE

Website:   http://groundcrew.us

Facebook Pages: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Groundcrew/49264464174

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/joe_edelman