White House showcases innovative open-data apps from citizen developers.

Some of the nation's most innovative users of open government data accepted surprise invitations to the White House for national recognition in June. Sixteen citizen software developers met with White House officials at a "Champions of Change" event designed to showcase the potential of Web apps utilizing data sets made available by federal, state and local agencies. Developers who made the cut boasted apps that enable users to find and organize pick-up games at public facilities, guide citizens through zoning ordinances and direct parents to child-friendly locations, along with numerous other services. After a formal ceremony, White House staff whisked all 16 "champions" to a meeting, where they found themselves surrounded by historic art and furniture as they traded ideas with national CTO Aneesh Chopra and other officials.
At times, Chopra asked questions with rapid-fire speed, finishing developers' sentences and concocting ideas that displayed a detailed mastery of federal IT initiatives. At other times, he was joshing the champions, like when he insisted young developer Conor White-Sullivan was a Justin Bieber look-alike. Several of the apps triggered suggestions about ways the developers could collaborate with the White House. Following are video interviews with the champions.

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