mySidewalk teases Sidekick — a data assistant at the forefront of AI’s difficult-to-simple transformation
May 22, 2024 | Startland News Staff
A new purpose-built community data and visualization tool from mySidewalk is designed to revolutionize decision making and empower those willing to embrace change when supplied with accessible and reliable data.
The Kansas City-based govtech company this month announced the beta launch of Sidekick, an AI-powered data assistant meant to drive meaningful progress through insights gleaned from it and the startup’s broader platform, said Stephen Hardy, CEO of mySidewalk.
“Finding useful data to make critical community investment and development decisions is too hard. We can change that,” he said. “We’re at the forefront of a new era where AI can make the difficult simple.”
“Our beta testers are helping to make Sidekick an invaluable resource for leaders dedicated to making a positive difference,” Hardy continued.
mySidewalk has a team dedicated to gathering the most relevant data for customers and offering tools that allow anyone — not just data scientists — to understand it, he said.
Building on mySidewalk’s mission to democratize data and equip changemakers with the necessary tools, Sidekick simplifies data access, provides trusted and transparent analytics, and facilitates data-driven storytelling while helping users sidestep technical barriers with an intuitive, natural language interface.
Those interested can access Sidekick through mySidewalk’s software platform to explore thousands of data points, create visualizations like maps, and craft narratives about transportation, economy indicators, public health, housing, and environmental factors.
Sidekick will be available to mySidewalk customers as part of their software subscription.
“Sidekick is founded on principles of accessibility and equity,” Hardy said. “Our robust foundation of meticulously researched proprietary data ensures reliable results, fostering trust and transparency in the analysis process. Ultimately, Sidekick will free up time for high-impact activities by finding and communicating meaningful insights faster and with less effort.”
Want to help beta test Sidekick? Click here to join the waitlist.

2024 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Built to last, bought with intention: How JE Dunn set supplier diversity as a cornerstone
Editor’s note: The following story was sponsored by KC Rising, a regional initiative to help Kansas City grow faster and more intentionally, as part of a campaign to promote its CEO-to-CEO Challenge on supplier diversity. Approaching supplier diversity for the long haul means defining the work — without limiting it, said Jason Banks, describing how Kansas City-based construction icon JE…
Rally Gin pours into KC as childhood friends mix spirit of resilience with Black-owned, woman-owned brand
After launching in the Los Angeles market, Rally Gin is coming home — distilling a pandemic dream into Kansas City reality. “We have so much pride in being Kansas City natives and are thrilled to share Rally Gin with the town,” said Alysha Daicy, co-founder. A launch event honoring Rally’s expansion into the Midwest is planned…
Hack Midwest set for July return — challenging coders to build game-changing apps in 24 hours
After a four year hiatus, Kansas City’s largest coding competition is back, bringing with it more than 300 of the region’s most talented software engineers — set to battle it out in July for prizes and honors. “Adding to Kansas City’s momentum as a leading tech hub, Hack Midwest gives passionate software engineers the opportunity to…
It’s wheels up for KC flight attendant-turned headwear designer: Heavy Head takes flight
Jaclyn Heupel had a gut feeling early in the pandemic that she would eventually get furloughed from her job as a flight attendant with American Airlines. Brainstorming ideas for a side gig to help her pass the time led Heupel to a sewing machine and fabric. Watching YouTube videos brought experimentation with materials. She settled…


