Former Governor Terry McAuliffe announced in April 2014 the first Virginia Open Data Portal. In September 2014, the first Virginia Datathon was held during the Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium in Richmond, Virginia. The event was a first of its kind among state governments across the country. Teams from different agencies across the state were challenged to create applications using state data to promote efficiency and transparency within state government. The teams presented their projects to a panel of expert judges and conference attendees who voted for the best team. The event was initiated by former Deputy Secretary of Technology, Anthony Fung, and organized by former Secretary of Technology, Karen Jackson. The goal was to encourage collaboration and innovation by providing a sandbox and tools for state employees to exercise their creativity. 

The Virginia Datathon continues bringing state agencies, students, non-profits and the private sector together to leverage technology and data to develop innovative solutions addressing complex problems.

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