“I would say the greatest lesson I’ve learned during my entire digital equity and inclusion career is that equity, both as a process and outcome, needs to be at the forefront of the work that we’re doing — especially as we’re addressing the digital divide.”
Her approach involves collaboration with partners and stakeholders across sectors to expand access to and adoption of resources and services.
Under Kauma’s leadership, the county launched an Intergovernmental Broadband Coordinating Committee (IBCC), enlisting more than 60 member organizations from various industries, sectors and issue areas. The IBCC helps the county implement a collective action strategy to maximize the impact of funding opportunities. Kauma mobilized a collaborative partnership of 37 IBCC member organizations to apply for $25.6 million in federal funding from the Digital Equity Act.
As the convening backbone of this collaboration, Kauma emphasized the importance of open and transparent communications to foster trust. This includes informing partners of relevant activities at the state and federal levels to help them make informed decisions for their communities.
Kauma’s strategy focuses on systems change, which means “sharing power” and building trust and relationships within communities to involve them in the development of solutions. Collaboration with these partners supports the county’s mission to not only advance in digital equity, but also in other areas like health and education. For a populous county like Los Angeles, customized strategies help meet unique community needs.
The growth in the digital equity field in recent years has spurred collaboration outside of the county as well, Kauma said, enabling her to share best practices with people in roles similar to hers across the country.
This story originally appeared in the Spring 2025 issue of Government Technology magazine. Click here to view the full digital edition online.
