Altadena Rising
Altadena Rising
Altadena Rising
Overview
As the Founding Director of Altadena Rising, I mobilized a crisis response team to map the Eaton Fire evacuation zone in the critical days after the fire.
Altadena Rising helped evacuated residents from the Eaton fire check their property's status through innovative mapping. Our follow-up initiative, Altadena Stories, enables grieving and community resilience through shared storytelling.
The Problems
During disasters, evacuated residents face agonizing uncertainty about whether their homes survived, with no way to check their property's status while being barred from evacuation zones
The collective trauma experienced from near-death escapes, the loss of cherished homes, community businesses, and landmarks requires more than physical rebuilding—it demands emotional processing through shared experiences.
Areas
0-1 Product
Disaster Recovery
Open Source Software
GIS / Mapping
Period
2025 - Current
Overview
As the Founding Director of Altadena Rising, I mobilized a crisis response team to map the Eaton Fire evacuation zone in the critical days after the fire.
Altadena Rising helped evacuated residents from the Eaton fire check their property's status through innovative mapping. Our follow-up initiative, Altadena Stories, enables grieving and community resilience through shared storytelling.
The Problems
During disasters, evacuated residents face agonizing uncertainty about whether their homes survived, with no way to check their property's status while being barred from evacuation zones
The collective trauma experienced from near-death escapes, the loss of cherished homes, community businesses, and landmarks requires more than physical rebuilding—it demands emotional processing through shared experiences.
Areas
0-1 Product
Disaster Recovery
Open Source Software
GIS / Mapping
Period
2025 - Current
Overview
As the Founding Director of Altadena Rising, I mobilized a crisis response team to map the Eaton Fire evacuation zone in the critical days after the fire.
Altadena Rising helped evacuated residents from the Eaton fire check their property's status through innovative mapping. Our follow-up initiative, Altadena Stories, enables grieving and community resilience through shared storytelling.
The Problems
During disasters, evacuated residents face agonizing uncertainty about whether their homes survived, with no way to check their property's status while being barred from evacuation zones
The collective trauma experienced from near-death escapes, the loss of cherished homes, community businesses, and landmarks requires more than physical rebuilding—it demands emotional processing through shared experiences.
Areas
0-1 Product
Disaster Recovery
Open Source Software
GIS / Mapping
Period
2025 - Current
Project Challenges
Rapidly organized and coordinated 20 volunteers during active disaster
Secured safe access to dangerous evacuation zones while fire still active
Built custom mapping software and documentation systems within days
Innovations & Solution
Mobilized 20 volunteers to capture 25,000 street-level images across 100 miles
Created interactive mapping platform showing property status in evacuation zones and before/after satellite imagery
Developed open-source toolkit for crisis documentation and community response
Results and Outcomes
Successfully documented 60% of evacuation zone properties in the first 6 days
Platform expanded from crisis response to community healing through storytelling
Created replicable model for other communities facing disasters
Project Challenges
Rapidly organized and coordinated 20 volunteers during active disaster
Secured safe access to dangerous evacuation zones while fire still active
Built custom mapping software and documentation systems within days
Innovations & Solution
Mobilized 20 volunteers to capture 25,000 street-level images across 100 miles
Created interactive mapping platform showing property status in evacuation zones and before/after satellite imagery
Developed open-source toolkit for crisis documentation and community response
Results and Outcomes
Successfully documented 60% of evacuation zone properties in the first 6 days
Platform expanded from crisis response to community healing through storytelling
Created replicable model for other communities facing disasters
Project Challenges
Rapidly organized and coordinated 20 volunteers during active disaster
Secured safe access to dangerous evacuation zones while fire still active
Built custom mapping software and documentation systems within days
Innovations & Solution
Mobilized 20 volunteers to capture 25,000 street-level images across 100 miles
Created interactive mapping platform showing property status in evacuation zones and before/after satellite imagery
Developed open-source toolkit for crisis documentation and community response
Results and Outcomes
Successfully documented 60% of evacuation zone properties in the first 6 days
Platform expanded from crisis response to community healing through storytelling
Created replicable model for other communities facing disasters
