Community Driven Technology Solutions
Technology barriers hinder financial independence and quality of life for low-income individuals, people of color, adults with disabilities, and other frontline communities. Suma’s community-driven tech solution removes these barriers, making essential goods and services more affordable.
Events
suma summer special
Join us for our last days of the farmers market season!
-The last day of the Lents & King markets will be November 24th.
-The last day at we will be at the St. Johns Farmers Market will be November 23rd. The last day to use suma vouchers will be on December 14th at the holiday market, but we will not be there.
Coming back to the suma app: the holiday special!
The holiday special will be returning to the suma app November 20th at 3pm! Suma app users will be able to purchase a holiday meal that feeds 4-6 people for just $5-$10. Visit the holiday special FAQ pages for more information:
Our Story
“Suma” means “sum, total, addition, or combination” in Spanish. The suma app aggregates opportunities for frontline communities to access discounts and subsidies, making the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
We envision an inclusive technology landscape for frontline communities that are often exploited or overlooked by the tech sector.
What We Do
Digital Organizing
Digital Justice
Collaborating with partners and governments, we advocate for digital policies that involve community members and bridge the digital divide.
Digital Enterprise
We launched the suma platform, a community-built payment app that helps low-income households save money on essential expenses like food, transportation, and utilities.
suma for Community Members, Partners, and Funders
For Community Members
Experience the power of the suma app in stretching your budget and saving you money on essential expenses such as food, transportation, and utilities.
We built the app for people like you – the ones hustling to make ends meet, looking for discounts and savings on the things you buy the most.
for suma and start saving!
For Partners
For Funders
Crafting the suma Privacy Policy: Our Approach
suma’s outreach team worked with community members, partners, and legal counsel to create a community-based privacy policy for the suma app.
Community members shared privacy concerns, reviewed best practices, and provided detailed policy recommendations in small group discussions facilitated by the suma team.
We then used the community’s recommendations to guide the suma app’s inaugural privacy policy.
Explore past suma events
Pioneering A Transformative Mobility Journey
In 2021, we partnered with Hacienda CDC and Verde to work on improving access to affordable and private transportation. Together, we tested a transportation platform prototype (suma 1.0) in Hacienda CDC’s resident community.
Affordable Clean Energy for All
Still in 2021, we collaborated with Proud Ground to further our work of helping people save on utility bills and connect to clean energy. Through this partnership, we tested a solar energy platform prototype (prototype 1.1) with Proud Ground’s homeowners.
Your Voice, Our Policy
In 2022, we engaged with community members and our partners, drawing on their feedback, concerns, and recommendations to create the suma app’s inaugural privacy policy.
Launching the App with Holiday Savings
At the end of 2022, we launched the app and brought savings to the always-expensive holiday season. We brought the special back in 2023 after positive feedback from the successful first run. Using vendor discounts and third-party subsidies, we helped suma members get $180 worth of holiday meals for just $10.
Doubling Your Dollar at the Farmers Market
In the summer of 2023, we ran our Summer Special. Users were able to double their money at the St. Johns Farmers Market and Kings Farmers Market. When suma users added money to their suma wallet, we matched them up to $15 in market vouchers.
