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
Lents International Farmers Market
Starting September 1st we’ll be at Lents International Farmers Market every Sunday from 9am-2pm! We will be offering our Summer Special there until the end of the market season. See you there!
📍 SE 92nd & SE Reedway, Portland, OR 97266
Suma Summer Special
From May 4th to the end of the season our app offering is back:
The Summer Special is returning to St. Johns and Kings farmers markets!
Visit our 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.
