Powerful Programming

Highlights from our 2019 program include:

* Ambassador Andrew J. Young, Dr. Bernice A. King, and Atlanta Mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, leading an extraordinary discussion about building smart, equitable, and compassionate cities while artist, entrepreneur, and activist, Tip “T.I.” Harris, spoke with Operation Hope CEO, John Hope Bryant, about fostering innovation and entrepreneurship to build inclusive 21st century economies.

* U.S. Conference of Mayors President, Bryan Barnett (Rochester Hills, MI); National League of Cities President, Karen Freeman-Wilson (Gary, IN); African-American Mayors Association President, Hardie Davis, Jr. (Augusta, GA); and Mayors, former Mayors, and Deputy Mayors from Atlanta, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Denver, Chattanooga, Philadelphia, Trenton (NJ), Seat Pleasant (MD), Hoover (AL), and Montgomery (AL) addressed automation and the future work, autonomous vehicles, climate change, criminal justice, economic mobility, innovation and entrepreneurship, infrastructure, and inclusion.

* SunTrust CEO, Bill Rogers, and Atlanta Braves CEO, Derek Schiller, emphasized the power of public private partnerships, building a stadium of the future, and the importance of equity and inclusion and leaders from SoftBank Robotics, Cisco, Southern Company, Sprint, AT&T, Verizon, Black & Veatch, Hitachi, Mastercard, and Siemens shared their collective commitment to accelerating inclusive digital transformation and future proofing our cities through intelligent, resilient, and equitable urban infrastructure, automation, and 5G.

* CTOs and CIOs from Paris, Kansas City (MO), Louisville (KY), South Bend (IN), Atlanta, and Cary (NC) spoke of increasing quality of life through digital transformation and open data platforms, collaborating with the private sector, the promise of 5G, and their respective commitments to bridging the digital divide.

* Cox Enterprises, Southern Company, Greenlots, Einride, the U.S. Department of Energy, UPS, and Carbon Lighthouse, spoke of serving as stewards of equity, innovation, and sustainability as we build a clean energy future, while Bird, Uber, ParkMobile, MARTA, Einride, and Cox Automotive spoke of a new mobility future, and other leading innovators spoke of building sustainable businesses, circular economy, food security, and addressing urgent urban climate challenges both locally and at scale now.

* Seniors of the Harvard Debate Diversity Council gave powerful voice to the millennial generation to ensure the development of inclusive and forward-thinking smart cities while the Empowerment Plan, who create jackets for the homeless (by the homeless) that turn into sleeping bags, and Project Liberation, who is disrupting the pathways for people to become justice involved, spoke about the future and dignity of work.

* HealthTech, the Clinton Foundation, NYU Langone, and imams and pastors spoke about mobilizing the faith-based community to address the opioid crisis through technology and measuring the physical, social, and environmental health of cities through data-driven dashboards.

* MBK Alliance CEO, Michael Smith, led an important discussion called "Smart Cities are Communities where Boys and Young Men of Color can Thrive" while Atlanta's Chief Opportunity Zones Officer, former Tennessee Titan, Derrick Morgan, RCIE's Jay Bailey, The Partnership for Southern Equity, and Gathering Spot CEO, Ryan Wilson each spoke about increasing community, economic mobility, prosperity, and opportunity.

* Top innovators and venture capitalists from Google, Techstars, Engage Ventures, Energy Impact Partners, and BlackRock spoke of investments in innovation, inclusion, and social impact to solve critical urban challenges with a strong focus on the future of fintech, the deployment of blockchain for digital identity, smart contracts, finance, IoT, cybersecurity, public safety, and other emergent uses, while Fair Count and Voatz spoke about data and our democracy.

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