As a university leader, how can you be sure that students are getting the skills they need to keep up with the rapidly-changing job market? What role should universities play in reducing inequality in the community? How can universities collaborate with the private sector to create a more inclusive economy in the city?
These are just a few of the questions that will be on the table at the CEOs for Cities annual National Meeting in Columbus, Ohio on September 27-29. CEOs for Cities is a national city-learning network. We curate smart ideas, benchmark city success through our City Vitals, connect cross-sector leaders through our network of City Clusters, catalyze collaborative change through our City Dividends, and accelerate progress through our Prize Challenges.
Columbus is a smart, open city with a resilient spirit and a surging economy. Like most cities, however, Columbus is challenged to align its economic growth with inclusion so that no citizen or neighborhood is left behind. At the National Meeting, CEOs for Cities will explore how urban communities are working to achieve inclusive economic growth and opportunities for widespread economic success.
The National Meeting will feature a number of keynote speakers, including:
Mark Kvamme, co-founder and partner of the venture capital investment firm Drive Capital, who will tell us how to find innovation and opportunity in unexpected places.
Angela Glover Blackwell, President and CEO of PolicyLink, a national research and action institute focused on using public policies to create conditions that benefit everyone, especially low-income communities and communities of color. Her speech will focus on pathways to social equity and economic inclusion.
Gabriel Metcalf, President and CEO of SPUR (San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association), which works across the political spectrum to develop solutions to key urban challenges. Gabriel will share his ideas for a new urban agenda and strategies for achieving economic prosperity.
This will be an exciting conference with many opportunities for university leaders to engage with their peers in business and industry around our shared goals for urban communities. To register, visit ceosforcitiesnationalmeeting.org/registration. For more information, contact CEOs for Cities at 216-687-4704 or email hello@ceosforcities.org.