Knight Smart Cities Lab

NOVEMBER 6 – 8, 2019

The Detroit Foundation Hotel, 5th Floor Conference Room, Detroit

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6:

6 – 6:30 p.m.: Registration & Cocktail Reception  

6:30 p.m.: Welcome 

• Welcome by Lilian Coral, Director/National Strategy + Technology Innovation, Knight Foundation
• Goals of the Convening by Kristina Drury, Founder, TYTHEdesign

7 – 7:45 p.m.: Dinner

7:45 – 8:30 p.m.: Fireside Discussion

• Nate Wallace, Director/Detroit, Knight Foundation
• Sherina Sharpe
• Chace Morris

THURSDAY, NOV. 7:

7:45 a.m.: Shuttle available to the Detroit Foundation Hotel 

8 – 9 a.m.: Breakfast at Detroit Foundation Hotel 

9 – 9:30 a.m.: Agenda & Welcome by Knight Team

• Welcome by Lilian Coral, Director/National Strategy + Technology Innovation, Knight Foundation

9:30 – 10:30 a.m.: Panel Discussion: Cross-Vertical Trends
How can we think creatively about what’s coming up on the near horizon? What are opportunities to collaborate across verticals? In 5 years, 10 years, or 20 years how will these trends shape our world?

Moderator: Neil Kleinman, Director, NYU Wagner Innovation Labs

• Susan Walters, Senior Vice President, California Emerging Technology Fund
• Nico Larco, Urbanism Next Center Director, SCI co-director, and Professor | University of Oregon
• Heather Walker, Director of IT Transformation and Enterprise Information Management, Navicent Health
• Jessica Robinson, Executive Director, Michigan Mobility Institute

10:30 – 11 a.m.: Break 

11 – 11:30 a.m.: Lightning Talks
Leaders across the field share their latest projects, big ideas and burning questions for the future of Smart Cities.

• John Bracken, Executive Director, Digital Public Library of America 
• Mike Rogers, Chief Development Officer and Anjelica Smith, Corporate Partnerships Manager of Democracy Works
• Rose Afriyie, Executive Director & Co-Founder, mRelief

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Critical Discussion
The Intersection of our Tipping Points
What are the critical points that lead to new and irreversible development? Small group discussions will explore technological thresholds and their meaningful resulting experience.

12:30– 1:30 p.m.: Lunch

1:30 – 2 p.m.: Lightning Talks  
Leaders across the field share their latest projects, big ideas and burning questions for the future of Smart Cities.

• Julia Kumari Drapkin, CEO and Founder, I See Change
• Jascha Franklin Hodge, Executive Director, Open Mobility Fund
• Tiana Epps-Johnson, Founder & Executive Director, Center for Technology & Civic Life

2 – 3 p.m.: Critical Discussion: Data for Engagement
How can we best utilize data for designing more civically engaged cities? Small group table discussions will explore how data has, can, and should be advantageous in engaging a city.

3 – 3:30 p.m.: Break

3:30 – 5:15 p.m.: Peer Exchange: Consultancy Protocol
Assessing opportunities for your work. Explore a challenge directly impacting your work with insights from colleagues. Help colleagues address their challenges with your insights.

5:15 – 5:30 p.m.: Day 1 wrap-up

6:30 p.m.: Shuttle leaves to dinner from the Detroit Foundation Hotel for the Wasserman Gallery

7 p.m.: Dinner Reception & Happy Hour
Wasserman Projects, 3434 Russell St #502, Detroit

7:30 p.m.: Lightning Talks
Leaders across the field share their latest projects, big ideas and burning questions for the future of Smart Cities.

• Erica Raleigh, Executive Director, Data Driven Detroit
• Paul Riser, Director, Tech Town Detroit

8:30 p.m.: First shuttle leaves for the Westin Hotel Cadillac

9 p.m.: Final shuttle leaves for the Westin Hotel Cadillac

FRIDAY, NOV. 8:

7:45 a.m.: Shuttle available to the Detroit Foundation Hotel

8– 9 a.m.: Breakfast at Detroit Foundation Hotel

9 – 9:10 a.m.: Agenda & Welcome by Knight Team

• Lilian Coral, Director/National Strategy + Technology Innovation

9:10 – 9:40 a.m.: Lightning Talks
Leaders across the field share their latest projects, big ideas and burning questions for the future of Smart Cities.

• Mark De La Vergne, Chief of Mobility Innovation, Mayor’s Office, City of Detroit
• Eric Gordon, Professor of Media Art, Director of Engagement Lab, Emerson College  |  Better Blocks

9:50 – 10:50 a.m.: Breakout Sessions
Choose from two breakout sessions; Institutionalizing Culture or Building a Coalition of Advocates. After short presentations, a facilitated discussion will further explore your experience and future approaches.

Breakout Session 1: Building a Network of Champions
5th Floor
Piloting, adopting and implementing new technologies and methodologies requires engaging a myriad of stakeholders. This session will explore methods for and examples of building a diverse coalition of advocates to champion your vision.

• Stephen Goldsmith / Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School, Public Policy | Data Smart Solutions | Corp Governance
• Gabe Klein, Author: Start-Up City  | Co-Founder CityFi & VP Fontinalis Partners
• Beth Niblock, Chief Information Officer at City of Detroit

Breakout Session 2: Institutionalizing Culture
1st Floor Meeting Room
Culture change isn’t easy, and is often not set as an intentional priority for any new initiative or strategy. This session will explore methods for and examples of driving and sustaining culture change at an institutional level.

• Story Bellows, Partner, CityFi
• Ellen Hwang, Philadelphia Detroit Director, Knight Foundation

10:50 – 11:15 a.m.: Break

11:15 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Critical Discussion: Ethical Tensions of Implementation New Technology
Recognizing the inherent ethical tensions in our work, how do we further explore and address them, while still making progress? Small group table discussions will explore where we are struggling and where we are identifying inclusive solutions.

12 – 12:30 p.m.: Convening wrap-up

12:30 p.m.: Lunch