From 2014 to 2020, mayors and entrepreneurs collaborated and aligned their objectives, creating a new national community where complex problems were addressed using the best aspects of public and private approach.
The conference launched in Kansas City with Mayor Sly James hosting the inaugural convening. From there, it was hosted in Louisville, Kentucky, by Mayor Greg Fischer; Albuquerque, New Mexico, by Mayor Richard J. Berry; St. Petersburg, Florida, by Mayor Rick Kriseman; and Oakland, California, by Mayor Libby Schaaf, before returning to Kansas City.
Mayors and their staffs received exposure to specific programs, policies, and practices to help build inclusive economic development and strong entrepreneurial ecosystems. Programming helped to improve understanding of mayors’ own data and economic metrics and their ability to implement innovative policies within their unique cities. Together, the community of mayors worked with entrepreneurs to strengthen cities through actionable plans to:
- Build civic infrastructure by engaging startup businesses as problem-solvers
- Increase economic inclusion by growing entrepreneurial communities
- Innovate municipal financing to create jobs in growing companies
Libby Schaaf, mayor of Oakland from 2015 to 2023, set the collaborative tone for the 2017 Mayors Conference on Entrepreneurship: “We don’t have time for partisan politics. We belong to the party of ‘get real work done.’”
