Innovation District Convening Featuring National Experts

On July 27th, 2021, Start Co. hosted a virtual convening with experts on building and sustaining innovation districts. Innovation districts align public and private partners behind a shared effort to boost economic growth and improve residents’ quality of life. The expert speakers were:

• Bruce Katz, Co-Founder of New Localism Advisors and the Nowak Metro Finance Lab at Drexel University

• David Adams, Chief Innovation Officer at the University of Cincinnati

• Michael Pegues, Chief Innovation Officer of the city of Aurora, IL

Andre Fowlkes, President of Start Co., moderated the session as speakers shared insights, lessons learned, and best practices in building communities around the world.  Each speaker was given roughly ten minutes to share personal insights on how to advance successful place-based economic development strategies, such as Innovation Districts, through local collaboration and national engagement.  This was followed by an engaging interactive discussion. In Memphis, partners are coming together to build a special district called The Digital City, a model analogous to that of an Innovation District. The Digital City is facilitating cross-sector participation from government, businesses, and community leaders to invest time, expertise, and capital to activate technology and talent to drive inclusive economic growth. The effort is anchored in the heart of downtown Memphis, and its benefits will radiate throughout the region.

Highlights from the virtual convening are here with a link to the full program for viewing below:

Bruce Katz defined the common characteristics of Innovation Districts, giving the audience an exceptional overview of the topic. He noted their potential to challenge economic and social divides, to support economic recovery, and to attract firms, talent, and capital.

David Adams provided an overview of the origin of the Cincinnati Innovation District, as well as lessons learned through that process in terms of acquiring partners, funding, assets, and talent. David noted the success of the Innovation District and gave actionable advice for other cities, including Memphis, in their Innovation District journey.

Michael Pegues spoke on two aligned initiatives in Aurora, IL: the 605 Innovation District and Smart Aurora, which aims to make the city a regional technology hub. Michael described the path for successfully launching the initiatives, their relation with one another, and their current status. He also shared details on how the city is  tracking the success of these projects, and insights on how Memphis can do the same.

  Contact Andre Fowlkes for more information on this convening and future events.