Vice President Kamala Harris to Headline CityLab Summit on March 1
NY1’s “Inside City Hall” host Errol Louis joins event as emcee
New York, NY – CityLab, the leading global summit organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Aspen Institute, today announced Vice President Kamala Harris as keynote speaker for this year’s event, taking place virtually March 1-3. Vice President Harris joins a lineup of mayors, local leaders, and world-renowned experts exploring the most urgent issues faced by cities around the world and sharing innovative and scalable solutions to move communities forward. This year’s summit, which will be emceed by political analyst and NY1 anchor Errol Louis, returns with a series of critical conversations about how cities have been transformed by the global pandemic and calls for social justice, and the most promising trends and new solutions to emerge during the past year.
Additional keynote speakers for CityLab include Michael R. Bloomberg, 108th mayor of New York City and founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
Press registration for CityLab is now open. Please contact Eric Bloom ebloom@mercuryllc.com with any additional questions.
Previously announced speakers and presenters include: COVID Response Task Force Chief Scientific Advisor Dr. David Kessler; 21st Surgeon General Nominee Dr. Vivek Murthy; Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser; MSNBC host Tiffany Cross; President & CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Dr. Mary C. Daly; PBS Newshour Anchor & Managing Editor Judy Woodruff; General Catalyst Chairman & Managing Director Kenneth I. Chenault; Dean Emeritus & Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Dr. Alfred Sommer; Author Ibram X Kendi; Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot; National Domestic Workers Alliance Executive Director Ai-jen Poo; New York Times editor-at-large, Jessica Bennett; and Jackson, MS Mayor Chokwe Lumumba. Full speaker lineup and agenda can be found here.
As cities face the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, they must begin to rebuild and restore local economies, address social injustice and inequity, advance climate goals, and deliver vital services to residents in new and better ways. With carefully curated content, CityLab 2021 will provide ambitious city leaders with the latest expert thinking, first-hand lessons from their peers, and tested innovative solutions to tackle these challenges head-on. Two afternoons of must-see city debate and plenary will take place on Monday and Tuesday, March 1 and 2 from 1:30 PM to 3:15 PM ET.
The four city co-hosts from four continents, Mayors London Breed of San Francisco, Claudia Lopez of Bogota, Yvonne Aki- Sawyerr of Freetown, and Jan Vapaavuori of Helsinki, will also address the gathering of leaders. They will share their experiences responding to the pandemic and the innovative solutions their cities have generated to inspire and provoke discussion among attendees throughout the summit.
More information on CityLab and to access the event LiveStream, can be found here.
About Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 810 cities and 170 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2020, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $1.6 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok.
About Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.