On September 16th, Techonomy returned to Detroit for our third annual Techonomy Detroit conference. We continued the series of conversations we began at our first Techonomy Detroit in 2012 on how technology can boost U.S. economic growth, job creation and urban revival. Techonomy Detroit brings together leaders and thinkers from business, technology, government and academia to better understand how to move the U.S., and the world, into an urbanized, technologized, inclusive future. Detroit’s travails symbolize issues faced by many American cities and to some extent the entire country. But this is also a city energetically seeking to revive itself. The birthplace of assembly-line manufacturing and technologized transportation, Detroit was once the innovation engine of the U.S. economy. There is no better place for a conversation on how our national priorities must change in a technologized economy. And as we learned the past two years, the Detroit community is committed to creative problem solving in ways few outsiders can appreciate. Extraordinary energies and opportunities are being unleashed. For a complete conference overview, click here.
8:30 – 8:40AM Welcome
Jocelyn Benson, Dean, Wayne State University Law School
David Kirkpatrick, CEO and Chief Techonomist, Techonomy Media
8:40 – 9:25AM Was It Just a Dream?
The American Dream—that hard work could lead anyone to prosperity, success and upward mobility—feels increasingly irrelevant for a growing and frighteningly large group of Americans. What will people do to attain economic and social security? Will the middle class survive? What new policies and strategies could we devise to help keep the American Dream alive?
Speakers: Carol Goss, Fellow, Advanced Leadership Initiative, Harvard University; Former President and CEO, The Skillman Foundation
Danae Ringelmann, Founder and Chief Development Officer, Indiegogo
Elizabeth Shuler, Secretary-Treasurer, AFL-CIO
Philip Zelikow, White Burkett Miller Professor of History, University of Virginia; Visiting Managing Director, Markle Foundation
Moderator: David Kirkpatrick, CEO and Chief Techonomist, Techonomy Media
9:25 – 9:45AM Complex-Cities: The View from Mexico City
“City labs,” set up explicitly to advance progress, sharing and a digitally-enhanced economy, are emerging around the world. Defined by cross-sector collaboration, they are harnessing creativity, innovation, civic entrepreneurship and tech to re-build, re-vitalize and re-think solutions to crucial urban issues.
A conversation with Gabriella Gómez-Mont, Director, City Laboratory of Mexico City
Interviewer: Justin Fox, Executive Editor, New York, Harvard Business Review
9:45 – 9:55AM Building the Brand
Building a brand in today’s hyper-connected, consumer-driven era means two things. First, more then ever before, brands need to own their POV and stay focused. Second, your company has the ability to rise, commute, work, dine, drink and go to bed with your customer; never before has this intimacy been possible. What you do with that relationship determines success or failure. We’ll look at two examples and see what it takes.
A presentation by Constance DeCherney, Head of the iCrossing Collaboratory, iCrossing
9:55 – 10:40AM Open Data Opens Opportunity
The digitization of everything and access to vast databases of information means we can measure more of the world. It also means we can change what we measure—about city functions, services and the economy. New opportunities are emerging to cultivate innovation, build new services and unlock economic value. Agencies across the country are opening doors to a data treasure trove hidden for years. What business opportunities are unlocked and how will this speed progress for cities and citizens?
Speakers: Alex Alsup, Chief Product Officer, LOVELAND Technologies
David Behen, Chief Information Officer, State of Michigan; Director, Department of Technology, Management and Budget
Joel Gurin, Senior Advisor, The Governance Lab, New York University
Tony Scott, Chief Information Officer, VMware Inc.
Moderator: Michael Chui,Partner, McKinsey Global Institute, McKinsey & Company
10:40 – 11:00AM Break
11:00 – 11:40AM Hiking, Biking & Responsive Transit
From bike lanes to the hyper-loop, how do you build an intelligent urban transit infrastructure that offers efficient mobility? How do we knit together the various modes of transit to form robust, sustainable transportation systems that serve the city and its citizens?
Speakers: Don Butler, Executive Director, Connected Vehicles and Services, Ford
Jeff Olson, Principal, Alta Planning + Design
Shiva Shivakumar, CEO and Co-founder, Urban Engines
Zia Yusuf, President and CEO, Streetline, Inc.
Moderator:Greg Lindsay, Senior Fellow, World Policy Institute; Contributing Writer, Fast Company
11:40 – 11:45AM Debut of the “Love My City” Contest-Winning Video
Presented in partnership with Ford
Introduced by Reid Genauer, Chief Marketing Officer, Magisto
11:45AM – 12:25PM The Economics of Sharing
Airbnb, DogVacay, Uber, Lyft and TaskRabbit. A host of new platforms are transforming the economics of sharing. But what does their rapid spread mean for a city and its citizens? Is the sharing economy the future of employment, compensation and exchange of value? As the trend reorients business, social and cultural norms, how can we ensure that cities and citizens become beneficiaries?
Speakers: Stacy Brown-Philpot, Chief Operating Officer, TaskRabbit
April Rinne, Sharing Economy | Shareable Cities Expert; Head of the Sharing Economy Working Group, World Economic Forum
Arun Sundararajan, Professor and NEC Faculty Fellow | NYU Stern School of Business, NYU Center for Urban Science and Progress
Moderator:Andrew McLaughlin, Partner, betaworks; CEO, digg & Instapaper
12:25 – 12:35PM The Internet Is Not the Answer
A presentation by Andrew Keen, Author, The Internet Is Not the Answer; Host, “Keen On,” TechCrunch
12:35 – 1:00PM Detroit CIO Beth Niblock interviews Jack Dorsey, Founder of Twitter and Square
1:00 – 2:00PM Lunch Hosted by Ford
McGregor Memorial Conference Center
2:00 – 2:15PM Switch Break
2:15 – 3:15PM The Digital Divide: How Can the Tech Industry Become More Inclusive?
As companies like Twitter, Facebook, Google and Apple release their hiring data figures, the Twitter-verse explodes with commentary on the lack of diversity in the industry. This is not a new problem, but there should be new solutions. How can tech and American entrepreneurship be more inclusive?
Speakers: Brian Forde, Senior Advisor to the U.S. Chief Technology Officer, The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Chris Genteel, Head of Diversity Markets, Google
Laura Mather, Founder and CEO, Unitive
Marlin Page, Founder, Sisters Code
Danae Ringelmann, Founder and Chief Development Officer, Indiegogo
Moderator:Andrew McLaughlin, Partner, betaworks; CEO, digg & Instapaper
3:15 – 3:30PM Switch Break
3:30 – 3:35PM Welcome Back!
David Kirkpatrick, CEO and Chief Techonomist, Techonomy Media
3:35 – 4:00PM Establishing a Firm Foundation
What has philanthropy achieved in Detroit and America’s cities, and where will it go next? Join the heads of the Case and Kresge Foundations for a conversation on the role of foundations in the revival of urban life. How do they see their role in bolstering partnerships and collaboration in the communities they serve? How do they enable a new notion of civics, and civic leaders driven by the use of tech for social good?
Speakers: Jean Case, Chief Executive Officer, Case Foundation
Rip Rapson, President and CEO, The Kresge Foundation
Interviewer: Nolan Finley, Editorial Page Editor and Columnist, The Detroit News
4:00 – 4:15PM A presentation on Tech and the Economy by Albert Wenger, Partner, Union Square Ventures
4:15 – 4:40PM The Responsive City: Engaging Communities Through Data-Smart Governance
What is citizenship in the digital age? Policy experts Susan Crawford of Harvard University and Jennifer Bradley of the Brookings Institution discuss themes from Crawford’s new book about civic engagement, innovation and the role of tech and the Internet for Detroit and other major cities.
4:40 – 5:05PM Can We Train America to Train Its Workers?
By 2022 the U.S. is projected to need 1.4 million new programmers, but at current rates only 400,000 IT graduates will emerge to fill them. How America tackles this disparity will help determine its ongoing global competitiveness and the economic success of all Americans. Codeacademy has developed innovative training tools, and the White House is turning to this issue with great urgency.
A conversation with Zach Sims, Co-founder and CEO, Codecademy, & Brian Forde, Senior Advisor to the U.S. Chief Technology Officer, The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Interviewer: David Kirkpatrick, CEO and Chief Techonomist, Techonomy Media
5:05 – 5:10PM Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition Semi-Finalist Announcement
The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition convenes top, early-stage technology companies with investors from across Michigan and North America and awards $500,000 to the top tech or service company.
5:10 – 5:50PM Startups, Cities and Sustaining Innovation
The ideas are flowing fast, as is the money. Young (and old) the world over are increasingly drawn to entrepreneurship, and inventive tech solutions are emerging everywhere. Is “Silicon Valley” a spirit rather than a place? What makes a city attractive for company incubation? Is this energy likely to continue, or will cities like Detroit have trouble sustaining it? Will the successful companies of the future stay put or move elsewhere?
Speakers: Jill Ford, Special Advisor to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Angel Investor
Josh Linkner, CEO and Managing Partner, Detroit Venture Partners
Andy White, Partner, VegasTechFund
Andrew Yang, Founder and CEO, Venture for America
Moderator: Andrew Keen, Author, The Internet Is Not the Answer; Host, “Keen On,” TechCrunch
5:50 – 5:55PM Closing Remarks
