Cities Summit of the Americas Official Agenda
The Cities Summit includes general plenary sessions with all attendees, thematic track sessions, invite-only roundtables, and more. All sessions will feature interpretation in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. Track sessions feature the following themes:
Thursday, April 27 - Digital; Energy; Mobility and Transportation; Migration; and Housing and Safety
Friday, April 28 - Climate and Environment; Competitiveness, Finance, and Investment; Democracy and Inclusion; Healthy Communities; and Vibrant Cities
Wednesday, April 26
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Registration and Credential Pick-up
Location: Colorado Convention Center Concourse F
Time: Wednesday, April 26, 9:00-17:00
Description: Please bring identification.
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Host City Reception
Location: Denver Art Museum, 100 W 14th Ave Pkwy, Denver, CO 80204
Time: Wednesday, April 26, 18:30-20:30
Description: Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Denver Art Museum, one of Denver’s iconic cultural institutions and host venue for the Cities Summit of the Americas’ Opening Reception. Explore the Museum’s Indigenous Arts of North America, one of the most comprehensive collections of this art in the world. and the gallery of European and American Art before 1900. The Museum’s architecture is also a work of art, with buildings designed by Gio Ponto and Daniel Libeskind, and a beautiful renovation completed in 2021 which includes a Welcome Center with enhanced education space and a spectacular glass-paneled event venue overlooking the city. Closed to press.
Thursday, April 27
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Registration/Credentialing, Innovation Plaza, Coffee and Networking
Location: Colorado Convention Center Concourse F
Time: Thursday, April 27, 7:00-17:30
Please bring identification.
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General Session 1 - Investing in Cities
Location: Mile High Ballroom Main Stage
Time: Thursday, April 27, 8:00-9:30
Welcome: Michael B. Hancock, Mayor of Denver, Colorado
Keynote Address: Carolina Cosse, Mayor of Montevideo, Uruguay, and President of Mercociudades and UCLG
Keynote Address: Francis X. Suarez, Mayor of Miami, Florida, and President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors
Panel: Accelerating Investment for Climate Action, organized by C40 Cities, CDP, and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy
Opening Keynote: Claudia Sheinbaum, Mayor of Mexico City, Mexico
Panel:
Kate Gallego, Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Rafael Greca, Mayor of Curitiba, Brazil
Upasana Varma, Global Head of Municipal Finance, IFC
Sarah Wilson, Managing Director, Head of ESG Integration, Nuveen
Moderator: Mauricio Rodas, Former Mayor of Quito, Ecuador
Panel:
Carolina Leitao Álvarez-Salamanca, Mayor of Peñalolén, Chile
Errick Simmons, Mayor of Greenville, Mississippi, United States
Jyoti Gondek, Mayor of Calgary, Canada
Moderator: Mauricio Rodas, Former Mayor of Quito, Ecuador
Keynote Address: Ilan Goldfajn, President of the Inter-American Development Bank
Keynote Address: Brian Huseman, Vice President for Public Policy, Amazon
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Energy Track Session - Risks and Rewards of the Energy Transition in the Americas: A Local Perspective on Sustainable Governance
Organized by the Atlantic Council, Red Latinoamericana y del Caribe para la Democracia (REDLAD)
Location: Mile High Ballroom 3B
Time: Thursday, April 27, 10:00-12:00
Host Remarks: Robert Kenney, President of Colorado’s Operating Company, Xcel Energy
Jose Fernandez, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, U.S. Department of State
Tim Kelly, Mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States
Maria Camila Uribe, Cities Network Coordinator for the Inter-American Development Bank
Romel Gonzalez, Consejo Regional Popular Indígena de Xpujil, Mexico
Jaime Pumarejo, Mayor of Barranquilla, Colombia
Damian Bilbao, Vice President of US Low-Carbon Ventures, BP
Errick Simmons, Mayor of Greenville, Mississippi, United States
Ragnheidur Elin Arnadottir, OECD Development Centre
Angela Aguilar Vargas, Mayor of Heredia, Costa Rica
Claudio Castro, Mayor of Renca, Chile
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Digital Track Session - Smart Cities: Strategies for Achieving Smart Urban Growth
Organized by the U.S. Conference of Mayors
Location: Mile High Ballroom 3A
Time: Thursday, April 27, 10:00-12:00
Keynote: Bruce Harrell, Mayor of Seattle, Washington, United States
Panel:
Moderator: Chelsea Collier, Editor of Smart Cities Connect
David Holt, Mayor of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
Hillary Schieve, Mayor of Reno, Nevada, United States
Bruce Harrell, Mayor of Seattle, Washington, United States
Lily Mei, Mayor of Fremont, California, United States
Elizabeth Kautz, Mayor of Burnsville, Minnesota, United States
Luis Donaldo Colosio Riojas, Mayor of Monterrey, Mexico
Panel:
Frank Cownie, Mayor of Des Moines, Iowa, United States
Bonnie Crombie, Mayor of Mississauga, Canada
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Mobility and Transportation Track Session - Complete Streets: Aligning Infrastructure Investment and Sustainable Development Agendas
Organized by the World Resources Institute, CAF
Location: Mile High Ballroom 3C
Time: Thursday, April 27, 10:00-12:00
Opening Remarks: Nuria Fernandez, Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration
Moderator: Felipe Ramirez, Urban Mobility Director, WRI
Claudia Sheinbaum, Mayor of Mexico City, Mexico
Claudia López, Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia
René Bedón, Councilman for Quito, Ecuador
Marcela Laiz, General Coordinator of Planning from Secretariat of Traffic, Ministry of Transport, Government of Brazil
Luis Antonio Lindau, Cities Program Director, WRI-Brasil
Nicolás Estupiñan, Director of Sectoral Analysis, CAF
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Migration Track Session - City Strategies to Create Welcoming Communities for Migrants (Advance Registration Required)
Organized by the Truman Center
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4A-B
Time: Thursday, April 27, 10:00-12:00
Attendees should register here to attend this event. This session is a role playing simulation, so it will work differently than panel presentations. Because of this and the preparation required, participants should pre-register by Thursday, April 20. For any questions, please contact Camille Mackler at camille@trumanproject.org.
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Housing and Safety Track Session - Emerging Practices in Violence Prevention
Organized by Everytown for Gun Safety
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4C-D
Time: Thursday, April 27, 10:00-12:00
Join Everytown for Gun Safety to discuss emerging practices on violence prevention strategies across the region.
Moderator: Katie Appel Duda, Everytown for Gun Safety
Richard Vernon, Deputy Mayor of Montego Bay, Jamaica
Quinton Lucas, Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Tracy Colunga, Civic Engagement Director for the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation
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Roundtable (Invite Only) - Urban Conservation with a Focus on Environmental Justice
Organized by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Interior
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4E
Time: Thursday, April 27, 10:00-11:30
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Roundtable (Invite Only) - Local Climate Adaptation in Action
Organized by U.S. Department of State
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4F
Time: Thursday, April 27, 10:00-11:30
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Special Session - Tourism as Economic Engines for Communities
Organized by Visit Denver, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade
Location: Room 401-2
Time: Thursday, April 27, 10:00-12:00
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Special Session - Urban Transformation and Inclusion Through the Power of Sports
Organized by CAF, Inter-American Dialogue
Location: Room 403-4
Time: Thursday, April 27, 11:00-12:00
Opening Remarks: Rebecca Bill-Chavez, President and CEO, Inter-American Dialogue
Moderator: Juan Pablo Salazar, Inclusion Coordinator, CAF Development Bank of Latin America
Alfredo Carbonell, Manager of Social Development, City of Barranquilla, Colombia
Erin Bromaghim, Deputy Mayor of International Affairs, Los Angeles, California
Gianna Cunazza, Executive Director, Santiago 2023
Ángel Cardenas Sosa,: Manager of Urban Development, Water and Creative Economies, CAF Development Bank of Latin America
Michele Formonte, Project Manager, Americas Paralympic Committee
Samuel Azout, Founder and President of Fútbol Con Corazón
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Special Session - FIFA World Cup 2026 Host Cities: Promise of a Positive Legacy of Human Rights
Organized by the Centre for Sport and Human Rights, and the U.S. Department of State
Location: Room 403-4
Time: Thursday, April 27, 10:00-11:00
Moderator: Mary Harvey, Chief Executive, Centre for Sport and Human Rights
Ann Cody, Senior Advisor, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. Department of State
Anita Ramasastry, Professor, University of Washington School of Law
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Roundtable (Invite Only) - Promoting an Integrated City-led Approach to Violence Prevention
Organized by U.S. Department of State, USAID
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4E
Time: Thursday, April 27, 12:00-13:30
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Roundtable (Invite Only) - Urban Mobility and Infrastructure
Organized by U.S. Department of Transportation
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4F
Time: Thursday, April 27, 12:00-13:30
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Special Session - Cities Forward Initiative Launch
Organized by U.S. Department of State
Location: Room 401-2
Time: Thursday, April 27, 12:00-13:00
Moderator: Raffi Balian, U.S. Department of State
Jose Fernandez, U.S. Department of State Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment
Jennifer “J.R.” Littlejohn, U.S. Department of State Acting Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
Ravinder Bhalla, Mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, United States
Brigid Shea, Commissioner of Travis County, Texas, United States
Angie Fyfe, Executive Director of ICLEI-USA
Rodrigo Perpetuo, Executive Director of ICLEI South America
Edgar Villasenor Franco, Regional Director of ICLEI Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean
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Special Session - Masterclass on Phasing Out Natural Gas (Invite Only from 1-2pm)
Organized by C40 Cities
Location: Location 403-4
Time: Thursday, April 27, 12:00-14:00
*Closed door, invite only from 1-2pm
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General Session 2 (Lunch) - Connectivity and the Role of Cities in Global Leadership
Location: Mile High Ballroom Main Stage
Time: Thursday, April 27, 12:15-13:45
Introduction:
Mike Fries, CEO of Liberty Global
Fireside Chat on Digital Connectivity
John Stankey, CEO of AT&T
Kate Gallego, Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona, United States
The Role of Cities in Global Leadership and the Multilateral System, organized by the Brookings Institution and Metropolis
Fireside Chat: Vitali Klitschko, Mayor of Kyiv, Ukraine; and Nina Hachigian, U.S. Ambassador and Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy
Panel: Exploring the role of cities and city networks within traditional multilateralism
Montserrat Caballero Ramírez, Mayor of Tijuana, Mexico
Jordi Vaquer, Secretary General, Metropolis
Emilia Saiz, Secretary General, United Cities and Local Governments
Frank Cownie, Mayor of Des Moines, Iowa, United States
Panel: Elevating local leadership on global priorities
Moderator: Tony Pipa, Senior Fellow, the Brookings Institution
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, United States Ambassador to the United Nations
Claudia López, Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia
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Special Session - Plastic Pollution-Free Cities
Organized by U.S. Department of State
Location: Room 401-2
Time: Thursday, April 27, 13:00-14:00
Moderator: Raffi Balian, U.S. Department of State
Jose Fernandez, U.S. Department of State Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment
Jennifer “J.R.” Littlejohn, U.S. Department of State Acting Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific AffairsOES/ENV, Raffi Balian
Errick Simmons, Mayor of Greenville, Mississippi, United States
Bob Gallgher, Mayor of Bettendorf, Iowa, United States
Cody Marshall, The Recycling Partnership
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Digital Track Session - Digital Tools for Improving Cities’ Revenue and Public Service Delivery
Organized by the Organization of American States
Location: Mile High Ballroom 3A
Time: Thursday, April 27, 14:00-16:00
Description:
Moderator: Maria Fernanda Trigo, Director, Department for Effective Public Management, Organization of American States
Maria Pappas, Treasurer for Cook County, Illinois, United States
Ana Patricia Peralta de la Peña, Mayor of Benito Juárez, México
Jaime Pumarejo, Mayor of Barranquilla, Colombia
Joel Martinez, Mayor of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Delroy Williams, Mayor of Kingston, Jamaica
Carlos Cuadrado Prats, Mayor of Huechuraba, Chile
Luis Donaldo Colosio, Mayor of Monterrey, Mexico
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Energy Track Session - Place-Based Initiatives for Community-Led Futures
Organized by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Location: Mile High Ballroom 3B
Time: Thursday, April 27, 14:00-16:00
Moderator: Alejandro Moreno, Acting Assistant Secretary for Renewable Power, U.S. Department of Energy
Jared Polis, Governor of Colorado, United States
Martha Symko-Davies, Laboratory Program Manager, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Jennifer R. Littlejohn, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Oceans and Scientific Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Panel:
Dominique Gomez, Energy Office, State of Colorado, United States
Elizabeth Babcock, Energy Office, City of Denver, Colorado, United States
Hollie Rogin, Mayor of Lyons, Colorado, United States
Sherry Stout, State, Local, and Tribal Program Manager, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Panel
Christian Clegg, City Manager of Bakersfield, California, United States
John Ortega, Mayor of Questa, New Mexico, United States
Kate Gordon, Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of Energy
Claudio Radonich, Mayor of Punta Arenas, Chile
Roberto Quiros, ICE, Costa Rica
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Mobility and Transportation Track Session - E-mobility in Public and Private Transport: Issues, Challenges and Best Practices in the Americas
Organized by the Institute of the Americas, CAF
Location: Mile High Ballroom 3C
Time: Thursday, April 27, 14:00-16:00
Jennifer Gress, Ph.D., Chief, Sustainable Transportation and Communities Division, California Air Quality Resources Board (CARB)
Kurt Honold, Secretary of Economy & Innovation for the State of Baja California and former Mayor of Tijuana
Silvia Rojas Soto, President, Asociación Latinoamericana de Movilidad Sostenible (ALAMOS) and Executive Director, Asociación Costarricense de Movilidad Eléctrica
Grace Troccolo Rink, Executive Director, Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency, City and County of Denver, Colorado, United States
Angel Cárdenas, General Manager of Urban Development, Water and Creative Economies of CAF Development Bank of Latin America
Antonio Astiazarán Gutiérrez, Mayor of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
Moderator: Richard Kiy, President and CEO, Institute of the Americas
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Migration Track Session - The Role of Local Governments in the Reception and Integration of Migrants and Refugees in Cities Across the Americas
Organized by the Organization of American States, International Organization for Migration, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Pan American Development Foundation
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4A-B
Time: Thursday, April 27, 14:00-16:00
Moderator: Gabriela Frias, Mexico Bureau, CNN En Español
Uzra Zeya, Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, U.S. Department of State
Luis Almagro, Secretary General, OAS
Betilde Muñoz-Pogossian, Director, Department of Social Inclusion, OAS
Leonardo Pascoal, Mayor of Esteio, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Daniel Arango, Panama Project Director, PADF
Monsterrat Caballero, Mayor of Tijuana, Mexico
Rosa Irene Urbina Castañeda, Municipal President of Tapachula, Mexico
Ubraj Narine, Mayor of Georgetown, Guyana
Drew Dilkens, Mayor of Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Ileana Cruz-Marden, Deputy Director, Americas & Global Strategy, TENT Partnership for Refugees
Carolina Cosse, Mayor of Montevideo, Uruguay
Monique Tú Nguyen, Executive Director of the Office for Immigrant Advancement, City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Diego Beltrand, Special Envoy of the IOM Director General for the Regional Response to the Venezuela Situation
Isabel Márquez, Deputy Director, UNHCR Americas
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Housing and Safety Track Session - Cities for Adequate Housing: Joining Forces Towards Local Housing Systems that Care for All
Organized by United Cities and Local Governments
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4C-D
Time: Thursday, April 27, 14:00-16:00
Panel: Building on the Experience of the Cities for Adequate Housing Movement
Emilia Saiz, Secretary General, United Cities and Local Governments
Carolina Cosse, Mayor of Montevideo, Uruguay, and President of UCLG
Leilani Farha, Global Director, the Shift, and Former UN Rapporteur on Adequate Housing
Panel: Connecting the Realities of Cities from North and South of the Western Hemisphere
Martin Piaggio, Mayor of Gualeguaychú, Argentina
Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener, Canada
Mitch Roth, Mayor of Hawai’i County, Hawai’i, United States
Victoria Woodards, Mayor of Tacoma, Washington, United States
Charlie Clark, Mayor of Saskatoon, Canada
Panel: Calling for Ways Forward, Localizing the Housing Agenda in the Western Hemisphere
Solomon Greene, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, United States
Jason Anthony Hobbs, Senior Housing and Urban Development Specialist, Inter-American Development Bank Urban Development Division, Colombia
Rudi Borrmann, Open Government Partnership
Shipra Narang, Chief of Urban Practices Branch, UN-Habitat
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Roundtable (Invite Only) - Infrastructure Financing and Procurement
Organized by U.S. Trade and Development Agency
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4E
Time: Thursday, April 27, 14:00-15:30
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Roundtable (Invite Only) - Cities on the Front LInes of Advancing Racial Equity and Justice
Organized by U.S. Department of State
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4F
Time: Thursday, April 27, 14:00-15:30
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Special Session - Preserve and Prosper: Building Dynamic Local Economies through Cultural Preservation
Organized by U.S. Department of State
Location: Room 401-2
Time: Thursday, April 27, 14:00-15:30
Featuring:
Martin Perschler,Program Director, U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation U.S. Department of State
Shanon Miller, Director, San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation
Kara Roopsingh, Senior Heritage Preservation and Research Officer, National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago
Ryan Stubbs, Senior Director of Research, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
Amy Cole, Chief of Cultural Resources, National Park Service (Regions 6, 7, and 8)
Elizabeth Lee, Vice President for Programs and Development, CyArk
Melissa Castiano, Native American Affairs Liaison, National Park Service
Merced Guimarães, Director, Institute of Research and New Black Memory (IPN)
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Exploring Creative Placemaking as a Tool in City Development
Organized by: National Endowment for the Arts
Location: Fábrica de Arte Americas, 1250 Welton St, Denver, CO 80204
Time: Thursday, April 27, 3-4pm
Creative placemaking integrates arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, and/or social change. Join National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) staff and Denver-based Our Town grantee for a conversation on how the NEA supports creative placemaking in American communities and an examination of cross-sector partnerships and community engagement strategies exemplified by the Denver area Morrison Road Corridor project. Since 2011, the NEA has funded over 600 Our Town projects in all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Northern Mariana Islands.
Jen Hughes, Senior Advisor to the Chair on Partnerships, Expansion, and Innovation - NEA
Maya Hering, Our Town Specialist | Design & Creative Placemaking, NEA
Rachel Basye, Executive Director, Art Students League of Denver
Jose Esparza, Executive Director, BuCu West
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Special Session - Bridging the Digital Divide
Organized by Millicom and the Biennial of the Americas
Location: Room 403-4
Time: Thursday, April 27, 14:00-15:30
Keynote: Christian Asinelli, Vice President of Strategic Programming, CAF Development Bank of Latin America
Panel:
Ramon Martinez de la Guardia, Ambassador of Panama to the United States
Linda Adami, CEO, Quantum Temple
Jason Marczak, Senior Director, Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, Atlantic Council
Luis Enrique Cruz, Corporate Affairs Director, Grupo Salinas
Mark Lopes, President and COO, Partnership for Central America
Moderator: Piero Bonadeo, Board Member, Biennial of the Americas
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Special Session - Digital Inclusion Shark Tank
Organized by Aspen Institute, Walmart
Location: Location 403-4
Time: Thursday, April 27, 16:00-17:00
“Walmart PolicyLab’s goal is to bring together both external policy experts and grassroots practitioners from its stakeholder base to incubate public policy solutions together and to drive progress on big social challenges that need cross-sectoral collaboration.
This Special Session: Shark Tank Edition contributes to Walmart PolicyLab’s project focused on digital inclusion, identifying which public policies can build a more inclusive digital economy and ensure new digital tools drive progress on pre-existing inclusion gaps. Speakers in the Shark Tank Edition are participants from the Aspen Socrates Institute Side Event, which took place on Thursday, April 26th, where digital inclusion thought leaders and key aides to city mayors came together to brainstorm policy solutions to digital inclusion at a subnational level. These Special Session speakers have been chosen to present their ideas to city mayors, using an interactive “shark tank” format.”
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Building Bridges through the Arts and Culture
Organized by: The Office of Art in Embassies
Location: Fábrica de Arte Americas, 1250 Welton St, Denver, CO 80204
Time: 4-5pm
This year, artists take center stage in the defense of democracy at U.S. Embassies around the globe. The Office of Art in Embassies’ Democracy Collection initiative is sending American artists to posts in every region and hemisphere for public diplomacy on freedom, equality, and justice. The very first Democracy Collection artist visit this year was in Guatemala City; one of the most iconic democracy themed Embassy exhibitions is in Mexico City.
Carla Canales, Senior Advisor and Envoy for Cultural Exchange
Megan Beyer, Executive Director, Office of Art in Embassies, State Dept
Tony Abeyta, Art in Embassies partner artist
Tiffany Williams, Art in Embassies Curator
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General Session 3 - Building Sustainable Cities
Location: Mile High Ballroom Main Stage
Time: Thursday, April 27, 16:15- 17:45
Keynote: Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro
Panel: Financing Subnational Action for Sustainable Development, organized by the Inter-American Development Bank
Introductory remarks: Hazem Galal, Global Leader Cities and Local Government, PwC
Panel 1: Cities Perspective:
Moderator: Juan Pablo Bonilla, Manager, Climate Change and Sustainable Development Sector, Inter-American Development Bank
Carolina Mejía, Mayor of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Eduardo da Costa Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Panel 2: Funding Perspectives
Moderator: Tatiana Gallego, Chief of Housing and Urban Development Division, Inter-American Development Bank
Susan Goeransson, Director, Infrastructure Europe, Sustainable Infrastructure Group, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Mike Savage, Mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality, and Chair of the Big City Mayors' Caucus (BCMC) of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)
Camila Mileke Scucato, Executive Superintendent of Paranacidade
Closing remarks: Reta Jo Lewis, President, Export-Import Bank of the United States
Panel: Building Our Future Cities, Organized by the U.S. Mayoral Roundtable
Panel 1: Roundtable Introduction
Montserrat Caballero, Mayor of Tijuana, Mexico
George Burciaga, Managing Partner, the U.S. Mayoral Roundtable
Panel 2 Building Our Future Cities:
Michael B. Hancock, Mayor of Denver, Colorado, United States
Andre Dickens, Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Delroy Williams, Mayor of Kingston, Jamaica
Victoria Woodards, Mayor of Tacoma, Washington, and President of the National League of Cities
Frank Scott Jr., Mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas, and President of the African American Mayors Association
George Burciaga, Managing Partner, the U.S. Mayoral Roundtable
Closing remarks: Brian Nichols, Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State, United States
Friday, April 28
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Registration/Credentialing, Innovation Plaza, Coffee and Networking
Location: Colorado Convention Center Concourse F
Time: Friday, April 28, 7:00-17:00
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General Session 4 - Strengthening Native American and Indigenous Partnerships
Location: Mile High Ballroom Main Stage
Time: Friday, April 28, 8:00-8:45
Welcome:
Dianne Primavera, Lieutenant Governor of Colorado
Greeting:
Deb Haaland, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland
Panel: Strengthening Native American and Indigenous Partnerships, organized by the Inter-American Foundation
Moderator: Jessa Rae Growing Thunder, Inter-American Foundation
Sara Aviel, President & CEO of the Inter-American Foundation
Stacia Morfin, Nez Perce Tourism in Idaho, United States
Maggie Lorenz, Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi, Minnesota, United States
Gilda Lopez Reynaldes, TIERRA, Bolivia
Mama Ascención Velasco Montaño, Cabildo Indígena del Resguardo de Guambia, Colombia
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Climate and Environment Track Session - Overcoming Barriers to Bankable Climate Infrastructure Projects: Tools and Resources for Cities in Latin America
Organized by CDP, CCFLA
Location: Mile High Ballroom 3A
Time: Friday, April 28, 9:00-10:30
Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Tatiana Gallego Lizon, Chief, Housing and Urban Development Division, Climate Change and Sustainability Department, Inter-American Development Bank
Mia Callenberg, Global Environmental Facility
Mauricio Rodas, Former Mayor of Quito, Ecuador
Keith Eischeid, Acting Regional Director, Latin America and the Caribbean, U.S. Trade and Development Agency
Rebecca Lima, Executive Director for Latin America, CDP
John Michael LaSalle, Project Preparation Action Group Coordinator, Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance
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Competitiveness, Finance, and Investment Track Session - Green Jobs and Skills: Who, Where, and How
Organized by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Inter-American Development Bank
Location: Mile High Ballroom 3B
Time: Friday, April 28, 9:00-10:30
Opening Remarks: Katherine Tai, United States Trade Representative
Panel:
Karen Maguire, Head of Division, Local Employment and Economic Development Programme, OECD
Dulce Baptista, Labor Markets Senior Specialist, Labor Markets Division, Inter-American Development Bank
Panel:
Quinton Lucas, Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Terri Taylor, Strategy Director for Innovation and Discovery, Lumina Foundation
Geri Yang Johnson, Transformative Communities Director, Dream Corps – Green for All
Carolina Cosse, Mayor of Montevideo, Uruguay, and OECD Champion Mayor for Inclusive Growth
Harry Valencia, Vice Minister of Labor and Employment, Ecuador
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Democracy and Inclusion Track Session - Experiences in Open Government: Citizen Participation, Inclusiveness and Transparency in the Americas
Organized by the Open Government Partnership
Location: Mile High Ballroom 3C
Time: Friday, April 28, 9:00-10:30
Fernando Straface, Secretary General, Government of the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Carolina Leitao, Mayor of Peñalolén, Chile
Carolina Cosse, Mayor of Montevideo, Uruguay
Mara Lezama, Governor Quintana Roo, Mexico
Nicole Anand, Deputy Director of Inclusive Action for the City Los Angeles
Cynthia Dehesa, Executive Director of Ciudadanos por la Transparencia
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Healthy Communities Track Session - Local Governments: Just Implementers? Or Rather Managers of Health Policies?
Organized by the Pan American Health Organization
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4A-B
Time: Friday, April 28, 9:00-10:30
Opening Remarks: Gerry Eijekmans, Director of the Department of Social and Environmental Determinants for Health Equity, PAHO
Panel: Experiences in Managing Policies for Better Health and Wellbeing
Moderator: Patricia Morsch, Regional Advisor for Healthy Aging, PAHO
Yeimy Carolina Agudelo, Mayor of Kennedy Municipality, Bogota, Colombia
Juan Valentin Serrano, Mayor of Ameca Municipality, Jalisco State, Mexico
Isabella de Roldão, Vice Mayor of Recife, Pernambuco State, Brazil
Session 2: Alliances for Health and Well-being at the Local Level
Moderator: Pilar Campos Esteban, Regional Advisor for Health Promotion, PAHO
Esteban Martín Piaggio, Mayor of Gualeguaychú, Argentina
Lina Walker, Vice President Health Security, American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
Lori Freeman, Chief Executive Officer, National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
Closing Remarks: Gerry Eijekmans, Director of the Department of Social and Environmental Determinants for Health Equity, PAHO
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Vibrant Cities Track Session - Mainstreaming Gender in Urban Policy
Organized by CHANGE
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4C-D
Time: Friday, April 28, 9:00-10:30
Claudia López, Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia
Carolina Cosse, Mayor of Montevideo, Uruguay
Sara Serin-Christ, Health & Human Services Program Planner, City of Oakland, California, United States
Rachel Locke, Director of the Violence, Inequality, and Power (VIP) Lab, Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, University of San Diego
Ito Peng, Professor of Sociology, University of Toronto and co-lead of Room 5, from the Brookings Institute & Rockefeller Foundation “17 Rooms Initiative”
Erin Bromaghim, Deputy Mayor of International Affairs, City of Los Angeles
Heidi Nichols Haddad, Associate Professor of Politics and Coordinator of International Relations, Pomona College
Alejandra Mora Mora, Executive Secretary, Inter-American Commission of Women
Moderator: Diana Alarcón González, Chief Advisor to the Mayor and Foreign Affairs Coordinator for Mexico City, Mexico
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Roundtable (Invite Only) - Cities at the Nexus of Climate Change, Migration, and Displacement
Organized by U.S. Department of State, USAID
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4E
Time: Friday, April 28, 9:00-10:30
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Roundtable (Invite Only) - Homelessness: A Global Challenge Requiring Local Solutions
Organized by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4F
Time: Friday, April 28, 9:00-10:30
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Special Session - The Fight for Truth and Trust: Countering Disinformation in the Americas
Organized by Equis Institute, Arizona State University, U.S. Department of State
Location: Room 401-2
Time: Friday, April 28, 9:00-11:00
Opening + Introduction: Kerri Hannan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
Keynote: Gen. Laura J. Richardson, Commander, US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)
Panel: Governing in Times of Distrust: A Conversation with Leaders of the Americas
Claudia López Hernández, Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia
Jena Griswold, Secretary of State, Colorado
Moderator: Dan Restrepo, Board Chair, Equis Institute; Former Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council
Panel: Online at the Frontlines: Civil Society Perspectives on Countering Disinformation and Misinformation
Dawn Gilpin, Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Research, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona State University
Cristina Tardáguila, Journalist and Senior Director, International Center for Journalists; Co-Founder, Agencia Lupa
Esteban Ponce de León, Research Associate, Digital Forensic Research Lab, Atlantic Council
Cynthia Picolo, Digital Communication Network; Executive Director, Laboratory of Public Policy and Internet (LAPIN)
Moderator: Roberta Braga, Director, Counter-Disinformation Strategies, Equis Institute
Closing and Thank You
Battinto Batts, Jr., Dean, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona State University
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Special Session - Cities Mobilizing Volunteer Service to Meet Local Priorities
Organized by Peace Corps, Johns Hopkins University
Location: Room 403-4
Time: Friday, April 28, 9:00-10:30
The myriad of challenges facing communities from the secondary impacts of the pandemic, to climate change, to issues of inclusive economic opportunity, housing, and education, require innovative new partnerships across the Americas. Join Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn to discuss and learn promising practices and resources from Peace Corps, the Cities of Service Initiative at John Hopkins University/Bloomberg Foundation, and representatives from partnership models in the Americas such as Techo and Glasswing. The session will highlight how cities are and can expand models of community volunteering and service to meet local development priorities. It will also discuss how to scale up support for expanding promising practices in community and national service models working with cities, as well as expand a community of learning across the Americas.
Moderator: Michael McCabe, Regional Director for the Inter-American and Pacific Region, Peace Corps
Carol Spahn, Worldwide Director, Peace Corps
Tracy Colunga, Director of Civic Engagement, Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University
Claudia Neumann, Director, Techo Paraguay
Marcela Aquino, Director, Glasswing Guatemala
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Using the Arts for Social Impact
Organized by National Endowment for the Arts
Location: Fábrica de Arte Americas
Time: 10-11am
In an opinion piece on April 16th in the Washington Post titled “The U.S. needs to relearn how to tell its story to the world”, Robert Gates, former Defense Secretary from 2006 to 2001, said: “In the long contest ahead with Russia and China, U.S. military power will be of greatest importance, but non-military instruments of power will be essential to our ability to compete and win as well.” How can we think of the power of the arts as playing a role not only in advancing foreign policy objectives, but also in creating positive social impact both domestically and internationally? This panel will analyze this question from multiple perspectives.
General Nolen V. Bivens, President & CEO Americans for the Arts
Carla Canales, NEA Senior Advisor and Envoy for Cultural Exchange
Kit Taintor, Welcome.us, Welcome.US is a new national initiative built to inspire, mobilize, and empower Americans from all corners of the country to welcome and support those seeking refuge here.
Dr. Marie Berry, Professor Korbel School of International Affairs; Director Sie Cheou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy
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Climate and Environment Track Session - Urban Development and the Circular Economy: an Inspirational Approach to Get Started
Organized by ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
Location: Mile High Ballroom 3A
Time: Friday, April 28, 11:00-12:30
Gino Van Begin, Secretary General, ICLEI
Cam Guthrie, Mayor of Guelph, Canada
Michael B. Hancock, Mayor of Denver, Colorado, United States
Ravinder Bhalla, Mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, United States
Luis Donaldo Colosio Riojas, Mayor of Monterrey, Mexico, and President of the Board of Directors of ICLEI Mexico
Oscar Leggs Castro, Mayor of Los Cabos, Mexico, and member of the Board of Directors of ICLEI Mexico
Maddie Keating, Natural Resources Defense Council
Jamie Harkins, Sustainability Coordinator, City of Boulder, Colorado, United States
Claudio Castro, Mayor of Renca, Chile
Maria Camila Uribe, Coordinator, Inter-American Development Bank’s Cities Network
Juan David Palacio, Director, Metropolitan Area of the Aburra Valley, Colombia
Mayor Axel Grael, Mayor of Niteroi, Brazil
Isabella de Roldão, Deputy Mayor of Recife, Brazil
Renan Barrera Concha, Mayor of Merida, Mexico
René Bédon, Councilor, City of Quito, Ecuador
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Competitiveness, Finance, and Investment Track Session - Public Private Partnerships to Advance Infrastructure
Organized by Meridian International Center
Location: Mile High Ballroom 3B
Time: Friday, April 28, 11:00-12:30
Opening Remarks: Dilawar Syed, Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Panel:
Ambassador Stuart Holliday, CEO of Meridian
Reta Jo Lewis, Chair, Export-Import Bank of the United States
Robert A. Peck, Principal, Government + Defense Practice Area Leader, Gensler
Karim Lesina, Executive Vice President, Chief External Affairs Officer, Millicom
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Democracy and Inclusion Track Session - Leaders Lean-in: Innovation in Municipal Service Delivery
Organized by the Carter Center and the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins
Location: Mile High Ballroom 3C
Time: Friday, April 28, 11:00-12:30
Moderators: Laura Neuman, The Carter Center, and Abby Miller, Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation
Carolina Cosse, Mayor of Montevideo, Uruguay
Carolina Mejia, Mayor of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Carlos Soberanis, City Manager, Guatemala City
Leah Tivoli, Director of Innovation and Performance, Seattle Washington
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Healthy Communities Track Sesion - Equitable Food Systems: How Counties and Cities Can Change Food Insecurity
Organized by the Carolina Farm Trust
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4A-B
Time: Friday, April 28, 11:00-12:30
Zack Wyatt, President and CEO of the Carolina Farm Trust
Dena Diroio, County Manager, Mecklenburg County, NC
Katie Kaney, Author, BOTH/AND Medicine and Public Health Together
Andrew McCue, Commercial and Partnerships, Metabolic
Christian Gomez, Director, Global Government Affairs for Latin America, Walmart
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Vibrant Cities Track Session - Brain Health, Work Environment, and Human Creativity
Organized by the University of Colorado-Denver, Imaginator Academy, Brain Capital Alliance
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4C-D
Time: Friday, April 28, 11:00-12:30
Theo Edmonds, Imaginator Academy
Harris Eyre, OECD/Brain Capital Alliance, Neuroscience-inspired Policy Initiative
Rym Ayadi, President, Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association
Jessica von Farkas, Regional Network Organizer, BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt
Upali Nanda, Global Practice Director HKS Architects
Kristina Newman-Scot, Artist and Policy Maker, National Arts and Culture Leader
Julio Salazar, Co-founder, Cirklo, Mexico City
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Roundtable (Invite Only) - Municipal Finance
Organized by USAID
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4E
Time: Friday, April 28, 11:00-12:30
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Roundtable (Invite Only) - Advancing an Equitable Clean Energy Transition
Organized by U.S. Department of Energy
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4F
Time: Friday, April 28, 11:00-12:30
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Special Session - Attainable Collaboration: Public-Private Cooperation and the Housing Affordability Crisis
Organized by the World Economic Forum
Location: Room 403-4
Time: Friday, April 28, 11:00-12:30
Moderator: Matt Strahan, Centre for Financial and Monetary Systems, World Economic Forum
William Dau, Mayor of Cartagena, Colombia
Aaron Brockett, Mayor of Boulder, Colorado, United States
Amarjeet Sohi, Mayor of Edmonton, Canada
Allie Stein, Director, Hines Interests Limited Partnership
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Special Session - Cities Under Siege: Stories and Lessons from Ukrainian Mayors
Organized by TelevisaUnivision
Location: Room 401-2
Time: Friday, April 28, 11:30-13:00
Moderator: León Krauze, Co-Anchor of Noticiero Univision Edicion Nocturna
Vitaliy Klychko, Mayor of Kyiv
Ihor Terekhov, Mayor of Kharkiv
Ivan Fedorov, Mayor of Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia Oblast
Yuriy Bova, Mayor of Trostyanets, Sumy Oblast
Oleksandr Kodola, Mayor of Nizhyn, Chernihiv Oblast
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General Session 5 (Lunch) - Rising Leaders of the Americas
Location: Mile High Ballroom Main Stage
Time: Friday, April 28, 12:45-13:45
Panel: Rising Leaders of the Americas, organized by the Biennial of the Americas
Moderator: Alejandra Reynoso Sanchez, Senator, Mexico
Alex Walker-Griffin, Mayor of Hercules, California, USA
Omar Jossue Pineda, Mayor of El Carmen, El Salvador
Keynote: Mitch Landrieu, Senior Advisor to the President, White House
Closing: Senator Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator for the State of Colorado
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Climate and Environment Track Session - Building Resilience with Nature in Cities
Organized by the World Resources Institute and the UN Environment Programme
Location: Mile High Ballroom 3A
Time: Friday, April 28, 14:00-15:30
Pablo Lazo, Acting Director, Urban Development, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
Axel Schmidt Grael, Mayor of Niterói, Brazil
Santiago Bermudez Barrientos, Deputy Mayor of Desamparados, Metropolitan Area of San José, Costa Rica
Jaime Pumarejo, Mayor of Barranquilla, Colombia
Robin King, Director of Knowledge Capture and Collaboration, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
Eugénie L. Birch, Co-Director, Penn Institute for Urban Research, University of Pennsylvania
Carlos Eduardo Correa, Former Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Colombia; Former Mayor, Montería, and IOA Non-resident Fellow
Tatiana Gallego Lizon, Chief of the Housing and Urban Development Division, Inter-American Development Bank
Mauricio Rodas, Former Mayor of Quito, Ecuador, and Visiting Scholar, University of Pennsylvania
Todd Gartner, Director, Cities4Forests, WRI
Mia Callenberg, Environmental Specialist, Sustainable Cities Impact Program, Global Environment Facility
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Competitiveness, Finance, and Investment Track Session - Building Innovation Districts in Cities of the Americas
Organized by the George W. Bush Institute
Location: Mile High Ballroom 3B
Time: Friday, April 28, 14:00-15:30
Opening Remarks: Dilawar Syed, Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Panel:
Moderator: Cullum Clark, Director of Economic Growth Initiative, Bush Institute
Yung Wu, CEO of the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto, Canada
Carlos Andrés Jaramillo Velásquez, Executive Director of Ruta N in Medellín, Colombia
Rebecca Robinson, CEO of Kansas State Innovation Partners in Manhattan, Kansas
Closing Remarks: Isabella de Roldão, Vice Mayor of Recife, Brazil
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Democracy and Inclusion Track Session - Enhancing Mayoral Leadership in Addressing Hate, Extremism and Polarization and Safeguarding Local Democracy in the Americas
Organized by the Strong Cities Network, National League of Cities
Location: Mile High Ballroom 3C
Time: Friday, April 28, 14:00-15:30
Michael Hancock, Mayor of Denver, Colorado, United States
Paula Mascarenhas, Mayor of Pelotas, Brazil
Victoria Woodards, Mayor of Tacoma, Washington, United States, and President of the National League of Cities
Clarence E. Anthony, Former Mayor of South Bay, Florida, United States, and Executive Director of the National League of Cities
Ravinder Bhalla, Mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, United States
Claudia López, Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia
Oscar Escobar, Mayor of Palmira, Colombia
Amarjeet Sohi, Mayor of Edmonton, Canada
Jacob Frey, Mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Tim Kelly, Mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States
Faiq Mohammed, Mayor of Chaguanas, Trinidad & Tobago
Rafael Ramirez Colinat, Mayor of Maracaibo, Venezuela
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Healthy Communities Track Session - Human Rights Close to Home: Local Governance for Sustainable Action Regarding Drugs
Organized by the Washington Office on Latin America
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4A-B
Time: Friday, April 28, 14:00-15:30
Lisa Sanchez, México Unido Contra la Delincuencia
Ilze Brands Gehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, United Nations
Pedro Arenas, Viso Mutop, Colombia
Cat Brooks, Mental Health First, Oakland, USA
Ernesto Cortés, Latin American and Caribbean Network of People Who Use Drugs, Costa Rica
Svante Myrick, People for the American Way, and Former Mayor of Ithaca, New York, United States
Railda Silva, Association of Friends and Families of Incarcerated Persons (AMPARAR), Brazil
Mario Moreno, Chief of Staff, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, United States
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Vibrant Cities Track Session - Conversations in Urban Design and Placemaking from Across the Americas
Organized by the City of Denver
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4C-D
Time: Friday, April 28, 14:00-15:30
Laura Aldrete, Deputy Mayor and Community Planning and Development Executive Director, City and County of Denver, Colorado, United States
Jennifer Hughes, Senior Advisor to the Chair on Partnerships, Expansion, and Innovation, National Endowment for the Arts
Diana Fernandez, Deputy Chief of Urban Design, City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Daniela Chacon, Executive Director at Fundación Tandem, Quito, Ecuador
Paula Soto Villagrán, Faculty Member, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico
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Roundtable (Invite Only) - Combating Corruption and Promoting Transparency
Organized by U.S. Department of State
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4E
Time: Friday, April 28, 14:00-15:30
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Roundtable (Invite Only) - Digital Inclusion
Organized by National Telecommunications and Information Administration, USAID
Location: Mile High Ballroom 4F
Time: Friday, April 28, 14:00-15:30
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Festival Internacional Cervantino and Cultural Diplomacy
Organized by: National Endowment for the Arts
Location: Fábrica de Arte Americas
Time: 3-4pm
The United States of America has been selected as the country of honor for the Festival Internacional Cervantino. Taking place each year in Guanajuato, Mexico, Cervantino is the largest performing arts festival in Latin America, attracting over 400,000 visitors from around the world in 3 weeks. Join Carla Canales, Senior Advisor & Envoy for Cultural Exchange for the NEA in conversation with Aisha Ahmad-Post and Cristina Vázquez, the curators for the US delegation to Cervantino, for a wide-ranging conversation about curatorial goals for international festivals and the critical role international arts exchange plays in diplomatic relations.
Carla Canales, NEA Senior Advisor and Envoy for Cultural Exchange
Aisha Ahmad-Post, Executive Director of the Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Denver
Cristina Vazquez, Founder and Director, Contenidos Artísticos INC
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General Session 6 - Human Mobility in the Americas: City-led Solutions
Location: Mile High Ballroom Main Stage
Time: Friday, April 28, 15:45-17:15
Introduction: Mike Fries, Chair of the Biennial of the Americas and CEO of Liberty Global
Keynote: Antony J. Blinken, United States Secretary of State
Remarks: Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper
Panel Introduction:
Panel: Human Mobility in the Americas: City-led Solutions, organized by CAF, Emerson Collective, Inter-American Dialogue, and the Mayors Migration Council
Moderator: Lilia Luciano, CBS News
Jaime Pumarejo, Mayor of Barranquilla, Colombia
Yamileth López, Mayor of Upala, Costa Rica
Claudia López, Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia
Bruce Harrell, Mayor of Seattle, Washington, United States
Brigid Shea, Commissioner, Travis County, Texas, United States
Christian Asinelli, Corporate Vice President of Strategic Programming, CAF-Development Bank of Latin America
Adjournment:
Kevin O’Reilly, U.S. National Coordinator for the Summits of the Americas
Maria Garcia Berry, Board Member, Biennial of the Americas
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Concluding Block Party - Fábrica De Arte Américas
Location: Cultural Warehouse at the Slate Hotel
Time: Friday, April 28, 17:00-19:00
*Plenary credentials grant you free admission to the cultural warehouse. Learn more here.