James Carville was the closing speaker Wednesday afternoon at the Forward Cities Initiative convention for innovation leaders from four cities.
Leaders from Detroit, Cleveland, Durham and New Orleans met in New Orleans this week to establish relationships between innovators in each city, and to share strategies for economic development in underdeveloped commercial corridors.
“It’s an ambitious effort” says Forward Cities co-founder Christopher Gergen in a statement, “but too many communities are being left behind in the innovation economy.”
Panels and breakout discussions during the two-day convening covered education reform, blight remediation, and biotech innovation. Featured speakers included President and CEO of New Orleans BioInnovation Center Aaron Miscenich, CNN Senior Political Analyst David Gergen, and CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc., Michael Hecht.
Over the next two years, leaders from each of the four cities will meet for a series of planning conventions taking place in their respective cities. The next meeting is in Detroit in spring of 2015.
Local partners in the Forward Cities Initiative include Friends of New Orleans, the Aspen Institute and the Urban Institute.
