American Leadership in Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals

On Monday, September 23, 2019, Brookings in collaboration with the  U.N. Foundation, co-hosted a public event at the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice. The event showcased the best of American leadership and innovation meeting to discuss how U.S. cities, states, foundations, businesses, and universities are at the forefront of driving social progress to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In attendance were mayors and governors who are currently collaborating with local stakeholders to advance the SDGs at home while engaging with their peers globally; philanthropic and private investors who are making investments to catalyze and scale up innovation with positive social outcomes worldwide; leaders of businesses that are changing business operations to improve societal benefit; and the heads of universities and civil society that are training next-generation leaders and catalyzing local political momentum.

Agenda

Welcome

John R. Allen, President of Brookings Institution

Master of Ceremonies: Tony Pipa, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution

Panel 1

Moderator: Kathy Calvin, President and CEO of the United Nations Foundation

Hans Vestberg, CEO of Verizon Communications

Raj Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation

Lightning Talk   

Penny Abeywardena, Commissioner of International Affairs, New York City

Panel 2   

Moderator: Ashok Regmi, International Youth Foundation

Mayor William Peduto, City of Pittsburgh

Ann Cudd, Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor, University of Pittsburgh

James Garrett, Provost, Carnegie Mellon University

Lisa Schroeder, President, Pittsburgh Foundation

David Finegold, President, Chatham University

Lightning Talk

Celeste Connors, CEO of Hawaii Green Growth