We're pivoting our 3-day, in-person Summit to a full season of virtual events.
Today, the Tom Tom Foundation announced the Cities Rising Summit, a virtual event that addresses challenges facing hometowns across the nation in the wake of Covid-19. The thematic series will take the place of Tom Tom’s 3-day, in-person Summit and extend over a season of weekly conferences, marquee speakers, and virtual mixers. Cities Rising will take place online from September 14 - October 23, 2020.
“While much of the program will feel familiar, we’re examining it with a new lens and added urgency,” said Tom Tom’s founder and executive director, Paul Beyer. “In the shadow of a global pandemic that continues to impact daily life for millions of people, as well as the murder of George Floyd and surrounding outcry for racial justice, we see an urgent need for city leaders and community members to make critical decisions with agility and collaboration. The Cities Rising Summit will provide a critical platform to exchange these ideas and solutions.
With the onset of Covid-19 in March, the Tom Tom Foundation had initially rescheduled its annual Summit & Festival from April to September 2020. The program will continue to address core topics in education, health, criminal justice, entrepreneurship, data, and the arts. Specific program dates and speakers will be announced in July.
To ensure access to the Cities Rising Summit events, Tom Tom has implemented “pay-what-you-can” pricing, with a suggested range of $0-250. This flexible payment is underwritten in part by a coalition of anchor Summit sponsors that includeApex Clean Energy, C-Ville Weekly, Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation, the Hartfield Foundation, and The Curry School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia.
“We’re thrilled to be able to open the door to more people in more places with a flexible pay scale, and it is our hope that a virtual format will actually create a more impactful experience for participants,” commented Beyer.
To learn more and register for the Cities Rising Summit, please visit www.tomtomfoundation.org/cities-rising-summit.