Moving Metros: Atlanta as a Lab for International Mobility Innovations
June 11 at 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
As the world urbanizes, the task of moving people has become more complex. Instead of simply adding a lane, planners are rethinking infrastructure, seeking ways to wring more value out of existing roadways and railways while adding capacity, improving customer experience, driving sustainability and controlling costs. In this new world of overlapping objectives, innovation is non-negotiable, and the communities poised to win may be those most open to solutions tested across the world.
Atlanta is now the sixth largest U.S. metro, a fast-growing region with more than 6 million people scattered throughout a mosaic of municipalities and counties, each with their own ideas and imperatives. When it comes to smart solutions, could this fragmentation be a strength? Could a diversity of needs, disciplined with a shared desire for inclusive growth, be just the recipe needed for creative thinking around the region’s biggest transportation challenges?
Join Pendleton Group, Global Atlanta and Curiosity Lab for an in-depth conversation with world-leading innovators and policy makers in Georgia, exploring how they’re inventing, improving or adopting new mobility modes and fostering local partnerships to unlock commercial value and governmental efficiency.
Featured Speakers
Eric Clarkson,
Pendleton Group,
Mayor of Chamblee 2005 – 2021
A graduate of Missouri State University with a B.S. in Marketing Research and Decision Analysis, Eric has more than 30 years of experience in marketing, sales, business development, and municipal governance. He has worked as a licensed real estate broker in Georgia and has handled business development services for architectural, engineering, and land planning firms for the past 18 years. In addition to his private sector experience, Eric served as an elected official in Chamblee, Georgia, for 20 years.
After spending three years on the City of Chamblee’s volunteer Architectural Review Board and four years on the City Council, Eric served for 16 years as the city’s Mayor. During this time, he served on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Municipal Association as the President in the District 3 East Region as well as serving on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Planning Association. Eric served as the DeKalb County appointee to the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) Board, serving on the Executive Committee, the Budget and Audit Review Committee, and the Transportation and Air Quality Committee (TAQC). He is a past chairman of the Metro Atlanta Mayors Association and the founder and past chairman of the Peachtree Gateway Partnership, promoting economic and community development in north Metro Atlanta.
Eric has served on the Partnership Gwinnett Redevelopment Task Force and on the board of Select Cobb. He is a graduate of the ARC’s Regional Leadership Institute and, in 2004, was named one of Georgia Trend Magazine’s “40 Under 40.”.
Nguvitjita Kahiha,
CEO
iris Inc. North America
With a passion for people and technology, here at iris we develop, produce and distribute technologies with the user in mind for the global market of intelligent transport systems.
Our high-tech components for automatic passenger counting and video security in public transport vehicles harness the power of data to organise local public transport efficiently, sustainably and safely.
All products are modular and can be fully integrated into other systems. They are manufactured in Germany and the US in accordance with international standards and norms. The products are known for maximum reliability, cyber security, a long service life as well as the use of innovative AI concepts.
iris was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Berlin. It employs more than 260 people across five locations worldwide.
Kevin Taylor,
Area Sales Manager – Southeast
Axis Communications
Kevin Taylor is an Area Sales Manager in Business Area Southeast Americas. He used to work as a Local Government and Smart Cities Segment Development Manager at Axis Communications, Inc. In this capacity, he was responsible for developing strategies and building ecosystem relationships to expand Axis’ presence as a thought leader and facilitator in the rapidly emerging Smart Cities space in the Americas.
Carissa Rowan,
Sales Engineer – North America Heliox: A Siemens Company
