PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 26, 2018

Contact:

Udita Singh, G3ict, udita.singh@g3ict.org

Smart Cities for All unveils new strategic partnerships for Inclusive Innovation project

G3ict and World Enabled collaborate with CIV:LAB and the FrancesWestCo to redefine urban innovation

Boston and New York City – September 26, 2018 – The Smart Cities for All global initiative, a collaboration of G3ict and World Enabled, announced today agreements with both CIV:LAB and the FrancesWestCo as part of their new project, Inclusive Innovation for Smarter Cities. Smart Cities for All launched the Inclusive Innovation for Smarter Cities project on September 19 with the support and strategic partnership of AT&T.

FrancesWestCo is a global strategy advisory company providing digital inclusion and accessibility advice to help institutions achieve innovation, differentiation and market expansion.

“The opportunity to partner with G3ict, World Enabled, and AT&T on the Inclusive Innovation for Smarter Cities project is very exciting as we see startups and incubators are critical to the future of economic and job growth,” said Frances West, founder of FrancesWestCo. “We look forward to this collaboration and leveraging our Authentic Inclusion™ blueprint to guide the cities to accelerate digital inclusion in all innovation-related initiatives.”

CIV:LAB is a global nonprofit building and connecting the ecosystems that drive urban innovation in cities around the world.

“Cities are the nexus of humanity and must work well for all their citizens,” said Simon Sylvester-Chaudhuri, Executive Director and Co-Founder of CIV:LAB. “CIV:LAB is proud to partner with Smart Cities for All in their critically important work of ensuring that urban innovation intentionally drives inclusive progress in cities worldwide.”

The Inclusive Innovation for Smarter Cities project is convening leaders from government, industry, and disability organizations to generate new knowledge and tools that define how urban innovation ecosystems, including entrepreneurs, developers, incubators, and accelerators, can create more inclusive apps and technology solutions that impact the lives of all people in cities, including persons with disabilities and older persons.

“The Smart Cities for All global initiative is committed to supporting cities that are inclusive for all their citizens,” said James Thurston, G3ict’s Vice President for Global Strategy & Development. “We know that we are best able to achieve that goal by partnering with global leaders like CIV:LAB and FrancesWestCo.”

Dr. Victor Pineda, President of World Enabled, added that “Startups around the world are measured by their ability to scale and address unmet needs. Leading accelerators know that startups innovate, scale and reach more customers faster when they utilize the principles of inclusive design. James Thurston and I are proud to be working with CIV:LAB and FrancesWestCo to support this work and help make inclusive innovation the norm.”

About G3ict

The Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies is an advocacy initiative launched in December 2006 by the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development, in cooperation with the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at UN DESA. Its mission is to support and help implement the goals of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), promoting digital accessibility and Assistive Technologies. More information can be found at http://g3ict.org.

About World Enabled

World Enabled is a global education, communications, and strategic consulting group. It supports companies and governments with the full implementation of legal mandates that promote the rights of persons with disabilities. Its work and research initiatives focus on urban planning and inclusive urban development. With its international partners, it helps build inclusive societies where people with disabilities can fully develop their talents and reach their full potential. More information can be found at http://worldenabled.org/.

About FrancesWestCo

Founded by Frances West, an internationally recognized thought leader, keynote speaker, strategy advisor, women-in-technology executive and IBM’s first Chief Accessibility Officer, Frances West and her associates advise clients around the world on adopting a human first approach to innovation through the Authentic Inclusion™ blueprint, an enterprise-wide strategic framework that operationalizes digital inclusion so value differentiation, talent acquisition, and market expansion can be scaled and sustained. More information can be found at https://franceswest.co/.

About CIV:LAB

CIV:LAB is a NYC-based, global not-for-profit organization advancing urban innovation – new technologies, business models, infrastructure, policies, and financing structures applied in city settings in pursuit of economic, social, and physical sustainability and prosperity. With a core specialty of harmonizing the many important components of city-level innovation ecosystems, CIV:LAB’s programs connect entrepreneurs, capital providers, city governments, businesses, academia, and communities within their cities and around the world. More information can be found at www.civ-lab.org/

 

Smart Cities for All unveils new strategic partnerships for Inclusive Innovation project