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© Copyright 2025 Michael Mazur
Description
In this podcast, Michael Mazur brings you the stories of local heroes who are innovating and working to create social and economic prosperity in communities all over the world.
These interviews aim to give listeners a digestible dose of information about how other local leaders are responding to key challenges. The format is designed to showcase the amazing work of local government officials and industry leaders and to learn about their perspectives and plans. This podcast was created to provide inspiration for those who want to take action in their communities.
In the podcast we talk about key topics including smart cities, bridging the digital divide, innovation, data, AI, blockchain, economic development, civic engagement, entrepreneurship within local communities, and much more!
17 Episodes
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Scott Beyer is a journalist specializing in urban issues. He is the owner of a media company called the Market Urbanism Report, which promotes free-market urban policies. In addition to his work for Governing, Beyer writes regular columns for Forbes, the Independent Institute, and Tax Credit Advisor. He recently completed a three-year journey across the United States to study urban issues and recently wrote a book called Market Urbanism: A vision for free-market cities. Beyer is based in New York City, and his work can be found at MarketUrbanismReport.com.In this episode we discuss:
A new model of city governance where people can choose to live based on government structure satisfaction
Productivity and avoiding wasting time on politics
The dynamic and changing nature of cities is important
People in Latin America have a higher level of tech-savvy than expected
People may have different preferences, so having a variety of cities with different governing models can help people find a city that suits their needs
The city is like a product or a service that needs to accommodate the needs of its inhabitants or they will leave
The use of technology in remote areas
Click here to learn more about Scott's work.
In this week's episode, Michael is joined by Zach, an accomplished software engineer and technology leader, who has specialized in working with early-stage companies. He is the founder of the concept of "Startup Cities," which refers to neighborhoods or cities that are built and developed by startup companies. Zach's work has been recognized with multiple awards and has been published in academic journals.Michael and Zach discuss a range of topics related to Startup Cities, ranging from the relationship between Startup Cities and traditional cities, the role of residents in the development and operation of a city, as well as the importance of civic engagement in shaping the future of a city.Interested in Zach's work and want to learn more? You can follow Zach's fascinating writing about startup cities HERE.#SmartCities #innovation #MayorAdams #blockchain #technology #web3
In this episode, we interview Denise Felipe Adams and Jonathan Salomons from the Innovation and Emerging Market team in the Office of the Mayor of New York City.The Innovation and Emerging Market team is a department within the Office of the Mayor that focuses on promoting innovation and economic growth in New York City.In this episode we talk about:
The intersection of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and innovation
Denise and Jonathan's roles in finding solutions
Structures and strategies for promoting innovation and getting people to agree to new ideas
Best ways to present new ideas to Mayor Adams
Process for selecting technologies to deploy in New York City
Applications of blockchain technology in local governments
Importance of equity and inclusion in technology-related decision-making in New York City
Post-pandemic plans for New York City
Mayor Adams' approach to "getting stuff done"
Jeffrey Mason and Carl Peterson discuss their extensive experience in development economics, law, international relations, and business. Before joining the Charter Cities Institute as a researcher, Jeffrey worked as an MA Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Carl is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer who has also worked in pre-seed and post-Series A startups.In this round-the-world interview, Jeffrey and Carl will provide insight into the history of some of the world's most successful and struggling regions, including South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the West. They will also discuss their research and experience in finding solutions to developing cities, and why the Charter City model - a model that seeks to create cities with their own governance systems and economies - may be a potential solution. Tune in to learn more about the fascinating world of development economics and international relations, and the potential of the Charter City model.In this episode we talk about:
What a Charter City is
How a Charter City is set up
The biggest challenges when setting up a Charter City
Africa’s NXT50 Cities Coalition
The benefits of a Charter City and how it compares to some of the more conventional models
The future of Charter Cities
To learn more about the Charter Cities Institute and the work they are doing, check out their website here.
David Zipper is a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Taubman Center for State and Local Government, where he examines the interplay between urban policy and new mobility technologies. David’s perspective on urban development is rooted in his experience working within city hall as well as being a venture capitalist, policy researcher, and startup advocate. He has consulted with numerous startups and public officials about regulatory strategy. In this episode we talk about:
The role of cars in cities
Benefits of a less car-centric city
Chicken and egg problem for modes other than driving
Post-pandemic communicating patterns
The problem with road safety in US cities
Hype cycle of autonomous vehicles
Microcars and three-wheel pods
To learn more about David's work and writing you can find him on Twitter or by visiting his website.
Ayinde (pronounced eye-yin-day). Ayinde is the co-founder and General Partner of Pathway OZ, which is an Opportunity Zone Fund that partners with HBCUs, community leaders, and government officials to invest in early stage companies.In this episode we talk about:
Pathway OZ
HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) located in opportunity zones
The HBCU Smart City Challenge and how it works
Working with local governments
Importance of exposing students at HBCUs to relevant skills
How city officials can connect with HBCUs and bring in more diverse talent
Cultivating entrepreneurs in Opportunity Zones
To learn more about HBCUs and opportunity zones feel free to reach out to Ayinde at ayinde@pathwayoz.com
Mark Wheeler is the Chief Information Officer in the City of Philadelphia. Some of Mark's recent accomplishments are:
Ensured continuity of government services during the pandemic guiding business leaders to rapidly shift 32,000 employees to secure remote work operations.
Set smart city vision resulting in 20 private-public partnership projects in two years, four national awards Set direction for rollout of edge compute AI optical sensors in a Center City business corridor.
Launched city’s first Digital Equity Plan, Information Technology Strategic Plan and Smart City Roadmap.
Raised $17M in philanthropic funds to setup PHLConnectED program to provide free broadband internet and digital navigator services to over 21,000 households in partnership with Mayor’s Office for Education.
Explored utility of blockchain with local Web 3.0 startup leaders on proofs of concept for verifiable credentials and decentralized open data storage with FileCoin.
In this episode we talk about:
How Mark became interested in blockchain technology back in 2018.
Mark's 18 months of research on how blockchain and web3 could be utilized by local government
Verified credentials and the multijurisdictional dilemma
Web2.5 vs. Web3
State of blockchain and public sector
Constituant feedback loop
Using data in cities
Centralizing data analytics and software development team
When to outsource staff and when to use in-house staff
Links:
Mark's Twitter profile
Mark's Blog
This podcast was created in partnership with the Urban Change Foundation
David Graham, Chief Innovation Officer, City of Carlsbad, Ca, is a veteran smart cities leader having worked for several San Diego Mayors, the County of San Diego and a stint in private sector public affairs. He is the chair of the San Diego Regional Inclusive Connected Communities initiative and the Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Carlsbad in the northern coastal part of the region. His work has included the first all-electric car share fleet in North America, the largest municipal Internet of Things network using streetlights and digital transformation for solar permitting. His passion for land use, sustainability, and civic engagement has led him to be an author and regular speaker on civic innovation in cities including at Harvard TECH, Smart Cities Week, Minds + Machines, and Smart Cities World Congress.In this episode we talk about:
Traits of civic innovators
Community engagement vs. community outreach
What's wrong with the "fire and forget" mindset
Measuring impact using data
Value and impact of combining Innovation and Economic Development departments in local government
When to outsource talent and when to hire in-house
Cybersecurity
Long-term planning and execution
Innovation fellowships
Data
This podcast was created in partnership with the Urban Change Foundation.
Raimundo is the Director of Innovation of Technology and Chief Innovation Officer at the City of Coral Gables, Florida. He is an award-winning engineering and technology visionary leader with over 28 years of working experience delivering value, continuous improvement, sustainability, growth and innovation to customers and organizations in Telecommunications, Smart Cities, Information Technology and Electronics industries.In this episode we talk about:
Coral Gables built as a planned community with a holistic approach and the value of proximity to academic institutions
Raimundo's transition from the private sector to the public sector
Creating value for citizens with the agility and execution speed of the private sector
Maximizing the ROI of taxpayer dollars
Why an entrepreneurial mindset is so critical
When to hire an in-house team and when to outsource
Advice for those who are people joining local government who want to innovate
Links: Coral Gables Smart City Hub
Clair Whitmer works at the California Office of the Small Business Advocate, part of Go-Biz in the State of California. She is the North California Regional Economic Advisor. Clair is an Economic development consultant passionate about applying design thinking and strategic doing to problems of economic inclusion. After 20 successful years as a product and operations manager for major Silicon Valley brands, Clair found her mission in helping local economic development agencies drive the creation of community wealth in underserved communities. In this episode we talk about:
How Clair made the jump from Silicon Valley to the public sector through FUSE Corps.
How Clair found her mission to support local businesses as part of her FUSE Corps fellowship in the City of Fresno.
The learning curve of joining the public sector
Opportunity Fresno - how to maximize the impact of federal grants on the community
Why it's challenging for governments to innovate
How the State of California is working to create a network to provide a rapid response to businesses that need it most
Why digital solutions are not enough - the importance of boots-on-the-ground and why local partners are so important
For more information about FUSE Corps: see here: https://fuse.org/
Julie spent many years as an entrepreneur before joining the City of Akron. Since 2015, Julie Pryseski has worked for the Office of Economic Development for the City of Akron. Julie’s focus is on all aspects of growing and maintaining businesses throughout the City. Julie is also the City liaison to many of the neighborhood business districts and downtown retail businesses.Prior to joining the City, Julie had extensive experience in special event coordinating, sales and marketing. Julie participated in the planning and implementation of multiple community events including, Akron Flair Fest, Gay Games 9, Akron Square Fest, Akron Arts Expo, Open Streets and the Inaugural Akron Pride Festival. Julie is a graduate of the University of Akron and a proud lifelong resident of Summit County.In this episode we talk about:
The need for boots-on-the-ground support for local businesses
How Julie's entrepreneurial skills as sales and marketing experience help her with economic development
How Julie leads Pride in Akron and helped create one of the top Pride events in the Midwest, from 8,000 participants in 2018 to 35,000 participants in 2022
How to find the organizations who are out there to jump in and take action
Tips for new government officials that want to take action
In our discussion, Brandon mentioned to me that from his perspective: "our main goal is always to say yes." This mindset has helped Brandon lead the City of Peachtree Corners to the global scale of top smart cities and catalyze innovation to help make our communities better. Oh, and the city was just incorporated in 2012!Brandon Branham is both the Chief Technology Officer and Assistant City Manager in the City of Peachtree Corners, where he’s worked for the past almost 10 years. Brandon leads the City of Peachtree Corners’ groundbreaking smart city and IoT programs. Overseeing one of the first real-world smart city ecosystems deployed in the United States, Brandon is bringing the region to the forefront in the development of next-generation IoT technologies that will change the face of business and society in the near future – both within the country and across the world.Listen to learn more about:
How a Georgia Tech grad helped build the foundation for innovation in Peachtree Corners back in the late 60s.
What is Curiosity Lab and how it has achieved inspirational success in the past 3 years
How Brandon was one of the first employees of Peachtree Corners as a new city in 2012
How the city works with companies like T-Mobile, UPS, Bosch
Autonomous shuttles to provide easy access for residents and tourists to downtown
Using public sector infrastructure to boost innovation
Why it is so important for public sector officials to talk to organizations from the private sector
William Blake's quote that “Execution is the chariot of genius” is one of Michael Peuges' favorites -- this mindset has enabled Michael to lead Aurora to be one of the most innovative cities in the United States.Michael Pegues, a relative newcomer to government, is the CIO of the second largest city in Illinois. Despite only being in the job for a handful of years and having no background in local government, he is constantly on the top lists of Government CIOs and smart cities initiatives. Michael developed a passion for city work and has become an urban tech champion, leading the city of Aurora to be a leading smart city on a national and global scale. Listen to learn more about:
How Michael made the transition from leadership roles at Vodafone and Morgan Stanley to CIO at the City of Aurora, his hometown.
Why as CIO, Michael also sees himself as a social entrepreneur driving social impact - paying it forward to his community through digital equity and inclusion, access to information, and much more.
Michael's take on key adaptable skills from the private sector to the public sector
Digital transformation and communication, and how to adapt to digital government communication methods with citizens
Pandemic response from a CIO's perspective
How increased civic participation requires implementing new tools to handle things such as misinformation
Making sense of data in local government
Michael's 4 "P"s: People, process, policy and partners
Michael's local heroes
Steve Jobs' quote "You can't connect the dots looking forward", is one of Phil Smith-Hanes's favorites and one of the mottos he's operated by in his 25+ years working in local government. Phil has been the County Administrator in Saline County, Kansas since 2019 and has been a forward-thinking government leader with a commitment to advancing DEI work and much more. Phil is a true local hero with over 25 years of experience working in local governments in California and Kansas.Listen to learn about:
How Saline County now has to focus on spending dollars and not only saving dollars due to the new influx of federal funds such as the CARES Act and ARPA
Lessons learned from the CARES Act and how it impacted the County's work with ARPA funds
Steps government officials can take to increase equity in their jurisdiction
Saline County's current projects and priorities
Tips for recent college graduates starting a job in local government or looking to start a job in local government.
Before working in local government, Joseph Torres had a thriving career in the private sector as a pilot, as well as working in Corporate Sales in American Airlines for close to 16 years. Joseph realized, once starting to work at the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) and later in the City of Monterey Park, that he has an amazing opportunity to help boost economic recovery, resiliency, and so much more. Join to learn about:1. Tips to make the transition from the private sector to the public sector2. The relationship between some of the challenges thought in MBA programs vs. the challenges that local government officials face3. Why officials need to know how to sell4. How coming from a political background inspired Joseph to make the transition to public service 5. How the City of Monterey Park is responding to the economic downturn
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”- is Micah Runner's favorite quote, and in this episode, you get to understand why Gandhi's words resonate with him.Micah is currently the Deputy City Manager in Rancho Cordova. His impressive career in government started even before Micah started working (hint: both of his parents served had amazing careers as politicians and his father was the Mayor of Lancaster, CA). Find out how and so much more about his journey as a local hero throughout different communities he's been a part of.
Our First Episode!We introduce the co-hosts of the Local Hero Coffee Break podcast, Amada Reyes and Michael Mazur, and talk more about why we're doing this and our story. The goals of the podcast are to:
To give listeners a digestible dose of information about how other local leaders are responding to key challenges
To create more awareness about the heroes who are working day and night to make their citizens’ lives better
To inspire others to take action in their communities
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