POLITICO's Playbook University & An Interview with Mayor Bowser
On Tuesday evening, In3 hosted POLITICO's inaugural Playbook University event, featuring cocktails and a conversation with Washington, DC's Mayor, Muriel Bowser, on current trends in technology and innovation. The free program was sponsored by the incredible folks over at Postmates delivery service.
Starting at 5:30pm, registered guests flooded the In3 space and were greeted by flyers, free merch and opportunities to mingle before the event commenced.
POLITICO Playbook co-authors Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman delivered welcome remarks, followed by In3's very own KellyAnn Kirkpatrick and Samson Williams. Proudly sporting In3 t-shirts, they introduced the company and welcomed everyone on behalf of our CEO Aaron Saunders, who was absent because he is currently attending Haiti's first tech conference.
Postmates co-founder and CEO Bastian Lehmann spoke next, praising In3 and similar incubators for fostering a message of diversity and inclusion.
"Fundamentally, the story of this country, and certainly the story that has characterized American entrepreneurism, is a story that has been written by people all once considered outsiders," he said in his speech. "Whether you are a minority in tech or a woman vying for a seat at the board room, we know there is more we need to do. Not just to create a more just society but to build a more diverse, inclusive and vibrant economy."
Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived -- the keynote conversation with the District's very own Mayor Bowser, an interview moderated by Palmer and Sherman. Our mayor spoke about her recent decision to commit DC to the Paris Agreement, her past meetings with President Trump to establish DC's independent identity as a city and her plans to improve math education across the public school system. Most notably, she spoke about her administration's innovation and inclusion initiatives.
"To really grow jobs and opportunities in DC and to make sure the tremendous prosperity we're experiencing right now is spread to more people, we really have to focus on our underrepresented communities," she explained. "We want to be more intentional as a city about how to create an ecosystem that supports them. Our niche will be a focus on underrepresented communities -- on women, on people of color and all folks who are fighting to break into tech."
After the mayor answered questions from the live audience and from Twitter, the conversation wrapped, the bar opened, appetizers were passed out and the mingling portion of the night began.
If you would like to see more, the full event was live streamed from the In3 Facebook page and the video is available here! Give us a like and a follow to stay updated on upcoming events and all things In3!
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