Co-hosted by CEOs for Cities and cityLIVE!, a series of forums by no wall productions, the Heinz Family Foundation and the New Hazlett Theater, and sponsored by Pop City, this event will be open to meeting attendees and the people of Pittsburgh. To R.S.V.P., click
here.
Joyce Bromberg is director of WorkSpace Futures Research at Steelcase Inc., overseeing a team of Human Centered Design Researchers which look at vertical markets like Healthcare and Higher Education and who conduct ‘pioneering research’ for new product development.
Joyce joined Steelcase in 1982 as an interior designer and in 1986 was promoted to Interior Design project manager, designing many award-winning showrooms and industry/trade show events. She has served as manager of Strategic Planning for the architect and design market, director of Surface Materials and Advanced Concepts and director of Space-Planning Research and Environment Design. In these roles, she was responsible for all research and development activities related to space planning, the design of Steelcase environments, and was the lead developer of community-based planning, a space-planning methodology and web-based tool set.
Ben Self is a founding partner of Blue State Digital, a consulting firm that specializes in creating web strategy and technology for political organizations, candidates, and non-profits. Blue State Digital's software and strategy powers the online presence of the largest and most prominent Democratic candidates and progressive organizations (Barack Obama, the DNC, the DCCC, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Howard Dean) as well as numerous non-profits and corporations (AT&T, Alliance for Climate Protection, Jolie-Pitt Global Action for Children, Live Earth).
Blue State Digital was founded in 2004 by four of the individuals responsible for Howard Dean's use of the Internet during his presidential campaign, and now has offices in New York, Boston, Washington, DC, and Lexington, KY.
Johann Zietsman was born in the 50’s in South Africa, and has nurtured a life-long passion for the transformative value and role of the arts in a community. Eventually gaining degrees in architecture and music, he returned to his homeland in 1982, and started a 20-year career in executive arts management positions, including a music school, two orchestras, an opera and music theater company, a community arts center, a large multi-theater performing arts company, and a commercial communications company. During this time he was actively involved in the political transformation of South Africa through pioneering work in the arts, resulting in recognition from Mr. Nelson Mandela’s government. As a volunteer, he also launched and directed two community youth initiatives, which currently serve about 4000 at-risk kids in the townships.
Johann moved to the USA in 2002 to run the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA), based in NY, and then to Mesa, AZ, in 2007, when he now serves as Executive Director of the Mesa Arts Center, and Director of Arts and Culture for the city of Mesa.
Carol Coletta is president and CEO of CEOs for Cities and host and producer of the nationally syndicated public radio show Smart City. Previously, she served as president of Coletta & Company in Memphis, and has served as executive director of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design, a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Conference of Mayors and American Architectural Foundation.
Carol was a Knight Fellow in Community Building for 2003 at the University of Miami School of Architecture and is currently a candidate for a Master of Design Methods at the Institute of Design at IIT. She is frequently interviewed as an expert on urban issues by national media and is an active speaker on the success formula for cities and creative communities.
This year she was named one of the world’s 50 most important urban experts by a leading European think tank.