The meeting included a “Mayor’s Matchup: Civic Tech Pitch” competition, where five emerging tech companies pitched their ideas in a “Shark Tank”-style forum.
OpenCounter was selected as the winning company, and won a speaking slot at SXSW, and a $10,000 prize.
Mayors Chris Cabaldon (West Sacramento), Victoria Woodards (Tacoma), David Holt (Oklahoma City) and Francis Suarez (Miami) served as judges. Mayors in the audience also voted for their favorites.
According to Mayor David Holt:
“The U.S. Conference of Mayors is bringing the cutting edge of technology to City Hall. Having the opportunity to judge these forward-thinking initiatives was inspiring, because it’s exciting to see how modern ideas can help us solve urban problems both old and new.”
As Mayor Victoria Woodards said:
“I found it incredibly inspiring to hear the participants’ creative ideas that would benefit our communities. Innovation has always driven our economy forward. I’m excited to see a new technology emerge that will make it easier than ever for entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into action. Congratulations, OpenCounter!”