Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Happy New Year! As we begin this new year, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your support and partnership in 2021. 

We built enormous momentum for public innovation this past year with the investment in the first-of-its-kind Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University. Guided by our mission to advance the field of public sector innovation and deliver exceptional results for residents, we have already covered significant ground. 

In just six months, we’ve launched the newest cohort of Innovation Teams in six cities; laid the foundation to begin a new round of city Innovation Training; awarded Love Your Block grants to eight cities; and brought some of the first light to relief fund spending in the U.S. We’ve also hired an outstanding team of innovators, experts, and practitioners to lead the new Center and expanded our network of government leaders who are leading public innovation in their cities.

Thank you for making last year’s history-making progress possible. Our work together in 2021 has paved the way for a successful and transformative 2022.

Like every new year, 2022 arrives with aspirations and big plans. This year also follows two incredibly challenging years for city leaders that have stretched our perspectives and capacity. At the Center, we are committed to serving as a trusted partner in order to help you reach your goals, give cities cutting-edge tools, and create more connections to support the people, like you, who make innovation in cities possible in the face of enormous challenges. 

We believe that strong public innovation driven by our shared goals, to make our cities and the lives of residents better, can help us meet today’s challenges and make the most of opportunities together. 

I feel extremely fortunate to be joined in this work by thousands of supporters, colleagues, collaborators and residents who are driving innovation in cities across the world. I hope to see many of you in person this year. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out if there is any way we can help you in your work.

In the coming months, you’ll hear from us about our work. We encourage you to follow us at @PublicInno on Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook, and sign up for our newsletter to receive first alerts on new initiatives, opportunities, and resources for you, your residents, and teams.

Thank you again for all you do. I cannot wait to work side-by-side with you in 2022. 

Onward, 

Amanda Daflos
Executive Director
Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University