Becoming a Global City: Pittsburgh’s Place in the World
The Pittsburgh region is at a crossroads, and which stories we lean into–and the actions we take to shape both the understanding of who we are and an appreciation of what we have to offer on a global stage–will make an undeniable difference in what our region’s future looks like.
Through interactive sessions and workshops, we’ll examine issues of global importance and local relevance to better understand our role in the global economy and an interconnected, changing world.
- – What’s our region’s brand, and what’s the role of arts and culture?
- – What are our competitive economic advantages, and how do we attract and retain a diverse workforce?
- – How do we mitigate our climate impacts and work to become a more climate resilient city?
Together, we’ll grapple with questions of our potential future as an aspiring global city that boasts a strong economy, welcoming communities, vibrant culture, and prosperity for all.
Details:
- – Tuesday, February 25
Carnegie Mellon University - – 8AM-3PM
Doors will open at 8AM with registration and light breakfast - – Institute Agenda
– 8:00AM:Registration & Light Breakfast (McKenna Peter Wright Room, 2nd floor)
– 9:00AM: Welcome & Morning Plenary (Rangos Ballroom, 2nd floor)
– 10:30AM:Break
– 10:45AM:Breakout Sessions- – Changemakers Across Sectors (McKenna Peter Wright Room)
- – Youth Changemakers (Rangos Ballroom)
- – Note: Lunch will be served in respective spaces for each track.
– 3:00PM: Closing
Day-Of Information:
- – Parking: The World Affairs Institute will be held at the Carnegie Mellon University’s Cohon Student Center located at 5032 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. Click here to find a visitor parking information.
- – Dress Code: We invite you to show up in your favorite conference wear — you decide what that means for you. We want you to feel comfortable and ready to dig into the important work of building a globally minded, globally connected Pittsburgh.
- – Check In: When you arrive, please check in at the registration table in front of the Rangos Ballroom. There, our team will greet you and point you in the right direction.
All high school students (grades 9-12) are eligible to attend the Youth Changemakers track. Designed by and created for youth, this track will engage students in understanding and thinking critically about their world.
Important Note: Educators and Rotary chaperones should register through the Youth Changemakers page along with their students. However, during the day they will attend the Changemakers Across Sectors track.
If you missed the deadline for sponsored school group registrations send us a message at youth@worldpittsburgh.org
We define changemakers across sectors as people at all stages of their careers across the nonprofit, public, and private sectors who want to make Pittsburgh a more globally minded and globally connected city.
Whether you are an artist or entrepreneur, a college student or retiree, an emerging professional, or a senior executive – you are invited to connect and learn from experts about Pittsburgh’s future as an aspiring global city.
Announcing our first wave of speakers:
Meet our Morning Plenary Speakers
Sara Innamorato is the Allegheny County Executive, she was sworn in as the first woman to serve on January 2, 2024. The Innamorato Administration’s guiding principle is to build a strong Allegheny County for All – one that serves all 1.3 million residents – built on a foundation of dignity and respect.
Prior to winning the election for County Executive, she served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives after securing an overwhelming majority and winning the election for the 21st District seat in 2018. In 2022, the legislature passed Sara’s Whole Home Repairs legislation which distributed $125M in critical funding to keep seniors, and those facing housing insecurity in their homes.
Sara is a lifelong resident of Allegheny County, currently residing in Upper Lawrenceville. She is a graduate of North Hills High School and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh’s College of Business Administration.
Damon Young’s debut memoir, What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker: A Memoir in Essays (Ecco), won the Thurber Prize for American Humor. Damon is also a founder of the culture blog Very Smart Brothas and was a contributing columnist for The Washington Post Magazine, a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, a columnist for GQ, and the creator and host of the Crooked Media podcast Stuck with Damon Young. Currently, he is the inaugural writer-in-residence at the University of Pittsburgh’s David C. Frederick Honors College. His forthcoming anthology, That’s How They Get You: An Unruly Anthology of Black American Humor (Pantheon), debuts June 3rd.
Dr. Kendra Ross is head of social impact at Duolingo and holds a PhD in Community Engagement. She is passionate about cultivating greater equity through arts and culture, education, and technology. Kendra is an award-winning musical artist, educator, executive, and entrepreneur in Pittsburgh, PA. She has graced the stages of legendary venues such as New York City’s The Blue Note, Highline Ballroom (opening for Gregory Porter/Blue Note Jazz Festival), BB King’s Bar & Grill (opening for Lalah Hathaway), and the Arena Theater in Houston (opening for Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds).
Illah R. Nourbakhsh is a Kavcic-Moura professor of Robotics at Carnegie Mellon University, inaugural executive director of the Center for Shared Prosperity, and co-director of the Community Robotics, Education and Technology Empowerment Lab. He was the inaugural K&L Gates Professor of Ethics and Computational Technologies. Illah obtained his PhD in Computer Science from Stanford University. In 2009 the National Academy of Sciences named him a Kavli Fellow.
Halle Stockton is executive director and editor-in-chief of PublicSource. She has served as editor-in-chief since May 2022 after seven years as managing editor during which PublicSource won two consecutive international awards for general excellence from the Online News Association (2020, 2021). In 2017, the Institute for Nonprofit News selected Halle as one of 10 Emerging Leaders in U.S. nonprofit journalism. Prior to that, Halle was a reporter for PublicSource for three years and for the Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune for four years. Halle has won several awards for her journalism; most notably, she was named a 2016 finalist for the prestigious Livingston Awards for Young Journalists and earned a national Sigma Delta Chi award from the Society of Professional Journalists in 2015.
Hear from more incredible speakers throughout the day, with more to be announced!
Jenna Baron is the executive director of ARYSE. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh in Anthropology with certificates in Global Studies and African Studies. Jenna is a 2013 Fulbright Scholar, 2015 Humanity in Action John Lewis Fellow, New Leaders Council Pittsburgh Alumna, a board member for the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, and in 2019, she was recognized as one of Pittsburgh’s 40 Under 40, and is a fellow of the 2024 Transformative Leader Program facilitated by the Equity Impact Center.
Saleem Ghubril is the executive director of The Pittsburgh Promise. He is a passionate advocate for children and for the City of Pittsburgh. An ordained Presbyterian minister, he has devoted his life to serving the people of his community through outreach and education programs. In 1985, Saleem founded The Pittsburgh Project, a community development organization that provided free home renovations to hundreds of vulnerable seniors each year and deployed thousands of youth in meaningful volunteer community service. Saleem led The Project until 2008, when he became the founding executive director of The Pittsburgh Promise. He is the pastor emeritus of Mosaic Community Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. He also serves on the boards of The Buhl Foundation, The Hear Foundation, Pittsburgh Scholar House, and UPMC.
Eric McAllister II is a Manager at the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, the 10-county region’s oldest economic development organization. Eric leverages data to develop a deep understanding of emerging challenges and opportunities, enabling him to craft innovative solutions that address business needs while also contributing to communities. Since joining the team in 2022, Eric has helped secure over $6 million in funding for economic development initiatives across the region and has played a key role in attracting multiple companies to establish facilities in southwestern Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the Allegheny Conference, Eric was an associate at KPMG. Before that, he worked in the Economic Development department under former Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in data analytics from Robert Morris University. In May, Eric will graduate from Carnegie Mellon University with a master’s in public management, where he was awarded the Harry Faulk Award for his commitment to CMU and service to the Pittsburgh region.
Petra Mitchell is the president and CEO of Catalyst Connection, a nonprofit economic development organization dedicated to helping manufacturers with business growth and job creation. Catalyst Connection is the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Affiliate and the Industrial Resource Center (IRC) of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Mitchell’s experience in manufacturing operations, technology acceleration and business development stretches back to 1988. Before joining Catalyst Connection, she was employed by GE Aircraft Engines, now GE Aviation.
Paul Overby is the Honorary Consul to Germany and a c-level corporate executive and entrepreneur. With a career spanning corporate leadership and diplomatic service, Paul is a strategic planner with expertise in organizational development, fundraising, and global stakeholder coordination. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and currently serves on the board of World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh.
Inclement Weather Policy:
Winter weather in Pittsburgh can change rapidly. Given the time and date of this event, we adhere to our Inclement Weather Policy for this ticketed event.
In the event of inclement weather, we may shift to a virtual event with the same date and times and will notify attendees at least 48 hours in advance via their registration email and on social media.
While we will make all efforts to intentionally gather together in person to explore Becoming a Global City: Pittsburgh’s Place in the World, we are committed to providing a meaningful virtual experience should weather conditions in our region prevent gathering together in person safely.
Please plan ahead so that you are prepared to engage with us on February 25. This includes school groups who may need to plan around school delays or cancellations.
Please note that refunds will not be issued if our Inclement Weather Policy is enacted.
For any questions, you can reach our team at communications@worldpittsburgh.org.
The Institute is a partnership among Rotary International and World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh.
