Summer 2026 Sponsors

Trusted by 750+ communities, Via helps cities launch new transit services in just weeks. Their tech-powered solutions expand access, engage communities, and grow the economy.

Meet with Via at the meeting:

• Daniel Ramot is the co-founder and CEO of Via. Prior to Via, Daniel built supercomputers designed to discover new pharmaceutical drugs at D. E. ShawResearch, and developed avionic systems for F-15s and F-16s for the Israeli Air Force. He has a PhD in neuroscience from Stanford University and is a graduate of the Israel Defense Forces’ elite Talpiot program.

• Sarish Kasat: Sarish Kasat is Vice President of Partnerships for the Central U.S. at Via. Prior to working at Via, Sarish led business development at The Alexander Group, advising Global 2000 companies on revenue growth, and drove partnership strategy at Admissionado, one of the world’s leading MBA consulting firms. He also spent seven years structuring and selling market-linked investments at Wells Fargo Securities. Sarish holds a B.A. in Economics from Vanderbilt University and is based in Chicago. 

Resources from Via:

• Better transit for your city
• Learn more about Via in this video

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit working to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. Since 1972, we have created more than 5,500 parks, community schoolyards, and trails; protected 4 million acres of public land; and helped communities secure $110 billion in public funding for parks and green space. We work alongside mayors, local leaders, residents, and community organizations nationwide to turn shared visions for healthier, more connected communities into lasting results. Our support ranges from community-centered planning, research and data, technical assistance, policy and funding strategies, to land conservation, and the creation of parks, trails, and community schoolyards. We are proud sponsors of Mayors Innovation Project, and look forward to connecting with you at the Summer Meeting in Madison! 

Meet with Trust for Public Land at the meeting:

• Bianca Clarke, AVP, Center for Community Impact & 10-Minute Walk, bianca.clarke@tpl.org

• Valerie Friedmann, Associate Director, Policy and Public Affairs, valerie.friedmann@tpl.org

Resources from Trust for Public Land:

• Parks and public lands are essential community infrastructure. They improve physical and mental health, strengthen social connection and civic life, preserve cultural and historical ties, and help communities prepare for extreme heat, flooding, wildfire, and other climate impacts. Learn more at Trust for Public Land: www.tpl.org, and visit www.10minutewalk.org for city-focused support, reports, and resources. Related to key themes of the Summer 2026 meeting, explore the resources below: 
• Parks & Community: Explore how parks and public spaces strengthen connection, belonging, and civic life. Check out resources spanning from policy reports to evaluation toolkits: Community Strategies – Trust for Public Land
• Parks & Housing: Learn how cities can advance parks and affordable housing together, and stay up to date on forthcoming research and resources: https://10minutewalk.org/parks-housing/.

Go Vocal is the public engagement hub that goes beyond surveys and town halls. Capture every voice, make sense of it, and show how input shapes decisions — at any scale.

Meet with Go Vocal at the meeting:

• Sarah Horton (Director of North America) leads Go Vocal’s engagement practice across the US and Canada. Bringing eight years of leadership experience in GovTech, Sarah advises state and local government partners on building strong, long-lasting connections with the communities they serve.

Resources from Go Vocal:

• Mayor’s Playbook for Long-Lasting Community Engagement (published in partnership with Mayor Sorace)
• Go Vocal One Pager

Not With Our Money is a national grassroots campaign that leverages city and state procurement, purchasing, and pension power against corporations underwriting authoritarianism. Cities, counties, and states across the country are the most powerful economic actors. Local and state governments move over a trillion dollars every year through procurement contracts, purchasing and pension fund investments. That spending power is a tool we can use to stop corrupt corporations from bankrolling or consenting to this administration’s inhumane, unethical policies. We see the financial toll these policies take on our communities from ICE raids, increased National Guard presence in our neighborhoods, to cuts to federal funding for critical social services, and the politicization of disaster aid, social services, infrastructure investments, and more.  We believe Our money should serve, not sabotage, our communities.

We’re building a coalition united by a shared set of principles: every procurement contract, purchase, and pension investment must come with accountability; corporations seeking city and state dollars must certify that they won’t engage in ethically questionable behavior at the federal level. We’re calling on cities and states to disengage from corporations that are underwriting authoritarianism. Not With Our Money aims to reshape the decisions corporations make when their actions harm our communities by uniting cities and states to hold them accountable and drive more responsible business practices.

Meet with with Not With Our Money at the Meeting:

• Michelle Healy (michelle@notwithourmoney.org) is a Washington, DC based strategic campaigner with decades of community and labor organizing experience in both the public and private sectors. An eternal optimist and firm believer in sustainable communities, Michelle has architected large-scale campaigns that delivered economic and racial justice wins for communities nationwide. Currently Michelle serves as the Campaign Director of Not With Our Money a new grassroots initiative aimed at using the power of procurement, pensions and purchasing to defend Democracy and push back against authoritarian-leaning policies harming our communities and the financial health of local economies.

• Lilia Cherchari (lilia@notwithourmoney.org)

Resources from Not With Our Money:

• Not With Our Money Demands
• Not With Our Money One-Pager

Simply Spatial partners with organizations to streamline decision-making clarity by building the connections between systems, data, and people through GIS, AI, IT, and cybersecurity solutions.

Meet with Simply Spatial at the meeting:

• Dr. Jing Wu, PharmD, MPH, is a Program Manager at Simply Spatial, where she works with mayors, local governments, and public health organizations to leverage GIS, AI, and technology to improve decision-making and community outcomes. A Wisconsin native and proud “Super Badger,” Jing earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Master of Public Health, and Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her experience spans traditional and non-traditional, clinical, public health, and technology-based roles from Walgreens, UW Health, Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and national pharmacy advocacy organizations to Esri’s Health and Human Services team and the World Health Organization’s (WHO) GIS Centre for Health. She is also a frequent guest lecturer and speaker on public health, geospatial technology, and innovation. Whether supporting a city initiative, strengthening public health programs, or modernizing government operations, Jing is passionate about helping local leaders leverage technology to better serve their communities. Reach out at jwu@simplyspatial.com. 

Resources from Simply Spatial:

• Simply Spatial