Outgoing Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) for Kansas City, Mo., Bob Bennett, has announced the launch of B2 Civic Solutions, a "smart city" consulting company.
“The challenges cities face will increasingly be solved by communities and corporations working together. Companies bring in capital investment and cutting-edge technology, while cities control the access, right of way and prioritization of services,” says Bob Bennett.
NEW YORK (PRWEB) May 13, 2019
Outgoing Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) for Kansas City, Mo., Bob Bennett, announced the launch of B2 Civic Solutions today at the Smart Cities NYC 2019 conference. B2 Civic Solutions has developed a replicable model for identifying, planning and resourcing smart city solutions for communities of all sizes.
Bennett’s current clients include Smart City Media, one of the fastest growing companies in the Internet of Things (IoT) market, Cimcon Lighting, the leading provider of smart and connected lighting solutions, and the city of Parkville, Mo.
Bennett has also been named chair of the Cities Today Institute, which focuses on best practices for sustainable urban development. In this role, Bennett will work with the team leading the 20-20 Cities Today project, which hosts events to explore smart city and urban applications. The Institute will provide a cities-first perspective on aggregating and sharing best practices in the emerging smart city marketplace.
“The challenges cities face will increasingly be solved by communities and corporations working together,” says Bennett. “Companies bring in capital investment and cutting-edge technology, while cities control the access, right of way and prioritization of services.”
Bennett recently spoke at the Digital Government Summit in Phoenix, Ariz. Upcoming speaking engagements for the smart city expert include the 2019 SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, D.C., and the Government Performance and Innovation Summit in Minneapolis, Minn.
“My goal is to help companies, cities and citizens collaborate, innovate and prepare for the next century,” he continues.
As CIO, Bennett oversaw Kansas City’s Smart City initiative, billed as the world’s most connected smart city program. The $15 million public-private partnership includes Sprint Wi-Fi, a free outdoor public Wi-Fi deployment across more than 50 square blocks downtown, 138 “smart” streetlights along a two-mile stretch of the new KC Streetcar line and 25 interactive kiosks to engage citizens.
Prior to joining Kansas City, Mo., in 2015, Bennett served in the U.S. Army for 25 years, where his roles included operations executive, strategic planner and educator. He planned, synchronized and coordinated over 500 operations in Africa from 2012-14, and oversaw development and integration of cutting-edge technologies into standing U.S. Army policies and operations.
About B2 Civic Solutions LLC
The B2 Civic Solutions team, led by smart city practitioner and thought leader Bob Bennett, has developed a replicable model for identifying, planning and resourcing Smart City solutions for communities of all sizes. Twenty-first century citizens will not wait for cities to modernize; they expect results now. B2 Civic Solutions helps deliver them. http://www.bbcivicsolutions.com.
