Mayor James to travel to Moscow for Global Entrepreneurship Congress

Kyle Geary — The Hale Center For Journalism

Kansas City, Mo., Mayor Sly James will be traveling to Moscow next month to take part in the 2014 Global Entrepreneurship Congress.

Mayor James will be participating in the “Entrepreneurial City Leaders” session Monday, March 17. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Congress website, this panel will include mayors from cities which have “thriving startup scenes” to “share lessons learned in helping build entrepreneurial economies for their cities.”

Global Entrepreneurship Congress is an annual event held around the world and is described on its website as “an interdisciplinary gathering of startup champions from around the world—where entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, thought leaders and policymakers work together to help bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare.”

Joni Wickham is the director of public affairs for the Mayor’s office. She said Mayor James was invited to participate on this panel due to “all of his efforts in the entrepreneurial space, and because of Kansas City’s reputation as a hotbed for entrepreneurship.”

One of Mayor James’ most notable efforts in entrepreneurship while in office was helping bring Google Fiber to the city in 2011. 

WIckham believes that the Mayor’s trip may have positive impacts on the city.

“I would think potential effects this trip could have on Kansas City, Mo., include: raising the city’s international profile as an entrepreneurial hub, making connections with high profile leaders in the entrepreneurship sector and gleaning best practices from other cities,“ she said.