ERIE, PA., July 1, 2019 – The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth highlighted the Erie Downtown Development Corporation (“EDDC”) at the 2019 Smart Cities New York Conference held at Pier 36 in Manhattan. Smart Cities is North America’s leading global conference for innovators and decision-makers who are improving life in the cities of tomorrow (https://smartcitiesny.com/).
Following the event, Mastercard produced a video showcasing the EDDC and Erie, Pennsylvania, as a community ready for investment. The video has been distributed across various media platforms since Friday, June 28th, and received over 50,000 views on Twitter alone since public release.
“For the EDDC and Erie to be highlighted by Mastercard is a testament to the innovation of the EDDC, and the hard work of everyone involved with revitalizing Erie,” John Persinger, EDDC CEO.
The Mastercard video showcasing Erie can be found here:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1144647898841223169
At Smart Cities, the EDDC’s innovative look at finance to drive development and inclusive investment into the nation’s poorest zip code was highlighted. At the event, Matt Wachter, VP for Finance & Development at the EDDC, participated on a panel discussion hosted by Arturo Franco, Vice President at the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, joined by Steven Benjamin, Mayor, City of Columbia, South Carolina and President of U.S. Conference of Mayors, and Marcela Escobari, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution.
“The EDDC’s work to drive investment to revitalize the nation’s poorest zip code is being studied and featured on a national scale. Collaboration with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and other national leaders assists the EDDC to make sustainable, data drive investment decisions in the community,” said Wachter.
The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth advances sustainable and equitable growth and financial inclusion around the world. The organization was formed in 2006, and is led by Michael Froman, Vice Chairman and President, Strategic Growth for Mastercard and President Obama’s U.S. Trade Representative. The organization manages the $500 million Mastercard Impact Fund.