What if Every
City Felt More
Connected?
More
Joyful.
That’s the future we’re working toward.
Elevate Cities is a new organization committed to sparking joy, belonging, and civic pride in cities around the world. Our role is catalytic: we help cities make local good more visible, participatory, and contagious.
JOIN THE MOVEMENTOUR CITIES
From one joyful moment to the next, Elevate Cities is expanding across the map – turning local sparks into a shared global movement. Miami leads the charge, Boston is on deck, and the story of what’s possible is still being written.
MIAMI
Explore now
BOSTON
Explore now
MORE CITIES
COMING SOON
How change happens
CONNECTION
BELONGING
PARTICIPATION
TRANSFORMATION
How change happens
CONNECTION
BELONGING
PARTICIPATION
TRANSFORMATION
How change happens
CONNECTION
BELONGING
PARTICIPATION
TRANSFORMATION
How change happens
CONNECTION
BELONGING
PARTICIPATION
TRANSFORMATION
We believe thriving communities are built on three things:
When those qualities grow, communities become stronger, more resilient, and more capable of shaping their future.
JOY
People experience moments that uplift and inspire.
BELONGING
People feel connected to one another and to the places they call home.
CIVIC PRIDE
People develop a deeper sense of ownership, participation, and hope for their community.
hidden
FROM MOMENTS TO A MOVEMENT
Real transformation begins in our cities
with human connection.
It happens when neighbors meet.
When local changemakers are celebrated.
When we gather together over food, the arts, and shared cultural experiences.
We strengthen, amplify and activate the relationships, stories, and civic rituals that create lasting belonging and participation in a city.
ROOTED IN THE POWER
OF MAKING GOOD FAMOUS
We’re proud to say that the Elevate Prize Foundation is our sister organization. Their team has spent years proving a simple idea:
When you shine a light on people making a difference, others are inspired to join them.
After investing more than $48 million in social entrepreneurs across 144 countries, one lesson became clear:
Recognition accelerates impact.
The TEAM behind the movement
Joseph Deitch
Founder & Chairman
Kim Coupounas
CEO
Jenni Gargano
Chief of Staff
Dr. Janett I. Cordovés
VP of Programs & Civic Activation
Julie Fahnestock
VP of Marketing & Civic Storytelling
OUR GLOBAL PARTNERS
Elevate Cities is supported by organizations who know that real change starts at home.
GLOBAL ADVISORS
Visionaries shaping the strategic direction of Elevate Cities and amplifying our impact across the world.
Erick Brownstein
Co-President & Partner
Shareability
Dan Buettner
Author
The Blue Zones
Vanessa Elias
Founder
Block Party USA
Amb. Nina Hachigian
CEO
Alliance for Local Leaders International
Sean McManus
Co-Founder
M+D Advisors
Dan Millman
Author
Way of the Peaceful Warrior
Sanjiv Mirchandani
President (Retired),
Fidelity Clearing & Custody Solutions
Dominic Ramos Ruiz
Founder
Citizenry
Cecile Raubenheimer
Co-Founder
The Collective
Daniel Schwartz
CEO
Dynamica
Graham Seed
Head of Family Office
Claridge Management Company
Tim Shriver
Chairman
Board Special Olympics
William Shutkin
Author, Professor, Co-Host
The Sustainable City
Sam Vaghar
CEO & Executive Director
Millenium Campus Network Future of Cities
Wendy Woods
Managing Director
BCG
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Elevate Cities?
Elevate Cities is a civic activation platform that helps communities reconnect to what is good in themselves and each other.
Through storytelling, cultural experiences, community partnerships, and public participation, we help make local good more visible, more connected, and more contagious. Our goal is simple: create more joy, belonging, civic pride, and participation in the places people call home.
How does Elevate Cities choose which cities to partner with?
We look for cities with strong local leadership, committed partners, vibrant cultural and civic ecosystems, and a desire to bring people together across differences.
We are currently focused on learning and refining the model in Miami and Boston before expanding to additional cities.
What makes Elevate Cities different from other civic initiatives?
Most civic efforts focus on solving problems. We believe it’s equally important to celebrate what’s working.
Elevate Cities shines a light on local changemakers, strengthens community connections, and creates opportunities for people to participate in the life of their city. We use joy, storytelling, culture, and shared experiences as tools for building stronger communities.
How does the model work?
Every Elevate City is shaped by the people and organizations who know that city best.
We work alongside local partners, cultural institutions, community leaders, artists, universities, nonprofits, and residents to create experiences that celebrate local good and strengthen community connection. Elevate Cities provides resources, visibility, storytelling, and shared learning while local partners help shape the work on the ground.
Who are your partners?
Our work is built through partnership.
We collaborate with local nonprofits, community foundations, universities, artists, cultural organizations, civic leaders, businesses, and residents who care deeply about their communities. We are proud to have been launched by the Elevate Prize Foundation and supported by an expanding network of local and global partners.
What kinds of programs or events do you create?
Every city is different, but our activations are designed to celebrate local good and invite people to participate in the story of their community.
Examples include community meals, storytelling campaigns, poetry and music contests, changemaker awards, public art projects, cultural celebrations, civic gatherings, youth leadership programs, and citywide participation challenges.
What types of changemakers do you celebrate?
We celebrate people who make their communities better.
That includes nonprofit leaders, artists, educators, entrepreneurs, volunteers, students, neighborhood leaders, public servants, and everyday residents whose actions help strengthen the social fabric of their city.
What role do young people play in this movement?
Young people are essential to the future of our cities.
We actively engage students and emerging leaders as creators, advisors, participants, storytellers, artists, and changemakers. In many cases, young people help design and lead the very programs that bring Elevate Cities to life.
What’s the long-term vision for Elevate Cities?
Our vision is a world where every city becomes a place where people feel more connected, hopeful, engaged, and proud of where they live.
Over time, we hope to build a growing network of cities that learn from one another, celebrate one another, and demonstrate that joy, belonging, civic pride, and participation are powerful forces for positive change.
How can my city get involved?
We’re building Elevate Cities thoughtfully, one city at a time.
If you’re interested in bringing Elevate Cities to your community, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out through our contact page, share a bit about your city, and sign up for our newsletter to stay connected as we grow.
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