February 2019 event to highlight future technologies, mobility, civic engagement, privacy, and inclusive design

San Antonio (February 1, 2019) – Zpryme, an Austin-based energy and technology research company, and CPS Energy announced today the speaking line-up of the inaugural “City of the Future” conference at San Antonio’s Tobin Center on February 25 – 26, 2019. The two-day conference will feature experts and leaders who are driving San Antonio’s smart city vision along with national and international experts in mobility, civic and community engagement, and inclusive design.

“We have built a diverse speaking lineup of experts and visionaries from across the U.S. who are taking people-centered approaches designing and building our future,” said Jason Rodriguez, CEO of Zpryme. “City of the Future, along with San Antonio’s community driven approach to smart cities will provide attendees with insights and lessons learned to ensure that smart city planning and technology deployment are designed with the core community needs in mind.”

Zpryme and CPS Energy are partnering to host the unique, first of its kind event aims to create a national forum that inspires communities, people and companies to create actionable smart city partnerships as well as programs that meet the needs of all people.

“Partnering with Zpryme to host the ‘City of the Future’ conference, demonstrates San Antonio’s enthusiasm for welcoming innovative ideas and insights from individuals all over the globe,” said Paula Gold-Williams, President & CEO of CPS Energy. “Communities partnering with city leaders and utilities is crucial to the convergence of what citizens need and how technology can meet those needs. San Antonio is taking the necessary steps toward emerging as a city of the future by encouraging these discussions.

CPS Energy, which has over 820,000 electric and more than 345,000 natural gas customers in the Alamo City, sees “City of the Future” as the springboard that will help shape and inspire what San Antonio’s future will look like. Along with featuring speakers such as President & CEO Paula Gold-Williams, and hosting sessions surrounding innovative technologies and energy services, the nation’s largest community-owned, vertically integrated electric and natural gas company will use the event to showcase an interactive virtual reality (VR) tour with technology developed by Zpryme, of what San Antonio is expected to be like in the future. Attendees will get a glimpse of how the city will meet the needs of a projected 1 million new residents by 2040 through innovative transport programs, autonomous vehicles and intelligent infrastructure all of which will enable a newly sustainable and digitally connected community.

2019 City of the Future Speaking Line-Up

Aaron Berndt, Head of Central Region Energy Partnerships, Google

Amanda Lee Keammerer, Acting Vice President for Cybersecurity & Director, CyberSecurity San Antonio

Anna Jaffe, CEO, Mobi Systems

Ashley Horvat, VP Public Private Partnerships, Greenlots

Bianca Wylie, Senior Fellow at Centre for International Governance Innovation

Beto Gomez, Co-founder and COO, CityFlag

Brian Dillard, Interim Chief Innovation Officer, City of San Antonio

Candelaria Mendoza, Smart City Coordinator, City of San Antonio

Caleb Phillips, Sr. Scientist, Data Science, NREL

Chelsea Collier, Founder, Digi.City

Chris Moyer, Sr. Director of Content and Research, Zpryme

Clint Vince, Chair, U.S. Energy Practice and Co-Chair of Global Energy Practice, Dentons

Dr. Cris Eugster, COO, CPS Energy

Daniel Lauf, Program Director, Environment, Energy & Transportation Division, NGA

David Dollihite, Energy & Resources, Deloitte

Dr. Dieter Fellner, Professor of Computer Science at TU Darmstadt (Germany)

Douglas Ferguson, Voltage Control

Dylan Lockwood, Online Content Editor, Zpryme

Elise Roy, Innovation and Inclusion Strategist

Emily Royall, Smart City Coordinator, City of San Antonio

Erin Autin, Director of Research Programs, Zpryme

Erin Hardick, Lead Analyst, Zpryme

Felecia Etheridge, CCEO, CPS Energy

Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology

Fred Bonewell, CSSO, CPS Energy

Guy Diedrich, VP & Global Innovation Officer, Cisco

Hajj Flemings, CEO and Founder, Rebrand Cities

Heather House, Sr. Associate, Mobility Transformation, RMI

Ivy Taylor, Consultant, JL Powers & Associates, Former Mayor of San Antonio

Jason Rogers Williams, Coucil member, New Orleans

Jason Rodriguez, CEO and co-founder, Zpryme

Jennifer Sanders, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Dallas Innovation Alliance

Jessie Bounds, CIO, City of Houston

Jibran Shermohammed,Corporate Counsel & Director of Development, IKE Smart City

Lord Mayor Jochen Partsch, City of Darmstadt (Germany)

Joe Iacobucci, Principal + New Mobility Practice Leader, Sam Shwartz

Karl Popham, Emerging Technologies & EV Manager, Austin Energy

Kathleen Baireuther, Senior Manager, Smart Mobility’s City Solutions, Ford

Kim Zentz, CEO, Urbanova

Kimberly Britton, CEO, EPIcenter

Lucia Athens, Chief Sustainability Officer, Austin Energy

Dr. Marie-Luise Wolff, CEO of ENTEGA AG, Dramstadt (Germany)

Dr. Michael Waidner, Chief Digital Officer of the City of Darmstadt, Germany, and Director of the Pat Sapinsley, Managing Director of Cleantech Initiatives, Urban Future Lab

Paula Gold-Williams, President & CEO CPS Energy

Paul Lau, Chief Grid Strategy Operations Officer, SMUD

Philip Nevels, Director of Strategies, Exelon Utilities

Roberto Garza, Former NFL Player and ESPN Deportes Analyst

Sam Sadle, Director, Government Relations & Strategic Development, Lime

Seyi Fabode, Strategist, Asha Labs / Zpryme

Sheryl Sculley, City Manager, City of San Antonio

Susan Sanford, Executive Director, Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster (RTCC)

Tod Meyers, CEO, GoZone WiFi

Trevor Theunissen, Sr. Manager, Public Policy & Communications, South, Uber

Zuby Onwuta, Founder and Disability Advocate, Think and Zoom

For more information about Zpryme’s City of the Future conference taking place in San Antonio February 25 – 26 please visit https://www.cityofthefuture.io/. For more information about Zpryme, please visit www.zpryme.com.

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About City of the Future

What makes a city and what will the cities of the future look like? At the center of the city narrative are people. As people go, so do cities. And what are the fundamental needs of people? A place to call home with people we love and work that provides fulfillment and a sense of self/contribution to the greater whole. Amenities that ensure we are safe, secure and healthy. Good food and a sense of wellness that is beyond measure. We now live in a time when all these needs can be provided, managed and enhanced through the technology that we develop to serve our needs. But we need to be conscious about maintaining the uniqueness of every city, even as the technology that we utilize is universal. Through a series of conversations, presentations, demonstrations, videos and tours, the City of the Future will be brought to life like it has never been brought before now. Join us in the City of San Antonio to experience a unique day and a half conference sponsored by CPS Energy. For more information, visit https://www.cityofthefuture.io/.

About Zpryme

Based in Austin, Texas, Zpryme is a research-based firm with agency-geared services focused on energy. Based on the creative direction of our associates, Zpryme produces influential research and events that challenge the status quo and marketing solutions for fully-immersive brand experiences. For more information, visit www.zpryme.com.

About CPS Energy

Established in 1860, CPS Energy is the nation’s largest public power, natural gas and electric company, providing safe, reliable, and competitively-priced service to 820,000 electric and 347,000 natural gas customers in San Antonio and portions of seven adjoining counties. Our customers’ combined energy bills rank among the lowest of the nation’s 20 largest cities – while generating $7 billion in revenue for the City of San Antonio for more than seven decades. As a trusted and strong Community partner, we continuously focus on job creation, economic development and educational investment. True to our People First philosophy, we are powered by our skilled workforce, whose commitment to the community is demonstrated through our employees’ volunteerism in giving back to our city and programs aimed at bringing value to our customers. CPS Energy is among the top public power wind energy buyers in the nation and number one in Texas for solar generation. For more information, visit cpsenergy.com.

Zpryme Media Contact:      

Sylvester Palacios

Pierpont Communications

+1 512-448-4950

+1 210-912-2706

spalacios@piercom.com