Innov8rs Connect on Climate & SDG's

We’ve been talking about the potential for smart cities for quite some time, and substantial progress has been made in developing compelling applications. But, with the proliferation of predictable, scalable and reliable 5G wireless connectivity, we’re on the brink of a new generation of integrated smart city applications that will play an integral role in many aspects of quality of life. Our population is becoming more and more urban-centered. Roughly 55% of people around the world live in cities today, and that’s expected to grow to 68% by 2050. This presents both an opportunity and a challenge for city planners, as they look to maximize quality of life and desirability to attract talented workforces to their communities, while at the same time managing the infrastructure required to support growing populations. Emerging smart city applications will be a big part of the solution on both fronts. AT&T and JBGS in July announced a partnership to develop the United States’ first large-scale 5G smart city in National Landing, Virginia, a rapidly growing technology hub that is the site of Amazon’s second headquarters and home to Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus. Other efforts are also underway, such as the city of Ban Chang in Thailand, which has partnered with the state telecom provider and other hardware and software providers to build 5G smart city infrastructure in what is known as Thailand’s “Silicon Beach.” 5G, with local area compute edges, could create a unified consumer experience across asset types, enabling enhanced services and experiences in mobility and areas like self-driving vehicles, traffic flow and public transit; immersive retail and entertainment; building automation and environmental sustainability; public safety; and infrastructure like lighting, streets and parking. How are smart cities likely to evolve, and what will it mean for consumers, businesses and government? In this session, you'll hear from Lilac and Adam how they have been forming and managing ecosystems for smart cities.

Lilac holds a Master’s degree in Marketing and Economics from the Hebrew University. She currently leads Innovation and Partner Ecosystem at AT&T where she focuses on forging partnerships to accelerate monetization of 5G and Fiber and introduce new experiences delivered by 5G such. Retail, Manufacturing, Healthcare Smart Cities, AR/VR, Computer Vision and more. Prior to her current role, Lilac held various product roles with AT&T Internet of Things solutions group where she oversaw IOT platforms and AI solution dedicated to IoT as well as ensuring that all the million devices are securely connected on the AT&T Network. Before that Lilac held few marketing roles with AT&T Big Data organization, led the strategy and pricing for Mobile and Online advertising as well as other marketing leadership roles with AT&T Advertising Solutions. She is married with two daughters resides in Alpharetta, GA. Outside of work Lilac enjoys working out at Orange Theory, bake and spend time with her family. Adam Rashid is a Senior Vice President and Head of Smart Cities & Digital Infrastructure at JBG SMITH (“JBGS”). Rashid co-founded the Smart Cities & Digital Infrastructure practice at JBGS and is focused on building National Landing into the United States’ first 5G smart city at scale. National Landing is home to Amazon’s HQ2 and comprises over 30 million square feet of existing and to be built office, residential, retail, green space, and multi-modal transportation hubs. Rashid leads strategy formation and the execution of joint ventures, strategic partnerships, and deployment of investment capital to design and create next generation digital infrastructure and seamless technology solutions with a focus on IoT, AI, cyber security, cloud and edge computing. In addition to leading JBGS’ Smart Cities & Digital Infrastructure practice, Rashid focuses on corporate investment strategy, and has led the execution of acquisitions, joint ventures, and overseen deployment of investment capital in urban mixed-use real estate valued in excess of $5 billion. Prior to JBGS, Rashid was a Vice President at Artemis Real Estate Partners, where he led the acquisition of over $2 billion of real estate across the United States, and was responsible for joint venture structuring and business plan oversight for office, retail, industrial, multifamily, healthcare and mixed-used investments. Rashid also worked at CBRE Capital Markets in the Debt & Structured Finance group, where he advised institutional clients on raising joint venture equity and other structured finance transactions. Rashid earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Howard University and Master’s degree in Real Estate Finance from Georgetown University.