Everything is About Data with Michael Sherwood, Chief Innovation Officer, City of Las Vegas

This episode of Over the Edge features an interview between Matt Trifiro and Michael Sherwood, Chief Innovation Officer, City of Las Vegas. Michael has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of process improvement, technology, and innovation. He is extremely passionate about technology and believes that more sustainable communicates can be built through innovation, workforce development, and collaboration.

In this episode, Michael explains how the city of Las Vegas is helping the community to be more efficient by providing new opportunities through innovation. The city is using technology to improve public safety, healthcare, transportation, education, and economic development. Michael discusses that by increasing connectivity and access for all communities, setting up innovation centers, and improving the city’s technological infrastructure, Las Vegas will continue to be a leader of municipalities as a destination not just for entertainment but also for business and progress. 

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Key Quotes:

"One of the great things about doing all these innovation projects is that we get to meet a lot of great companies. They get to come to Las Vegas and see Las Vegas not just as a place for entertainment and hospitality, but they get to see as a great place for possibly relocating and doing business in the city of Las Vegas."

"Las Vegas is innovative in nature. We always think of innovative and entertainment, entertainment and hospitality. But, Las Vegas is also becoming very innovative on the technology side and really working towards diversifying its economy and attracting these new types of technologies. And, so from everything from underground to above ground, you know, you're gonna see those things here. And, it really is a testament to the community of people that live here as well as the people that are in charge."

"For us it's all about creating those new opportunities, creating those collisions that between our community and business, that hopefully leads to some really great things in the future."

"Las Vegas recognizes that education is extremely important and we want to build on that. And so from a technology perspective, obviously while we're not the school district, we support them in their needs. But, if there's things we're doing in the innovation space that can help students, that's what we're doing." 

"To have intelligence in our roadways and in our communities, the grid really is where it's gonna happen. And, it's going to be game changing for communities." 

"The cloud is never going anywhere. It's just another puzzle piece that provides more capability than we've had before. The cloud opened the doors several years ago. This next door that's opening is really starting to get us to the point of people starting to think about the Jetsons and start thinking about the Matrix and the technology that you see in those movies, and in some of that you start seeing the underpinnings of some of that now is actually possible." 

"The capabilities of the future are going to be content or data driven where you're pushing data out into the community itself. Most businesses already have good internet connectivity. So, the next part of it is how do you marry that all together." 

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Show Timestamps:

(02:10) History of Las Vegas

(05:00) What it’s like to be the Chief Innovation Officer and CTO

(07:00) Evaluating Technologies for Cities

(09:00) Promoting Public Safety

(10:00) Health Initiatives in Las Vegas

(13:30) Vision for Las Vegas LTE Network

(18:15) Transportation Trends

(22:00) Making it Easier for Technology in Las Vegas

(24:30) Economic Development and Jobs

(27:45) Education Initiatives

(33:15) Solidifying Sustainability

(35:30) Bringing New Grid Technologies

(40:30) Enticing People to come to Las Vegas

(46:30) Importance of