Start-Up City: Inspiring Private and Public Entrepreneurship, Getting Projects Done, and Having Fun !
 

 Maurice Cox, Planning Director, City of Detroit 

Maurice Cox, newly appointed Planning Director for the City of Detroit is an urban designer, architectural educator and former mayor of the City of Charlottesville, VA. He most recently served as Associate Dean for Community Engagement at Tulane University, School of Architecture and Director of the Tulane City Center, a university-affiliated practice operating at the intersection of design, urban research and civic engagement throughout the New Orleans community. Cox has taught a Syracuse University, the University of Virginia and Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. His experience merging architecture, politics and design education led to his being named on of "20 Masters of Design" in 2004 by Fast Company Business Magazine. He served as Design Director of the National Endowment for the Arts from 2007-2010 where he led the NEA's Your Town Rural Institute, the Governor's Institute on Community Design, the Mayors' Institute on City design, and oversaw direct design grants to the design community across the U.S. In 2013, Cox was named one of the Most Admired Design Educators in America in the annual ranking of Design Intelligence. 

 Tonya Allen, President and CEO, The Skillman Foundation 

Tonya Allen, a serial "Idea-preneur," serves as the Foundation's president & chief executive officer. Her two-decade long career has centered on pursuing, executing and investing in ideas that improve her hometown Detroit and reduce the plight of underserved people, especially children. Allen has been instrumental in many successful philanthropic, government and community initiatives and has a comprehensive understanding of philanthropic governance and strategy. 

In her current role, Allen aligns the complexities of education reform, urban revitalization and public policy, so that these sometimes divergent areas of work come together to improve the well-being of Detroit's children. She serves as the architect of the 10-year, $100 million Good Neighborhoods program. She orchestrated the development of a $200-million, citywide education reform organization called Excellent Schools Detroit, and a high-school improvement strategy has resulted in 15 new college-preparatory high schools. 

Allen was named to Crain's Detroit Business 40 under 40 list, received the national Brick Award given to activists under age 30 by Rolling Stone Magazine, was on of the first Detroiters to receive the prestigious Marshall Memorial Fellowship, and was named one of the Chronicle of Philanthropy's 5 nonprofit innovators to watch" in 2013. She holds a bachelor's degree in sociology and masters' degrees in social work and public heath, all from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. She serves on numerous boards and committees, both local and national, including The Funders Network for Smart Growth, Grantmakers of Children, Youth and Families, Council of Michigan Foundations and Association of Black Foundation Executives. 

Before joining the Skillman Foundation in 2004, Allen worked as a program officer for both the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Thompson-McCully Foundation. She founded and was the executive director of Detroit Parent Network, a parent membership organization dedicated to improving education options for children, and led the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Rebuilding Communities Initiative in Detroit.

Allen describes herself as "a quasi-introvert masquerading as a extrovert." Her ambition is to marry those vastly different parts of her personality to live a balanced, joyful and authentic life. Her sense of humor and faith keep her inspired and grounded as she works to make Detroit, the city she loves, a better, stronger, more thriving place for children. She's married to husband, Louis, and has three daughters, Phylicia, Brianna and Alanna. Together, the couple owns and operated a Christian entertainment company, Highly Favored Productions. 

 Moderator, Rodrick Miller, President and CEO, DEGC 

Rodrick Miller is a results-oriented leader with more than 10 years of experience in economic development, strategic planning, trade and foreign investment, and project finance. He has emerged as one of the foremost economic development leaders in the country, respected globally for his ability to maneuver in extraordinarily complex political and business environments, and craft strategies and structure deals to provide long-term value to communities and investors.  His skills as a negotiator, policy expert, and corporate strategist have been honed in more than 10countries.

Currently, Miller is serving as president and CEO of Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC).  DEGC is a private, nonprofit corporation devoted exclusively to supporting Detroit’s economic development by providing technical, financial, negotiation, and development assistance to the City and the private sector business community. As CEO of DEGC, Miller is firmly committed to enhancing strategies and programs that are aggressive and effective, thoughtful and focused, and that play to the inherent strengths of the local market.  

Previously, Miller served as the founding President and CEO of the New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA), the official economic development organization responsible for ensuring the long-term economic vitality and driving job growth for the City of New Orleans. As the chief economist and thought leader on economic recovery, Miller focused the organization’s efforts on lowering barriers to entry in the marketplace, increasing transparency, and developing strategies for urban economic growth.  Results since its founding in 2011 include state legislation allowing for benefit corporations, a policy framework to guide the use of tax incentives in economic development, and the attraction of more than $800 million in new investment and 7,000 new jobs through proactive attraction and expansion of corporate projects in the New Orleans market. In June of 2013, NOLABA launched ProsperityNOLA, the first ever comprehensive economic development plan for the city of New Orleans. Miller led his team in crafting this five-year plan with a keen eye on ensuring the plan would diversify the economy and present economic opportunities for all the citizens of New Orleans. 

Prior to that position, Miller served as the Executive Vice President of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber where he managed day-to-day operations, developed strategic initiatives, and helped deliver on the firm’s $20 million capital campaign. Under his leadership, the Baton Rouge market was ranked the Number One Mid-Market for Deals in 2010 by Site Selection Magazine.


Before moving to Louisiana, Miller was Vice President of International Economic Development for the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) where he managed international development activities, which included foreign direct investment attraction and increasing the region’s international competitiveness. He crafted the Arizona Global Network, a statewide collaboration of economic development organizations responsible for marketing the state globally. He also headed the Strategy Practice where he developed the organization’s action plan that resulted in delivery of nearly 10,000 jobs in just two years. Before GPEC, Miller held several positions in the public and private sectors.

Miller holds a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor of Science degree in international business from St. Augustine’s College. He also gained a Graduate Diploma in Finance from the Monterrey Institute of Technology (ITESM) in Mexico while completing a Fulbright Fellowship. Miller is an intellectually curious professional whose interests lie at the intersection of economic development, international commerce, innovation, and community action. A scholar practitioner, he is a sought-after lecturer and contributes to various publications. He is a term member of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, is a board member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), and served as a fellow of the International Career Advancement Program at the Aspen Institute.  Miller has received numerous accolades, including Ebony Magazine’s 30 under 30, Phoenix Business Journal’s Top 40 under Forty, Top 100 Tech Influencers in the Silicon Bayou, Young Economic Developer of the Year by the IEDC, and numerous others. He enjoys playing the piano, reading, and spending time with his son. Miller is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Portuguese.