ElevateGov AI: 

Empowering Cities. Advancing AI. Building Tomorrow - Together.

ElevateGov AI is a national civic innovation program led by Elevate Cities and The U.S. Roundtable. The program is nonpartisan and bipartisan, supporting U.S. mayors, city leaders, and public sector stakeholders in the responsible advancement of artificial intelligence for cities, communities, and families.

The program focuses on sovereign, ethical, and city-led AI adoption, ensuring that artificial intelligence is governed transparently, deployed responsibly, and aligned with public trust and long-term civic outcomes.
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A first-of-its-kind national platform created by The U.S. Roundtable, in collaboration with NVIDIA, visionary mayors, and leading technology innovators, ElevateGov AI is redefining how government approaches artificial intelligence. The program empowers mayors and city leaders to learn, collaborate, and advance AI responsibly within a trusted, civic-led environment focused on cities, communities, and families.

Program Overview
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ElevateGov AI is a national, mayor-led platform designed to help U.S. cities responsibly govern, deploy, and scale artificial intelligence in service of residents, workers, and democratic institutions.

Launched by U.S. mayors in partnership with The U.S. Roundtable and Elevate Cities, ElevateGov AI establishes a governance-first approach to artificial intelligence. The program ensures that cities retain control over public data, decision-making, and accountability while navigating the rapid adoption of AI technologies.

ElevateGov AI brings together mayors, city technical leaders, and trusted technology partners in a structured, year-long collaboration focused on sovereign, ethical, and responsible AI. The program is built around shared learning, practical frameworks, and real-world readiness, enabling cities to move forward with confidence rather than experimentation without guardrails.

Within ElevateGov AI, Sovereign AI refers to artificial intelligence systems that are governed, controlled, and directed by cities themselves. This includes local authority over how AI is designed, deployed, operated, and scaled, as well as clear governance standards for data stewardship, security, transparency, and public accountability. Sovereign AI ensures alignment with U.S. laws, democratic values, and community priorities while avoiding dependency on any single vendor or external platform.

The program is educational and collaborative by design. It is not a sales forum, procurement vehicle, or endorsement platform. No solicitations, pricing discussions, or procurement activities occur within ElevateGov AI.

Through quarterly focus areas and mayor-led sessions, ElevateGov AI produces shared tools and playbooks that support cities at every stage of AI maturity. These collective efforts culminate in a Sovereign AI Playbook for U.S. Cities, designed to guide responsible adoption nationwide.

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Core Program Features:

ElevateGov AI delivers a set of core features designed to support cities as they move from AI exploration to institutional readiness within a nonpartisan and bipartisan civic environment.
Leadership Forums
Invite-only leadership sessions and roundtables convening mayors, senior city officials, CIOs, CTOs, and department leaders to examine AI governance, readiness, and long-term civic impact.
Civic Working Groups
Cross-sector working groups composed of city leaders and technology members focused on priority areas such as public safety, smart infrastructure, mobility, data governance, workforce transformation, and responsible AI deployment.
Sovereign AI Starting Point
A structured approach to help cities define their AI governance baseline, including policy alignment, data stewardship, operational readiness, and organizational ownership.
AI Governance and Ethics Frameworks
City-informed frameworks addressing ethical use, transparency, accountability, and public trust.
Implementation and Readiness Toolkits
Practical tools including AI readiness assessments, governance templates, use case libraries, organizational change guidance, and workforce planning resources.
Peer Learning and City-to-City Exchange
Ongoing opportunities for cities to share lessons learned and best practices in a trusted, collaborative setting.

Why ElevateGov AI

Cities face increasing pressure to adopt AI responsibly while navigating regulatory change, workforce constraints, and public expectations. ElevateGov AI exists to support thoughtful, collaborative leadership across cities.
The program supports cities by:
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• Strengthening internal AI readiness and governance capacity
• Aligning leadership across mayoral offices, CIOs, CTOs, and department heads
• Providing adaptable frameworks for local application
• Supporting ethical, transparent, and community-centered AI use
• Enabling cross-city learning without procurement influence

“Our city has long prioritized innovation that works for our residents. ElevateGov AI gives cities a governance-first framework that ensures transparent and ethical deployment of AI, not just experimentation without guardrails.”  
                               
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Programming Highlights:

Public Sector and Ecosystem Collaborators

ElevateGov AI engages with public sector and civic organizations to broaden impact and align with national priorities through a nonpartisan and bipartisan framework, including:
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• Smart City Expo World Congress
• Tomorrow.City
• The U.S. Conference of Mayors
• African American Mayors Association
• National League of Cities

Quarterly Focus Areas and Champion Leadership

Each quarter centers on a single topic delivered through three progressive sessions.
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Q1: AI Readiness, Governance, and Workforce Upskilling
Deliverable: AI Readiness and Governance Toolkit

Q2: Sovereign Infrastructure, Procurement Readiness, and Economic Development
Deliverable: Sovereign Infrastructure and Procurement Readiness Playbook

Q3: Community Trust, Ethics, and Equity
Deliverable: Trust and Ethics Framework
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Q4: Operational AI, Use Cases, and City–Higher Education Collaboration
Deliverable: Operational AI Playbook

All quarterly outputs are consolidated into the annual Sovereign AI Playbook.

How ElevateGov AI Turns Topics Into City-Ready Deliverables

Each session follows a consistent methodology designed to produce practical outcomes.
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• Phase One: Full Engagement
• Collaborative discussion resulting in a clear conceptual direction.
• Phase Two: Validation and Confirmation
• Consensus-building and documentation for alignment.
• Phase Three: Feasibility and Path Forward
• Assessment of technical feasibility and implementation pathways.

Program Membership and Participation

ElevateGov AI operates on an annual membership basis and includes:
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• One-year program participation
• Four quarterly topic tracks
• Monthly workshops and advisory office hours
• Cross-city learning and leadership engagement

Participation is designed for education, collaboration, and readiness only.

Members and Collaboration:

ElevateGov AI was born out of our close collaboration with NVIDIA whose bold vision and civic leadership inspired the creation of this national platform. These founding partners and those joining them, represent the best of innovation, responsibility, and purpose.
 
Together, these organizations are shaping the future of AI in government, not just through advanced technologies, but through a shared commitment to ethical deployment, civic trust, and measurable public impact.
 
Each founding member brings powerful capabilities, strategic insight, and a deep belief in AI's potential to serve communities. They are united in helping local governments solve the most pressing challenges of our time, safely, responsibly, and at scale.
 
This curated network continues to grow, welcoming AI-driven innovators who are ready to lead with purpose, design with integrity, and build the future, for the public good.

Legal Statement

Civic Leaders Driving the Program

ElevateGov AI is guided by U.S. mayors and senior city leaders from diverse regions and communities. Participation reflects a nonpartisan and bipartisan approach focused on civic leadership and public responsibility.
Participating and contributing cities include:

• Denver, Colorado
• Long Beach, California
• Rochester Hills, Michigan
• Arlington, Texas
• Montgomery, Alabama
• Chicago, Illinois
• Cincinnati, Ohio
• Cleveland, Ohio
• Tucson, Arizona
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Tampa, Florida
• Durham, North Carolina
• Mount Vernon, New York
• City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Street Lighting

Founding Technology Members

ElevateGov AI collaborates with technology organizations that bring expertise in artificial intelligence, infrastructure, and civic systems. Participation supports program learning and readiness and is nonpartisan and bipartisan in nature.
Founding Technology Members include:

• NVIDIA
• Microsoft
• Cisco
• ONETERA
• Juganu
• Qwake Technologies

Let’s Get Connected:

ElevateGov AI is onboarding select civic leaders, technology members, and ecosystem collaborators committed to advancing responsible, city-led AI.
For program information or participation inquiries, please contact:

Is ElevateGov AI a nonpartisan or bipartisan program?

Yes. ElevateGov AI is a nonpartisan and bipartisan civic program operated by Elevate Cities and The U.S. Roundtable.

Is ElevateGov AI a sales, lobbying, or procurement program?

No. ElevateGov AI is not a sales program and is not a procurement forum. No solicitations, pricing discussions, vendor comparisons, product promotion, or procurement strategies are permitted.

Does the program influence RFPs, bids, or contract awards?

No. ElevateGov AI does not influence or support any requests for proposals, bidding processes, contract awards, or purchasing decisions at any level of government.

Does participation provide special access or competitive advantage?

No. Participation does not confer special access, preferences, competitive advantages, or non-public information to any participant.