Stuart O Smith Jr
November 20 at 10:29 PM

I am so glad I attended the Futureland Conference today at Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland moCa. I reconnected with so many people I know, and also met new, interesting people who are doing excellent work in our community.

- Laura DeMarco, thank you for giving me more details about your Feb 12, 2026, “Lost Cleveland” talk, and letting me know about your December 6th event
[http://laurademarcoauthor.com/category/events/]
https://sosassociates.com/search/node?keys=%22Laura%20DeMarco%22&advanc…

- Shanelle Smith Whigham, it was so good to talk to you today. Thank you for making a point to touch base with me during your busy day. Julie Smith and I appreciated your leadership when we first worked with you in 2020.
https://bsky.app/profile/sosjr.bsky.social/post/3m63bgcfyac2m
https://sosassociates.com/search/node?keys=%22Shanelle%20Smith%20Whigha…

- Deidre McPherson, always good to see you at arts events! I appreciate your important work at Assembly for the Arts.
https://sosassociates.com/blog/2024-12-29-pechakucha-night-cleveland-ci…

- Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne, as you said, it was good to see you twice in one week!! (As time permits, I plan to write a [Please read my December 3, 2025,] blog post about the new Euclid Ohio park.) I really liked the presentation today about using technology as the great equalizer.
https://bsky.app/profile/sosjr.bsky.social/post/3m634at6ros2m
I have a good video of your talk in Euclid:
https://bsky.app/profile/sosjr.bsky.social/post/3m5pcpkupz22k

- Kevin Goodman, it was good to see you again today, after our meeting last week.
https://sosassociates.com/blog-tags/bluebridge

- I enjoyed learning from University Hospitals doctors about their ideas on how to better use technology and data.
https://bsky.app/profile/sosjr.bsky.social/post/3m6354blha22m

It was interesting to hear from the doctors today, since it was just in 2024 that my success story about hiking on The Buckeye Trail and Appalachian Trail was shared on the University Hospitals' website:
https://sosassociates.com/blog/2024-02-28-university-hospitals-guest-po…

- Joshua Edmonds, it was good to talk to DigitalC staff about not only residential internet access, but learning more about the great business internet access.
https://bsky.app/profile/sosjr.bsky.social/post/3m63adati5c2m
https://sosassociates.com/blog-tags/midtown-tech-hive

- Mayor Justin M. Bibb, it was good to talk to you briefly before your presentation. I really appreciated your interest in providing the opportunity for our community's children to get the education needed for the careers of today and the future. I also think your shout-out to Digital C was appropriate recognition.
https://bsky.app/profile/sosjr.bsky.social/post/3m63btgj3wc2m
https://sosassociates.com/search/node?keys=Justin%20Bibb

- Jeremy Johnson, thank you for having lunch with me today to update me on what has been happening at Assembly for the Arts since I heard your PechaKucha Night Cleveland talk last year at The City Club of Cleveland.
https://sosassociates.com/blog/2024-12-29-pechakucha-night-cleveland-ci…

- Emanuel Wallace, I see you everywhere! It was good talking to you.
https://emanuelwallace.com/
https://sosassociates.com/search/node?keys=%22Emanuel%20Wallace%22&adva…

- Myles Smith and Jala K. Smith, I enjoyed your presentations today.
https://bsky.app/profile/sosjr.bsky.social/post/3m63ljc6y3c2m
I not only shared your violin playing from today on social media, but I found the direct link to my blog post of you playing at OneWorldDay in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens in 2017:
https://sosassociates.com/blog/2017-09-16-one-world-day-2017#others
https://bsky.app/profile/sosjr.bsky.social/post/3m63xpj3vwc2m

I talked to a few people about the work being done by Indivisible NEO, and suggested that everyone who wanted to know more should see the links and photos I shared last night's presentation featuring Dan Moulthrop: https://bsky.app/profile/sosjr.bsky.social/post/3m5zi4mitl22r

I always have a good time at Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland moCa in Uptown Cleveland. It was great to hear from moCa Executive Director, Megan Lykins Reich, about the mission of the museum — #art now, in progress.
https://sosassociates.com/blog-tags/moca
https://bsky.app/profile/sosjr.bsky.social/post/3m63ynf36t22m

Connecting Community and Innovation at the Futureland Conference

The recent Futureland Conference, hosted at the vibrant Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (moCa), proved to be an invaluable day of networking, learning, and connection. As a first-time attendee, I was thrilled by the energy and the opportunity to engage with so many dedicated individuals who are driving progress across our community in the tech, arts, and public service sectors.

The event successfully blended high-level technological vision with concrete community action, perfectly encapsulated by moCa’s mission: #art now, in progress.

Leadership's Vision for a Tech-Enabled Future

A central theme of the day was the role of technology as "the great equalizer," a concept championed by local leaders.

It was encouraging to hear about the forward-thinking approach from public officials who are focused on leveraging technology for broad community benefit. Specifically, it was a pleasure to speak with Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne and hear the compelling case for using technology to benefit all citizens. I also appreciated the opportunity to connect briefly with Mayor Justin M. Bibb before his presentation, where he emphasized the critical need to provide community children with the education necessary for the careers of today and the future. His appropriate recognition of DigitalC’s role in this effort highlighted the importance of public-private partnership in achieving digital inclusion.

This focus on infrastructure and access was further reinforced by my conversation with Joshua Edmonds and the DigitalC staff, where I learned more about their excellent work, not only concerning residential internet access but also the great strides being made in business internet access for the region.

Driving Local Impact and Innovation

The conference provided a wealth of insights across several key domains:

• Public Service and Community Development: It was a true pleasure to catch up with Shanelle Smith Whigham, whose leadership I have long appreciated, and to see her continuing dedication to community advancement.
• Health Technology: I particularly enjoyed hearing from University Hospitals doctors about their ideas on how to better utilize technology and data in healthcare. This was a timely discussion, as I was reminded of my own success story regarding hiking on the Appalachian Trail, which was recently featured on the University Hospitals’ website.
• Arts and Culture: The arts community was well-represented. I appreciated the opportunity to speak with Deidre McPherson and have an insightful lunch update with Jeremy Johnson on the important work being done at Assembly for the Arts. Hearing from moCa Executive Director, Megan Lykins Reich, about the museum's mission was also a wonderful reminder of how arts and innovation intersect.

The Power of Personal Connection

Beyond the formal presentations, the real value of the conference lay in the personal and professional connections made. It was great to meet so many new, interesting people and reconnect with colleagues like Kevin Goodman, whom I had just seen the previous week, and Emanuel Wallace, who seems to be everywhere, driving positive change.

I also valued the opportunity to learn more from historian Laura DeMarco about her upcoming "Lost Cleveland" talk and her other local history events, underscoring the importance of remembering the past while building the future. Finally, a highlight was enjoying the captivating presentations by Myles Smith and Jala K. Smith, whose talents I've had the pleasure of following for years.

The Futureland Conference wasn't just a day of talks; it was a powerful assembly of the dedicated individuals driving Cleveland's future. I left the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland energized and ready to engage with these fantastic initiatives.

Transcript: Blog Post Collaboration with Gemini

Conversation detailing the transformation of a Facebook post into a blog article about the Futureland Conference.

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A Note on the Production of This Post
This blog post was developed in collaboration with **Gemini**, an AI assistant built by Google. The original notes and core content were provided from my experience at the Google-presented Futureland AI Forward Summit, and Gemini was used to transform those social media notes into this structured, publishable article.

<section style="margin-top: 40px; padding: 20px; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0; background-color: #f9f9f9; border-radius: 5px;">
    <h3>A Note on the Production of This Post</h3>
    <p>This blog post was developed in collaboration with <strong>Gemini</strong>, an AI assistant built by Google. The original notes and core content were provided from my experience at the Google-presented Futureland AI Forward Summit, and Gemini was used to transform those social media notes into this structured, publishable article.</p>
</section>
        

The Euclid Model: Opening Up Lake Erie Through Innovative Park Development

Following discussions about technology as a 'great equalizer' at the Futureland Conference, it’s fitting to shine a light on a major local infrastructure project that serves a similar goal for **equitable community access**: the **Euclid Waterfront Improvement Project**.

This initiative, which I had the pleasure of hearing more about recently, is more than just a new park—it is a groundbreaking example of how a community can transform a long-standing challenge (shoreline erosion) into an opportunity for **unprecedented public benefit**.

The Lakefront Public Access Trail

For decades, the vast majority of Euclid's Lake Erie shoreline was privately owned and inaccessible to its residents. The Waterfront Improvement Project, which includes expansions like the **Upland Sims Park Expansion** and the forthcoming **Senator Kenny Yuko Park**, is fundamentally changing that reality. The centerpiece is the creation of a:

• A nearly **¾-mile public access trail** along the shoreline.
• A path built atop a seawall structure that also provides **critical erosion mitigation**.
• A model established through a **unique public-private partnership** with nearly 100 private property owners.

This approach—securing shoreline protection in exchange for public access—has been hailed as the **"Euclid Model"** and is now being sought for reproduction across the Great Lakes region.

Building a Resilient and Connected Community

The impact of this "new park" extends far beyond simple recreation. It touches on key areas of community resilience and growth:

By opening up the lakefront, Euclid is not only enhancing the quality of life for its citizens but also positioning itself as a destination for outdoor tourism, linking the lake to the central business district, and protecting vital infrastructure from erosion.

The project aligns perfectly with the regional vision championed by leaders like **County Executive Chris Ronayne**, who often emphasizes the importance of trail networks and connecting communities to their natural resources. I appreciated the opportunity to see his talk on this subject, highlighting the commitment to creating accessible, world-class waterfront destinations for all of Cuyahoga County.

The new parks and the Lakefront Trail demonstrate a powerful commitment to sustainability, health, and equitable access. It is a fantastic example of a community investing in its future by embracing its greatest natural asset: Lake Erie.