Cities represent a massive untapped market for startups. But many founders see government sales as a risky strategy. In this webinar, we will demystify the B2G sales process and help startup founders chart a successful strategy for B2G sales. We aim to cover topics such as:
- Creating accurate buyer personas (how to sell to both the end user and the person making procurement decisions)
- Effective means of getting in touch and staying connected to purchasers
- How to effectively position your startup and create a compelling product demo
- How to stay connected during the lengthy procurement process
Panelists:
David Graham, Deputy COO of the City of San Diego
David Graham is a veteran local government advisor having worked for the County of San Diego and City of San Diego as well as a stint in private sector public affairs. Serving on Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s Executive Leadership team as DCOO for the Office of Neighborhood Services, he oversees a group of departments including Libraries, Parks & Recreation, Development Services, Economic Development, Planning, and the Arts and Culture Commission.
Graham has worked for several San Diego Mayors and has represented the City on planning and civic innovation initiatives including Smart City San Diego, CleanTECH San Diego, Envision America and the national MetroLab Network. His smart cities work includes the first all-electric car-share fleet in North America, an open-data platform for development permitting, a partnership with GE to deploy sensors in LED enabled smart streetlights and using technology to achieve municipal climate change goals.
Representing the City as a core team member, Graham was instrumental in developing the region’s Go Global strategy and represents the City on the Global Cities Initiative, a partnership of Brookings and JPMorgan Chase. His passion for land use, civic engagement and intelligent infrastructure has led him to be a regular speaker from the metropolitan perspective on these issues including Bloomberg Philanthropies City Innovators Summit , Globe 12, Minds + Machines, Connected Futures, City Innovate Summit, CityAge and VERGE.
Patrick Sinnott, Business Development Manager for the City of Las Vegas
Patrick Sinnott serves as business development manager for the city of Las Vegas’ Economic and Urban Development Department (EUD). He directs, manages and coordinates the business development and urban development programs and activities with an emphasis on job creation and business growth; coordinates EUD activities with other city departments, divisions and outside agencies to support new development and redevelopment; and provides highly responsible and complex support to executive management.
The Business Development Division strives to increase and diversify the city’s economic base through business attraction, retention and expansion programs in support of the city, region and state.Sinnott is regarded as an expert in not only business strategy and financial analysis, but also development and commercial general contracting. He is an experienced commercial general contractor and broker specializing in land, financial analysis, development and construction.
With more than 25 years of domestic and international business experience, he is well versed in business development, operations, marketing, sales and management. He has worked with organizations of all sizes from small startups to Fortune 500 companies and various government entities.
Gregory K. Spearman, Purchasing Director for the City of Tampa
Gregory K. Spearman is a native of Glenwood, GA and received his B. S. Degree from Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, Georgia, a Master’s Degree from Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia and his M.P.H. Degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, TX. He worked for the Houston-Galveston Area Council of Governments as a Health Care Consultant and then as a Purchasing Planner for the Agency’s Cooperative Purchasing Program where he served as Program Administrator for the Cooperative Purchasing Program for four years.
He served as Director of Purchasing for the City of Savannah, Georgia from 1986 to 1991. In the latter part of 1991, he became the Director of Purchasing for the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Purchasing Department, a consolidated City-County Purchasing operation. While in Charlotte, he was instrumental in implementing a number of cost saving measures including “Just In Time” contracts for Inventory items. He also was part of team that oversaw the RFP process for the competition of various City services against the private sector. In 2000, he went to work in the private sector for Onvia, a company that produces Web Based Purchasing Software for public agencies. He helped to develop purchasing solutions for agencies needing to improve their purchasing process via automation.
Mr. Spearman is a Certified Public Purchasing Officer, a Florida Certified Contracts Manager and has been active in the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) for a number of years as a seminar presenter, instructor, member of the Talent Council and mentor. He is currently Director of Purchasing for the City of Tampa where he manages a staff of 29 and is responsible for the day to day operation for the acquisition of various goods and services, disposal of surplus property and Inventory Management for the City. He is an active member of the Tampa Bay Chapter of NIGP and serves as Co-Chair on the Community Action Board of Hillsborough County, a Community Action Agency whose mission is to help low income citizens to become self sufficient. He also is a member of the City’s Emergency Management Steering Committee.
Sol Salinas, Managing Director at Accenture
Salinas is the North America Strategy-Sustainability Practice Leader at Accenture. As part of Accenture's Strategy-Sustainability North America leadership team, Sol's responsibilities include helping to grow Accenture's presence across the federal government as well as expanding Accenture Strategy-Sustainability Services across Health and Public Service (H&PS) and throughout North America.