Jill Ford
Special Advisor to Mayor Mike Duggan, Head of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
City of Detroit
As Mayor Duggan’s Special Advisor, Jill Ford heads the City of Detroit’s innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives. Jill chose to come to Detroit from the San Francisco Bay Area, where as an Angel Investor and Advisor she transformed emerging businesses using strategies forged in mobile gaming. Jill brings a wealth of global leadership in mobile and games, including heading Disney Mobile’s worldwide distribution to mobile manufacturers and running Motorola’s global games usage. A global citizen, Jill ran a company in Ghana that discovered, developed, and funded new entrepreneurs and she has traveled to more than 15 countries. Jill combines a Wharton MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Harvard University.
Recent Events and Presentations
Learning From the World’s Leading Startup Ecosystems
Join ITIF as the World Bank’s Victor Mulas presents new research on the World’s Best Startup Ecosystems and we hear from practitioners leading the development of innovation ecosystems in leading and revitalizing cities including Boston, Buenos Aires, Tel Aviv, and Detroit.
