James Anderson

James Anderson leads the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. An expert in public sector innovation, strategic communications, and urban transformation, he advises mayors around the globe on new ways to solve critical urban challenges.

Previously, James served as communications director for New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. In this capacity, he was the chief architect of NYC Service, the City’s transformative citizen service strategy. He guided public engagement around Bloomberg’s high profile education reforms, the city’s response and recovery to the Great Recession, and future minded initiatives to promote sustainability and transform the City’s streets and civic spaces. Before joining Mike in City Hall, James was an associate commissioner for the New York City Department of Homeless Services, responsible for communications and public affairs, and communications director for the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network.

His work at Bloomberg Philanthropies has bolstered the field of public sector innovation and significantly expanded the supports and resources available to city leaders focused on leveraging innovation. These capacity building programs focus on leadership development, unleashing creativity from municipal governments, and enhancing how city halls use data and emerging technologies, such as generative AI, to solve problems. In 2023 alone, more than 700 mayors across 54 countries received grants, technical assistance, or leadership development programming through his initiatives.

James’ work and writing on public sector innovation has been featured in TIME, Bloomberg CityLab, Project Syndicate, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Newsweek, Wired, CNBC, CNN, The Guardian, and more.

James is a graduate of the University of Washington. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, NY.

Members of the media interested in connecting with James Anderson and the Government Innovation team should contact communications@bloomberg.org

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