George Burciaga | Tech Entrepreneur and Global Award-Winning Leader in Smart City Innovation

Recipient of the Global Governance and Economy Award at the Smart City Expo World Congress 2023

Biography: George Burciaga, a proud Chicago native, is an internationally acclaimed thought leader and architect at the forefront of urban digital transformation. His expertise lies in enhancing citizen engagement, transforming city infrastructure, and optimizing funding strategies for municipalities, while also providing strategic advice to mayors across the United States.

Currently, George launched and serves as the Managing Partner at The U.S. Roundtable, LLC, a firm dedicated to advising and fostering collaboration among mayors in the technology sector. His visionary leadership has been instrumental in architecting innovative solutions and partnerships among city mayors. Additionally, he leads Elevate Cities, a subsidiary of The U.S. Roundtable, specializing in advancing project deployments to address critical city issues. These projects have collectively reached a value of $1.2 billion, achieved through implementing efficiencies, sustainability, and profitability measures within smart city deployments.

Global Impact: George's influence extends beyond the United States, actively spearheading collaboration initiatives in countries such as Colombia, Mexico, and Spain. His commitment to advancing smart city solutions on a global scale underscores his status as a trailblazer in the intersection of technology and government.

Successful Startups and Acquisitions: George Burciaga, known for orchestrating more than one successful acquisition, founded Elevate Digital, LLC in 2012, pioneering an IoT and interactive software platform that connects devices at street level, thereby engaging people, services, and devices. This innovative approach has not only generated new advertising revenue but also advanced city services, leading to the introduction of interactive digital screens across cities. On February 2, 2016, JMC Capital Partners, in collaboration with partners like Google and Qualcomm, acquired Elevate Digital. Based in Chicago, IL, Elevate Digital has established itself as a leading developer of street-level, interactive sotiware technology.

Notable Recognitions: Throughout his career, George has received prestigious honors, including commendations from two U.S. Presidents (President Barack Obama and President George Bush) for his significant contributions to the technology landscape. He has been appointed to numerous leadership roles within the public sector across the country, emphasizing his dedication to driving positive change nationally. His exceptional achievements include induction into the University of Illinois at Chicago's Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame and being named a U.S. Small Business leader.

Recent Achievement: George was honored with the Global Governance and Economy Smart City Award at the Smart City Expo World Congress 2023, held in Barcelona, Spain. This prestigious event, with over 25,000 atendees from more than 800 cities and over 140 countries, reviewed over 400 applications across 10 categories. George was recognized for his outstanding work in "Building Our Future Cities Together," highlighting his impactful role in global urban innovation.