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About

The Innovation Forum of the American Swiss Foundation is a cutting-edge program that brings together thought leaders across academia, the investor community, government, and private sectors to explore topics of today. This gathering encourages cross-sector dialogue, strengthens professional networks, and builds lasting partnerships across business, government, the media, and other fields in both the United States and Switzerland.
 
The Innovation Forum fosters collaboration and creates meaningful points of connection with ASF’s community, bringing together leaders across the United States and Switzerland engaged in continued dialogue and shared initiatives. With a strong footprint of Swiss-American leaders, Swiss companies, and a robust network of prestigious universities, Boston is the perfect location for the intercultural, cross-sectoral, and knowledge transfer objectives of the Innovation Forum.
 

Upcoming Innovation Forum

The 2026 Innovation Forum will take place in October in Boston, MA, United States. We hope you will join us! Please email info@americanswiss.org for more information.

 

FELLOWS_WORKING    Innovation_Fellows    FELLOWS_STANDING

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Past Forums

2026

On October 15, 2026, the American Swiss Foundation (ASF) hosted its Innovation Forum: Developing the Workforce of Tomorrow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, bringing together leaders from government, education, business, and civil society to explore the future of workforce development in the United States and Switzerland.
 
The American Swiss Foundation (ASF) is proud to introduce its 2026–2027 Innovation Fellows, a cohort of 13 Fellows: 12 U.S. Mayors & 1 State Secretary of Labor, participating in the second year of ASF’s Innovation Forum.
 

 

 

 

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2025
 
On October 9, 2025, the American Swiss Foundation launched the Innovation Forum, with the theme "Developing the Workforce of Tomorrow” at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This landmark gathering brought together leaders from government, industry, and academia to share transatlantic perspectives on labor innovation and workforce development.
 
 We would particularly like to recognize our honorary co-hosts, former U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh and Massachusetts Secretary of Labor Lauren Jones, whose shared dedication to apprenticeships and workforce development inspired this Forum.
 
The inaugural class of Innovation Fellows is a distinguished group of state Secretaries of Labor from across the United States. To our knowledge, this event demonstrates the largest convening of State Secretaries/Commissioners of Labor ever held, with 17 being members of our year-long Innovation Fellowship.

 

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Innovation Fellows

Class of 2025-2026, Innovation Fellows
 
Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo, New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development 
 
Director Joseph M. Barela, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment 
 
Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo, Connecticut Department of Labor 
 
Director Jade T. Butay, State of Hawai'i Department of Labor & Industrial Relations 
 
Director Jane R. Flanagan, Illinois Department of Labor 
 
Commissioner Laura A. Fortman, Maine Department of Labor 
 
Director Anna Hui, Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations 
 
Secretary Stewart Knox, California Labor & Workforce Development Agency 
 
Secretary Lauren E. Jones (Young Leader 2017), The Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) 
 
Director & State Secretary of Labor Unique Morris-Hughes , PhD, DC Department of Employment Services 
 
Commissioner Gary G. Pan , Virginia Department of Labor and Industry 
 
Commissioner Roberta Reardon, New York State Department of Labor 
 
Undersecretary Jacque Roberts, California Labor & Workforce Development Agency 
 
Commissioner Sarah Swanson, Montana Department of Labor & Industry 
 
Secretary Susana Schowen, Louisiana Works 
 
Commissioner Deniece L. Thomas, Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development 
 
Secretary Portia Wu, Maryland Department of Labor 
 
 
Class of 2026 – 2027, Innovation Fellows 
 
Senior Fellows 
 
Mayor Quinton Lucas (Young Leader 2023), Mayor, City of Kansas City, MO
 
Director Dr. Unique Morris-Hughes , PhD (ASF Innovation Fellow 2025 - 2026), Director & State Secretary of Labor, DC Department of Employment Services, District of Columbia 
 
Mayor Daniel Rickenmann (Young Leader 2006), Mayor, City of Columbia SC 
 
 
 
Mayor Malik Evans, Mayor, City of Rochester, New York 
 
Mayor Carmalitha L. Gumbs, MBA, MHA, Mayor, City of South Fulton, Georgia 
 
Mayor Tim Keller, Mayor, City of Albuquerque, New Mexico 
 
Mayor Tim Kelly, Mayor, City of Chattanooga, Tennessee 
 
Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle, Mayor, City of Vancouver, Washington 
 
Mayor Nadia Mohamed, Mayor, City of St. Louis Park , Minnesota 
 
Mayor Jared Nicholson, Mayor, City of Lynn , Massachusetts 
 
Mayor D.C. Reeves , Mayor, City of Pensacola (City of Pensacola Government), Florida
 
Mayor Debra Wimpee , Mayor of City of Broken Arrow , Oklahoma 
 
Mayor Lily Wu , Mayor, City of Wichita Kansas 
 

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