NEW YORK , NY, UNITED STATES, June 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Living Cities CEO Joe Scantlebury was among the first speakers to take the mainstage at Fast Company’s annual Impact Council meeting, where he challenged attendees to rethink how capital flows and who benefits from it. Drawing on Living Cities’ 35 years of expanding access to capital and advancing economic mobility, Scantlebury made the case that inclusive investment is essential to fostering innovation, strengthening economies, and ensuring long-term prosperity for everyone.
Scantlebury, an Impact Council member and regular contributor to Fast Company, joined Jean-Claude Brizard, President and CEO of Digital Promise, and Deirdre White, CEO of Pyxera Global, for the “Rebuilding America’s Competitive Edge” panel, moderated by Fast Company Editor-in-Chief Brendan Vaughan. Together, the session explored how leaders can strengthen the ecosystems that drive economic growth and societal progress.
During the conversation, Scantlebury challenged conventional assumptions about where innovation happens, who drives it, and how capital should flow to sustain it, emphasizing that America’s future competitiveness depends on investing in communities that have long been overlooked.
“Who and where we choose to invest in is part of the solution,” said Scantlebury. ”There’s innovation everywhere in this country. There’s innovation in every city. The question is whether the capital will follow and sustain the investments.”
The Fast Company Impact Council is an exclusive collective of influential executives, founders, and visionary leaders setting the standard for innovation through bold ideas and a commitment to progress. This year’s annual meeting theme, “The United States of Innovation,” held on the eve of America’s 250th anniversary, examined the vital role innovation has played in establishing American economic leadership and what is required to sustain that position in an increasingly competitive global landscape.
About Living Cities
Living Cities is an Action Engine for Equitable Cities– a member collaborative of leading philanthropic foundations and financial institutions committed to closing income and wealth gaps in the United States and building an economy that works for everyone.
For 35 years, Living Cities has collaboratively helped to advance policy and systems changes nationwide, promoting profitable and inclusive wealth-building. Specifically, Living Cities addresses barriers to capital investment through knowledge sharing and collective action among its members, its partners, and an extensive network of city leaders around the country. Learn more at https://livingcities.org/.
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