Rochester named winner in Bloomberg Global Mayors Challenge

Rochester has been named one of 15 winning cities in Bloomberg Philanthropies’s 2021-2022 Global Mayors Challenge.

The announcement, made Tuesday, will grant Rochester $1 million to implement its proposal, which aims to empower Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) women to pursue careers in construction.

Rochester joins 14 other cities from six continents that were chosen by Bloomberg Philanthropies, a charitable organization founded by billionaire businessman and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.

When the competition first launched in January 2021, mayors from 631 cities in 99 countries submitted ideas for the challenge.

Rochester leaders say the proposal focuses on the construction industry because of the potential for economic recovery and sustainable job growth as the city moves forward with the Destination Medical Center initiative.

“Advancing the work in our proposal will allow us to address the marked disparities that exist for BIPOC women in Rochester,” Mayor Kim Norton said in a statement. “It will also help meet the needs of the construction and built environment industries that are vital to our growing community and in advancing the new federal infrastructure investment.” 

More information about Rochester’s project can be found here.