Transcript: Mayor Eric Adams Delivers Remarks at Salesforce's World Tour NYC

December 8, 2022

Jon Moore, Director of Global Public Sector Product Marketing, Salesforce: Would you all please put your hands together and give a warm New York world tour welcome to Mayor Eric Adams.

Mayor Eric Adams: I feel like I'm in the clouds.

Moore: You absolutely are. It's the best place to be, aside from New York City.

Mayor Adams: Without a doubt.

Moore: Thank you for hosting us, Mr. Mayor.

Mayor Adams: Thank you. Thank you for being here and bringing not only your physical presence, you're bringing your energy. The residue of your energy is going to remain even after this is over.

Moore: Yes, sir. Absolutely. That is the plan. We come to land, expand, and leave the energy of tech right here with you. And we know this is a very tech forward and tech embracing city. And so I wanted to talk to you a little bit about the approach that you've taken to really taking the helm of such a vibrant community here in New York City. What is the significance of having an event like a world tour being executed and back again in this city live and in person?

Mayor Adams: No, it's so important. Here in the Javits Center, and it's just, for those who are out of town, there's really one primary ask: Spend money. Spend a lot of money. But I think we are at a cosmic shift in our human experience. People are just looking for something different and we cannot continue, particularly in governing, we do not do much about the customer experience. How does the customer feel? There's a level of arrogancy in government. If I don't pick up your trash, where are you going to go? If I don't educate your child because you can't afford it, where are you going to go? And so while companies and corporations are constantly saying, I must build a better product so I can bring my customers in, government inherently don't believe that. And what I must do as the mayor, I must bring a competitive edge to say, “I have to have a good customer experience so our citizens will constantly want to be a part of the services that we provide to the city.” And Salesforce has done that and will continue to do it in cities all across this country.

Moore: Absolutely. And I love the thread you had running through there was all about keeping the customer at the center of everything that you're doing. Building systems that are designed to take into consideration that human element. Before thinking necessarily about having the most efficient system, you have to make sure it's the most human intuitive system.

Mayor Adams: Without a doubt. Archbishop Desmond Tutu has a quote that I live by, “You spend a lifetime pulling people out of the river. You need to go upstream and prevent them from falling in in the first place.” We believe that a downstream mindset in every part of our... The resources it's built on, waiting downstream until someone falls in the river and we pull them out. We have to have an upstream mindset and it's a way to save lives, prevent the anxiety and it's a really more efficient way of running our cities. And technology is relevant to you and me. I used to program (inaudible) in the seventies. I don't live this now, but back then, we used technology to keep our city safe, now we must use technology to prevent some of the crises that we are facing.

Moore: So we have a tech OG standing here. You went up here and you were really dropping the terminology, spitting the language, and what I love about this is I've watched your administration, I've seen how intentional you've been about actually creating an environment where tech can thrive. So I want to understand from your perspective how you see technology playing a role in driving this city forward and transforming New York? With it being one of the largest cities in the world, certainly you all are a blueprint, you're a template for metropolitan areas and municipalities around the world.

Mayor Adams: It's so true. There is America, and then there's New York. Because we are large, it doesn't mean we have all the answers. But I'm fine if we go to smaller municipalities that can scale up their…

Moore: I think if you hold it a little closer to your face, that should help.

Mayor Adams: One, two, one, two.

Moore: I had that problem before you got here. Don't worry.

Mayor Adams: I feel like Jay-Z. If we look at some of our smaller, my partners in other municipalities, smaller cities, they scale up faster, and if we can duplicate and expand. But the goal is, we want to focus on life sciences. We want to focus on connectivity to make sure that people are connected to high speed, broadband and think differently. Then we have to build a pipeline. A lot of our young people, particularly in New York City, they have to start being a part of the growth and expansion. Also this is a moonshine moment. I don't know if Ford said it or they attribute it to him, if he would have asked people if they would have wanted faster horses, and he was thinking of cars. There are too many fast horses thinkers and we need to think differently and be unafraid to do so.

What's interesting to me is, we are now looking at, how do we use gaming for education? My little guy plays games for eight hours. Imagine if I could get him that excited to learn through that gaming system? Technology is the key of really allowing people to see what the possibilities are and not what the limitations are. That is the goal we want to do here to save New York.

Moore: Yeah. Technology is a vehicle and a catalyst for certain. I love what you said earlier about connectivity and accessibility, because not only does that have vast economic implications, but there are also equity implications.

Mayor Adams: Without a doubt. Without a doubt.

Moore: We talked a little bit about, or I talk all the time, about historic inequities that now we're in a position to address some of that stuff in a far more pragmatic, forward thinking and sustainable way. You said it, this is a moonshine moment. I think I'm going to borrow that terminology and I'm going to use it at some of my future talks, because I believe that. I think that we are standing at the precipice of something truly phenomenal. And it's leaders like you and others around the country that are really going to lead us in that regard in that digital transformation. You are coming to the end of the first year of your term and there's a lot that's happened. I'm sure this year you've had your high highs and your low lows, and all places in between. But I'd love to hear how you’re measuring success. How are you really measuring impact, especially with such a broad and varied purview that you're responsible for?

Mayor Adams: I love every day of it. We faced Covid, we faced crime, we faced some tragic losses in fires, but I want it all. When does one draw when the game is on the line? I want to take the last shot. I did not come to become the mayor to climb a hill, I wanted to climb a mountain. And don't get up there and complain about the view. This is an opportunity to transform the city and really to deal with historical inequities. We've left too many people behind and abandoned so many people and betrayed them, and I just believe this is an opportunity to do so. And as we move forward to next year, because being the mayor is dog years. One day is multiple years. Every day there's something happening in the city, but it's very exciting. This is an opportunity to partner with organizations like yours. Salesforce is really a force to be reckoned with. This is the future of what we need to look at, and partnering with those who are leading these municipalities can really transform our city and transform our country in the process.

Moore: Absolutely. One final question for you, Mr. Mayor.

Mayor Adams: Yes, sir.

Moore: And I don't want to get you in trouble so let me throw this disclaimer out here.

Mayor Adams: I stay in trouble.

Moore: All right, so we're going to put you in a good place. Let me say this first though. This is not an endorsement of any particular food establishment. Please do not make purchasing decisions based upon the opinions expressed here today. But Mayor Eric Adams, as a native and proud New Yorker, I have to know where it is you get your slice and where I should go and get my slice?

Mayor Adams: There's a couple places. There's one in Brooklyn called Slutty Vegan.

Moore: I'm from D.C. They're bringing one to D.C. They're already a hit in Atlanta, for anybody from Atlanta who knows. Yeah, let's hear it. So okay, I'm with you. You heard it here first, folks. And I will meet you all there at Slutty Vegan after this event is over. Mayor Eric Adams, thank you so much. We appreciate you coming.

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