As the City of San Leandro’s first Chief Innovation Officer, Ms. Acosta’s task is twofold: (1) develop the Lit San Leandro 10 gbps fiber optic network as a unique infrastructure tool to attract, expand and retain innovative tech businesses and businesses in need of fast connectivity; and (2) to cultivate a healthy tech and innovation ecosystem designed to attract investment, companies and jobs to San Leandro. Ms. Acosta has focused on developing public/private partnerships to achieve City Council goals regarding economic, technology and environmental resilience. The most visible success of this strategy is The Gate, the transformation of 400,000+ sf of a former Chrysler Dodge auto plant into the largest 3D desktop printing hub in the world – the Bay Area Advanced Manufacturing group (BAAM). Today, over 3 million square feet of commercial and industrial building space and over 200 businesses are now connected to Lit San Leandro. Recently, the City launched a new public private partnership with Olidata Smart Cities, OSISoft, Lawrence Berkeley National Labs and GELI to create a City-wide distributed renewable energy micro grid.

Ms. Acosta is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley, with 12 years as banking professional in San Francisco, 12 years as a City of Oakland Economic Development professional focused in International Trade and the Innovative Technology sectors, and 1.5 years as an entrepreneur and business development consultant.