Leading Cities

Become Government-Ready & Build Solutions Cities Can Actually Deploy

Become PPP Certified

What is Leading Cities Academy?

Leading Cities Academy is a professional certification program for sustainable, urban tech, and govtech innovators seeking to succeed in public-sector markets. The virtual curriculum is designed for entrepreneurs to better understand the public sector and to become better partners for government entities. The Academy provides a comprehensive curriculum that covers essential topics for building resilient, impactful solutions in the modern era. Through expert-led masterclasses and practical tools, participants gain specialized skills and earn digital certificates that showcase their expertise and readiness to partner with the public sector to drive change in communities.

Leading Cities Academy is Designed for...

Climate, sustainability, and resilience tech startups
Urban tech and smart city innovators
GovTech solutions selling (or planning to sell) to cities, states, or public agencies
Early-stage to growth-stage companies preparing for pilots or procurement

A Certification That Opens Doors

The Leading Cities Academy certification is more than just a credential—it’s a symbol of expertise, commitment, and trustworthiness that resonates with government leaders and stakeholders worldwide. City officials are looking for partners who understand the complexities of urban challenges and are equipped to deliver effective, sustainable solutions. This certification demonstrates that you have completed rigorous training tailored to the realities of smart city innovation.

Certified entrepreneurs are recognized as valuable collaborators who can engage meaningfully with city leaders, navigate public-private partnerships, and implement solutions that truly benefit communities.

Trusted by Governments

Certification signals to city officials that you are a skilled and reliable collaborator who understands their priorities.

Enhanced Credibility

Stand out in the smart city ecosystem with a credential that validates your knowledge and professionalism.

Stronger Partnerships

Build trust and confidence with stakeholders who value your certified expertise in addressing urban challenges.

Proven Expertise

Show that you’ve mastered the strategies necessary to create impactful solutions for communities.

Apply for Leading Cities Academy

Expert-Led Insights

Gain knowledge from industry leaders and subject matter experts through engaging video sessions and virtual office hours

Digital Certifications

Receive digital certificates at key milestones, validating your public-private partnership readiness

Flexible Learning Path

The Academy offers both a synchronous version with live Q&A sessions and an asynchronous, fully virtual option for self-paced learning.

How it Works

1. Enroll & Access the Academy

Once enrolled, participants begin receiving modules on a monthly basis, giving them time to absorb, apply, and reflect on each topic before the next one is released. Each module includes flexible, self-paced lessons supported by optional live engagements. Every lesson is designed to be practical, actionable, and directly applicable to the realities of selling to and partnering with cities and public agencies.

2. Complete the Core Curriculum

Each month concludes with a short comprehension check to mark the completion of that module. These assessments can be taken as many times as needed, and participants must achieve a 100% score for the module to count. To support this level of learning, each speaker holds monthly office hours, giving participants the opportunity to ask questions, clarify concepts, and receive direct guidance from experts who work closely with cities and public-sector partners.

3. Earn PPP-Readiness Certification

Every three completed modules unlock a new badge level, allowing you to steadily climb from Bronze to Silver and beyond at your own pace. You can continue progressing through as many modules as you’d like and choose when you feel satisfied with the level you’ve reached. For those aiming for the highest tiers, Gold and Diamond also include a small number of additional project requirements to demonstrate applied mastery before the final badge is awarded.

Number of PPP

Certifications Issued

189

Start-Ups Working

Towards Certification

137

Academy Levels

Leading Cities Academy offers a modular structure that allows participants to progress through levels, showcasing increasing expertise in and commitment to successful public-private partnerships (PPP). Each level builds upon foundational principles, advancing toward specialized knowledge to be effective and valued partners to communities

PPP Readiness Level Bronze

3 modules and their quizzes completed

PPP Readiness Level Silver

6 modules and a Pilot Project Plan completed

PPP Readiness Level Gold

9 modules and a Case Study Report completed

PPP Readiness Level Diamond

All 12 modules and a City Pilot Project completed

Required Academy Projects

Academy students complete hands-on projects to prepare for real-world collaboration:

Pilot Project Plan: A detailed, approved plan to address a municipal challenge.
Case Study Report: A comprehensive analysis showcasing applied solutions and results.
City Pilot Project: Direct experience partnering with municipalities to deliver impactful pilot projects through Leading Cities’ AcceliGOV program.

What is AcceliGOV?

Monthly Curriculum

Securing Clients and Advocacy

January

Evaluating Project Impact

February

Government Partnerships

March

Leveraging The Media

April

Ethics in Smart Cities

May

Financing Smart City Projects

June

Working With Cities

July

Accessing New Markets

August

Investor Readiness

September

Leadership Fundamentals

October

Business Operations

November

Politics & Economics

December

Choose Your Learning Style:

Live Interaction or Self-Paced Flexibility

The Leading Cities Academy offers two learning options to suit your schedule and preferences. The synchronous format includes live sessions with real-time Q&A opportunities, allowing you to engage directly with experts and deepen your understanding through interactive discussions. Alternatively, the asynchronous format provides a fully virtual, self-paced experience with recorded sessions and access to speaker materials, offering the flexibility to learn on your own time. Both formats deliver the same high-quality curriculum to equip you with the skills needed for impactful public-private partnerships.

Leading Cities Academy Pricing

Each Readiness Level is equivalent to three months of curriculum and is available in two formats:

Asynchronous: Provides recorded expert-led masterclasses and a certified digital badge after curriculum completion
Synchronous: Includes all asynchronous offerings plus live Q&A sessions with each expert

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