Darren Bates is a lifelong champion of equality, inclusion, and social justice for people with disabilities and other historically marginalized populations. He is an internationally recognized Visionary Leader in Global Inclusion, Smart City Development, and Radical Innovation.

Bates is the founder of Darren Bates LLC and the Smart Cities Library™ -- a new global resource for building accessible and inclusive Smart Cities and Digital Societies that ensure no citizen is accidentally left behind or excluded from accessing and enjoying Smart City benefits and innovation.

Bates possesses a commanding knowledge of government and public sector industry. For the past 12 years, Bates served as a trusted high-level federal and state public policy adviser.

Bates continues to regularly work in partnership and collaboration with multiple domestic and international
governmental agencies. He has worked with the U.S. Department of Labor, the Office of Disability Employment Policy, the U.S. Social Security Administration, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and the Executive Office of the President.

Bates played an influential role as a congressional advisor helping Congress pass the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which was signed into law by President Obama on July 22, 2014.

In 2015, Bates was recruited to serve as the National Project Director for the National Employer Policy, Research and Technical Assistance Center (Employer TA Center /www.askearn.org) --a $10 million initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy. The focus of the Employer TA Center Center involved empowering employers to outreach, hire, retain, and promote qualified individuals with disabilities through technical assistance, collaboration, and best practice dissemination.

Darren Bates LLC (DLBLLC) is a boutique consulting firm and global resource for inclusive and accessible Smart Cities. DLBLLC empowers Smart Cities, government, and private industry—at all stages of growth—to build accessible and inclusive digital societies that ensure no citizen is left behind.

"We make accessibility & inclusion relevant, user-friendly, and easy to incorporate into your Smart City platform,"
Darren Bates - Smart City Expo 2017

Bates is a frequent presenter at major national diversity and employment conferences and now with the launch of the Smart Cities Library™ - Bates has become much sought after Domestic and International Speaker at Smart City Events, Expos, and other activities.

Bates coined the phrases: "Smart Cities are Connected Cities and Connected Cities are Inclusive Cities" and "Building a Global Culture of Access and Incusion"™

FMI: dlb@darrenbatesllc.com
Website: www.darrenbatesllc.com
Website: www.smartcitieslibrary.com
Twitter: @DLBLLC
Facebook: darrenbatesllc
Medium: @darrenbatesllc