Dan Doctoroff on Living with ALS and Building the Future
Nov 16, 2023
55:07
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Dan Doctoroff, former Deputy Mayor of NYC, discusses his career rebuilding the city after 9/11, his work on defining the future of cities with Sidewalk Labs, and his current battle with ALS. He shares his experience living with ALS, discusses partnering with neurodegenerative diseases for research, and talks about the challenges and opportunities of smart cities.
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Quick takeaways
Dan Doctoroff emphasizes the importance of relationships and purpose in life, and how they contribute to his happiness and drive.
Dan Doctoroff highlights the need for investment in cities and the role of government and private sector partnerships in creating vibrant, thriving urban communities.
Deep dives
Dan Doctoroff's Journey from Deputy Mayor to ALS Advocate
Dan Doctoroff, former Deputy Mayor of New York City, discusses his career in public service, his work at Sidewalk Labs, and his current battle with ALS. Despite his diagnosis, Doctoroff's optimism remains high as he focuses on finding a cure for ALS through his organization, Target ALS. He emphasizes the importance of relationships and purpose in life, and how they contribute to his happiness and drive. Doctoroff also highlights the need for investment in cities and the role of government and private sector partnerships in creating vibrant, thriving urban communities.
The Impact and Challenges of Smart City Projects
Sidewalk Labs, a smart city project backed by Google, faced challenges and eventually shut down its landmark Keyside Project in Toronto. Dan Doctoroff, former CEO of Sidewalk Labs, reflects on the project and its goals of creating innovative, sustainable cities. He acknowledges the concerns around privacy but believes that experimentation is critical to the evolution of cities. Doctoroff also discusses the potential of future cities being developed by billionaires and the importance of government and private sector collaboration in shaping successful urban environments.
The Resilience and Future of New York City
As a former Deputy Mayor of New York City, Dan Doctoroff played a significant role in shaping the city's landscape. He remains optimistic about the future of cities, including New York, despite the challenges brought by the pandemic and changing trends in remote work. Doctoroff emphasizes the importance of safety, quality of life, and economic opportunities in attracting and retaining residents. He also highlights the need for solutions to address housing shortages and crime issues. Doctoroff shares his admiration for current leaders like Eric Adams and Kathleen Hochul and their efforts to address these issues and inspire confidence in the city's future.
Target ALS and the Quest for a Cure
Dan Doctoroff's personal battle with ALS has fueled his dedication to finding a cure for the disease. Through his organization, Target ALS, Doctoroff aims to remove barriers and drive progress in ALS research. He emphasizes the need for multidisciplinary collaboration, industry involvement, and partnerships with related diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. While there is still work to be done, Doctoroff is encouraged by the advancements made in treatments, including symptom reversal for certain genetic mutations. He remains committed to his purpose of eradicating ALS and finding innovative solutions to combat the disease.
Dan Doctoroff had a storied career as Deputy Mayor of New York City during the first two Bloomberg administrations. In six years, Doctoroff helped rebuild the city after 9/11. He later oversaw the terminal and media business at Bloomberg before joining forces with Google on (the now defunct) Sidewalk Labs mission to define the future of cities. These days, he’s taking on a new challenge: ALS, a.k.a Lou Gehrig’s disease. Doctoroff was hit with the neurodegenerative disease in 2021. He speaks candidly about how this challenge has helped him stay present and let go of the future — except, of course, in the search for a cure.
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