Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper opened up the Democratic National Convention in his own city yesterday, speaking of the “New West” and “the politics of the future”. He spoke of “…new ideas of leadership for America that appeal to our optimism, our entrepreneurial spirit, and our rugged individualism” and argued that, “the independent-minded, pro-business, pro-environment, collaborative spirit of the West represents the future of American politics.” He ended by stating emphatically that, “We demand collaboration and common sense.”

While this may seem like par for the course in an election cycle that is emphatically about change, Hickenlooper walks his talk. A business entrepreneur and a strong civic and nonprofit leader in his pre-political life, the Mayor launched the Denver Office of Strategic Partnerships (DOSP) soon after taking office. Its mission is:

To support Denver's nonprofits, empowering them to improve our quality of life. We fulfill our mission by partnering with individuals, foundations, corporations and nonprofits on these objectives:

• Raising critical funding for cooperative initiatives
• Fostering innovative partnerships to support nonprofits
• Engaging the entire community in volunteer efforts

The DOSP has launched the “Super Sweet 16” which includes “The Group of Ten” (nonprofits) and “Six in the City” (government agencies) to help them secure additional funding in order to broaden their base of fiscal support. The goal is to support and grow solutions that have proven their ability to benefit the Denver community.

This office, started by the Mayor, is an acknowledgement that government has a role to play in supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in social problem solving, and that doing so helps to achieve the very goals of government. It’s an effort to work collaboratively, think creatively, and leverage the entrepreneurial instincts of America for the benefit of its people.

Hats off to Denver. Another example of public innovation.