Louisville mayor spent $180,000 to entertain business enterprise leaders in the course of Derby

The price tag tag contains hotel rooms, transportation and meals and beverages for a handful of executives from Bezos Academy, LinkedIn and other organizations. Tickets to the Derby at Churchill Downs have been the biggest single expense, coming out to just more than $80,000.

Greenberg’s spokesperson Kevin Trager mentioned in a statement that the Derby makes it possible for the city’s financial improvement group to showcase “the very best of Louisville.”

“We are confident that following seeing all our city has to present and meeting members of our remarkable neighborhood this special financial improvement chance will lead to the continued development and strengthening of our economy,” Trager mentioned final week.

Greenberg and his wife also hosted a brunch on Derby Day attended by a number of hundred persons, according to Trager. The invite list was a who’s who of neighborhood leaders and city officials such as Metro Council members, members of the Brown and Bingham households and “mayor’s workplace employees, spouses, young children, loved ones members, and mates,” records show. Greenberg spent $15,748 on meals from Mayan Cafe and $three,417 on flowers, napkins and linens.

The all round expense of Greenberg’s Derby hosting was larger than final year, when Mayor Greg Fischer spent about $140,000.

The guest list

In contrast to Fischer, Greenberg publicly released his guest list ahead of Kentucky’s premier horse racing occasion. The Fischer administration refused to determine his Derby guests all through his 12-year term, arguing it would have a damaging influence on the city’s capability to recruit new organizations. Metro Council voted in 2018 to permit the Louisville mayor to maintain their Derby guests secret.

On May perhaps two, Greenberg announced seven executives across unique industries accepted Louisville’s Derby invite. 3 guests had donated to his current major and common election campaigns.

Campaign finance records showed Valerie Bruce, the common manager of BBC Studios – Los Angeles, contributed $four,000 to Greenberg’s campaigns. Dan Roth, who’s the vice president and editor-in-chief of Linkedin, gave $three,000 to Greenberg amongst his two campaigns. Roth’s wife Lisa, who was also one particular of Greenberg’s guests, donated $four,000. Dan Roth grew up in Louisville and, along with his siblings, not too long ago created a donation to the renovation project at the Trager Loved ones Jewish Neighborhood Center.

Other executives who attended Derby as Greenberg’s guests have been:

• Mike George, President of Bezos Academy, and spouse Beth
• Rob Mills, Vice President of Unscripted and Option Entertainment for Walt Disney Tv
• Donna Orender, CEO of Orender Limitless and former president of the WNBA, and spouse M.G.
• T.J. Rodgers, founder of Cypress Semiconductor Corporation, and spouse Valeta
• Ryan Roslansky, CEO of LinkedIn, and spouse Leigh

Greeberg’s workplace did not say why they chose to invite these guests, but quite a few function in industries that have develop into a priority for regional and state leaders.

For instance, Fischer announced final December that the extended-vacant Louisville Gardens constructing downtown would be renovated into soundstages for film, tv, music and digital production. The developers, River City Entertainment Group, LLC, are hoping to get incentives from the state to assistance cover some building expenses. Greenberg’s workplace mentioned Thursday cleanup function at the Gardens will commence subsequent month.

In 2021, the Kentucky Basic Assembly revived the state’s film tax credit system in order to incentivize film organizations to shoot right here. The BBC Studios’ L.A. arm has made shows like “Dancing with the Stars” and “Top Gear America.” Mills, meanwhile, oversees the creation and production of reality tv for the Disney, ABC and Hulu brands.

Mike George, president of Bezos Academy, was in town in March to announce its initially tuition-no cost preschool in Kentucky. Anticipated to open in 2025, the Montessori-style pre-Kindergarten system will be positioned adjacent to Jefferson Green and Jefferson’s Landing, economical housing developments in Okolona.

Although on the campaign trail, Greenberg promised to make universal access to preschool a reality in Louisville.

Donna Orender’s look on Greeberg’s Derby guest list could be associated to the extended-standing efforts by fans and deep-pocketed neighborhood leaders to bring a experienced basketball group to Louisville. The city hasn’t had a experienced basketball group given that the Kentucky Colonels folded in the mid-1970s.

There’s no publicly accessible details about plans LinkedIn could have for Louisville or city efforts to attract the enterprise, and Trager did not instantly respond to a query about this.

It wouldn’t be Greenberg’s initially foray into the tech globe: LEO Weekly obtained emails in February displaying his administration is attempting to lure YouTube creators Dude Great to find a proposed $one hundred million theme park right here.