Stephen Goldsmith is the Daniel Paul Professor of Government and the director of the Innovations in American Government Program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Goldsmith, himself an entrepreneur, occupies the unique position of having approached these issues as a national leader across sectors—including government, for-profit corporations providing public services, and major nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.

Goldsmith served two terms as mayor of Indianapolis, America’s twelfth-largest city, where he earned a reputation as one of the country’s most innovative public officials. His transformative efforts to revitalize urban neighborhoods and to transfer real authority to community groups received national acclaim. Goldsmith then led reform as a special advisor to President Bush on faith-based and nonprofit initiatives and has served under both Presidents Bush and Obama as the chair of the Corporation for National and Community Service, where he has helped lead efforts to expand and strengthen the government’s service agenda.

Goldsmith is author of The Power of Social Innovation: How Civic Entrepreneurs Ignite Community Networks for Good. This new book provides tools for civic entrepreneurs to create healthier communities and promote innovative solutions to public and social problems. Based on the author's experience, extensive research, and interviews with more than 100 top leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors, The Power of Social Innovation offers public officials, social entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and citizens the insights and strategies to produce extraordinary social change.

Among Stephen Goldsmith’s other publications are The Twenty-First Century City: Resurrecting Urban America and the award winning Governing by Network: The New Shape of the Public Sector, both of which received wide recognition.