Pomona, CA
Home MenuPomona stands at a pivotal moment in its story; a city rich in history, culture, and creativity, ready to harness innovation as a tool for lasting progress. The Pomona Innovation Strategy 2025 sets a clear path toward becoming an innovation-led city that delivers better outcomes for its residents, staff, and partners. Developed through deep collaboration with community members, staff, and local leaders, the strategy reflects a shared commitment to building a city where creativity, inclusion, and impact guide every decision.
Download our 2025-2030 innovation strategy here:
Providing both vision and direction; our strategy defines what innovation means for Pomona – a people-centered approach that blends new ideas, technology, and collaboration to enhance quality of life, and provides a roadmap on how to get there. The strategy also builds on the Innovation Baseline Assessment, which identified our strengths, a strong community spirit and willingness to evolve, along with clear opportunities to strengthen our internal collaboration, efficiency, and follow-through. Grounded in equity and sustainability, the strategy sets out a framework that will help the city become innovation-led, embedding innovation into its governance, operations, and service delivery to create improved community outcomes and even brighter futures for everyone who lives in, works in, and visits here.
Through five interconnected goals – focused on culture, skills, collaboration, experience, and outcomes – Pomona will nurture an empowered workforce, modernize city systems, and co-create solutions with residents to improve daily life, strengthen community trust, and drive measurable public impact. Guided by the city’s core values of resilience, compassion, and equity, this strategy ensures innovation becomes a standard practice rather than a project; woven into the daily fabric of how Pomona operates and serves its people.
POMONA’S INNOVATION VISION
Pomona is known as a safe and thriving city where its diverse communities feel a strong sense of belonging and connection.
To achieve this vision, our community and staff innovate together to drive economic vitality, create welcoming, accessible, and green public spaces, champion equitable outcomes for youth and families, and deliver best-in-class services – empowering all to flourish.
POMONA’S INNOVATION VISION
Resilient
We lean into our strong work ethic and history of overcoming adversity to find creative ways to uplift our city.
Creative
We embrace imagination, curiosity, and new ways of looking at challenges.
People-Centered
We design services rooted in empathy, accessibility, and dignity for all.
Collaborative
We build solutions with community members and cross-department teammates.
Impact-Driven
We focus our efforts on outcomes that improve community well-being.
Iterative
We test, learn, refine, and repeat—embracing continuous improvement.
Our goal is for innovation to help us:
CULTURE
Create a culture where City Staff feel empowered with the skills, resources, and capacity to confidently drive innovation and shape a better future for Pomona.
SKILLS
Leverage cutting-edge innovation techniques to design and deliver community services and programs that are more impactful, accessible, and efficient.
COLLABORATION
Make collaboration the standard approach for designing and delivering innovative city services and programs—bringing together diverse City Staff and community members to co-create impactful solutions.
WELLBEING
Strengthen community wellbeing in Pomona, by applying innovation techniques to build more equitable and sustainable outcomes around health, housing, transportation, and safety.
CONNECTION
Design innovative experiences and physical spaces that foster community connection, belonging, and vibrancy downtown and in neighborhoods.
Igniting Innovation in Pomona
We're embarking on an exciting project to understand how we can enhance life in Pomona.
Phase 1: Activity 1
Conduct an Assessment of Innovation Strategy Needs
We began by developing a baseline understanding of where Pomona’s innovation landscape is by interviewing city staff and community members and measuring Pomona using an Innovation Maturity Model to identify current strengths, gaps, and opportunities. This assessment provides a comprehensive overview of the city's existing capabilities, organizational culture, and readiness for innovation. By benchmarking Pomona against best practices and industry standards, we can tailor the strategy to meet specific needs and set realistic, impactful goals for advancing innovation across the city.
Phase 1: Activity 2
Develop a Five-Year Innovation Strategy
We co-created an innovation strategy that captures the collective vision of city staff and community members, ensuring that it reflects the unique needs and aspirations of the entire community. This strategy articulates a clear vision of what an innovative City of Pomona looks like, emphasizing areas where innovation can have the greatest impact—such as enhancing service delivery, fostering economic growth, and promoting social equity. By defining actionable goals and measurable outcomes, the strategy provides a roadmap for integrating innovation into the city’s daily operations, ultimately leading to a more dynamic, resilient, and forward-thinking city that positively impacts the lives of all residents and visitors.
Phase 2: Activity 3
Development and Launch of In-House Training Programs
Pomona has launched a comprehensive training program specifically designed for city staff. This program empowers employees with the tools and skills necessary to embrace creativity and apply human-centered design principles, equipping them to address social challenges with innovative, forward-thinking solutions that drive positive change throughout Pomona.
OUR TEAM
Meet the Visionaries: The Innovation Leadership Team
Get acquainted with the driving force behind Pomona's commitment to innovation – the Innovation Leadership Team (ILT).
The ILT is at the forefront of shaping a future where innovation takes center stage in our community. Supported by their partner Ascendant, they bring a wealth of expertise, dedication, and shared commitment to building a culture of innovation in the city that will reflect the unique strengths and aspirations of Pomona to build a path to improved outcomes for everyone who lives, visits, and works in Pomona.
Tim Sandoval
Mayor
Anita Scott
City Manager
Michael Ellis
Chief of Police
Sam Wong
Innovation & Technology Director
Beverly Johnson
Neighborhood Services Director
Mapping Pomona’s Innovation Landscape
As part of our Innovation Initiative, we conducted a thorough baseline assessment to understand how innovation is shaping Pomona today and how it can drive the city's future. We spoke to City Hall Staff and Community Members to identify strengths, challenges, and create a roadmap for sustainable progress.
The key goals of the assessment include:
The key goals of the assessment include:
- Evaluating the Current Innovation Landscape: Reviewing existing initiatives across city departments to identify both successes and areas for growth.
- Identifying City Challenges: Understanding the internal and external challenges Pomona faces as it strives for innovation.
- Defining “Innovation”: Clarifying stakeholders' definitions and perceptions to ensure a shared vision.
- Assessing Future Outlook: Exploring long-term aspirations and optimism for Pomona’s development over the next decade.
- Identifying Key Drivers and Barriers: Highlighting factors that drive innovation while addressing obstacles that need to be overcome.
This baseline assessment is the first step in our journey toward a more innovative, resilient, and inclusive Pomona. Through these insights, we can work together to build a city that is future-ready and thriving.