Brian Platt

Brian Platt is a Partner and Director of Public Policy for UMusic Hotels Development, a real estate development company created in partnership with a global music organization to build music and entertainment hubs across North America. He works at the intersection of culture, economic development, and public-private collaboration, helping guide projects that bring together performance venues, recording studios, a music school, and branded hotels and residences. His role focuses on shaping destinations that foster creativity, support local economies, encourage music tourism, and provide meaningful opportunities for emerging artists and future leaders in the industry. Brian previously served for 12 years in municipal government, including time as City Manager in Kansas City and Jersey City. In Kansas City, he helped launch and facilitate more than $5 billion in redevelopment projects within five years, contributing to an unprecedented period of growth and reinvestment. He also advanced sustainability initiatives, including planting 10,000 trees in three years and pursuing the development of one of the largest solar arrays in the United States. His leadership approach emphasized practical solutions, responsible growth, and long-term environmental resilience. Platt also held leadership roles in Jersey City, where he first served as Chief Innovation Officer and later as Business Administrator and City Manager. In those positions, he supported record levels of housing construction comparable to those in Manhattan. He worked to improve the delivery of essential city services, including expanded street resurfacing and more effective snow removal. He also helped direct new resources to low-income families and individuals experiencing homelessness, with a steady focus on improving daily quality of life and strengthening service systems. Brian Platt began his career in management consulting with a global firm and earlier served as a kindergarten teacher through a national service program. He also contributed to his community as an Emergency Medical Responder and volunteered for ten years as a firefighter in his hometown. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and later completed a Master’s in Public Administration. Throughout his academic and professional journey, he has received recognition for leadership, innovation, and service, co-authored a professional publication on supervisory practices, and supported instructional initiatives focused on effective and inclusive governance.