John Stanoch will spend the next six months trying to convince an international panel of judges that the next expo—commonly called a world’s fair—should take place in Minnesota, on the vacant lots around Mall of America. He’s motivated to bring a world expo home in 2027 for a six-month run to “advance a conversation about how Minnesota can once again position itself as a real leader around health care and well-being.” He says he’s building the case from a place of humility for local struggles around social justice and health care equity. “We are inviting the world to a candid conversation and thinking about ways to build a better future. That’s aligned with conversations in our own community.” We’ll learn in June if Minnesota wins the bid. Busy prepping for the next round of presentations in Paris, Stanoch has no time to consider the alternative, but he did allow that the expo’s plan to build out the site across from MOA could have interesting possibilities, even without a world’s fair.

Return to TCB 100 for 2023