To: NYC Council – Committee on Technology, Chair Holden From: Noel Hidalgo, Executive Director Re: Oversight – Smart CityTuesday, 19 January 2021 On behalf of the BetaNYC community, we would like to say thank you for hosting this open conversation. First, BetaNYC would like to acknowledge this Administration’s involvement in the Cities for Digital Rights coalition. […]

More older adults are embracing technology in everyday life. It is a great way to promote personal safety and stay connected with loved ones. That has perhaps never been more true than during the COVID-19 pandemic. As face-to-face gatherings have ground to a halt, more families are gathering online or through social media. Image courtesy […]

Hi. I’m Noel Hidalgo and am the cofounder of BetaNYC. This month, I’m going to tell you a personal story that guides me on how I look at leadership within BetaNYC’s activities. If you ask me how I’m doing, I will say, “Ok. I miss my family dearly, but I have hope.” In the summer […]

BetaNYC has signed onto a collective letter that flags a number of concerns within Int. 1894-2020, a bill that would regulate the use of automated employment decision tools. November 11, 2020Hon. Laurie A. CumboNew York City Council Majority Leader via email RE: Int. 1894-2020 – Sale of Automated Employment Decision Tools. Dear Council Member Cumbo: […]

Important quotes to note from the NYC Internet Master Plan: “The private market has failed to deliver the internet in a way that works for all New Yorkers. Citywide, 29% of households do not have a broadband subscription at home. The same percentage of households are without a mobile broadband connection.” “…more than 1.5 million […]

Since 2016, BetaNYC has retained graduates from our Civic Innovation Fellowship (CIF) in an Apprenticeship program. Apprentices join our staff as part-time consultants. They are past and present CUNY students who, in their fellowship year with us, demonstrated professional abilities in communicating effectively, managing tasks independently, and acquiring and applying skills from our civic analyst […]

What is the Civic Innovation Fellowship? The Civic Innovation Fellowship is a unique program where CUNY Service Corps fellows learn about NYC government, local communities, and how data and technology can help strengthen civic life. Our summer program consists of a 5 week condensed bootcamp over the course of which fellows develop their own data-rich […]

Join us on Tuesday, 23 June 2020 for our BetaTalks on Covid19 community projects. (Jun 23, 2020 @ 6:00 PM) You’ll hear about four projects that address access to food and essential services, social distancing and open streets, evictions and protecting tenants’ rights, and city budget cuts and transparency. Each presenter will give a five […]

Statement on Legislature’s Repeal of Police Secrecy Law 50-a and Modification of FOIL Our groups thank Assemblymember Danny O’Donnell and Jamaal Bailey, Speaker Carl Heastie, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and the Assembly and State Senate for passing S8496/A10611. Our groups strongly support this bill and ask Governor Cuomo to sign it immediately, without modification or chapter […]

What is BetaNYC’s Civic Innovation Fellowship? The Civic Innovation Fellowship (CIF) is BetaNYC’s immersive civic tech training program where an annual cohort of qualified fellows work on data, technology and design challenges inside New York City government. BetaNYC has been running CIF in partnership with the CUNY Service Corps and Office of the Manhattan Borough […]