Our story
In 2008, BetaNYC started as the “NYC Open Government” meetup by Hailey Austin Cooperrider.
In 2009, we relaunched as the “Open NY Forum” and were co-founded by Philip Ashlock, Hailey Austin Cooperrider, and Noel Hidalgo.
In 2013, after the NY Governor launched the State’s Open Government initiative, aka Open NY, the group was renamed to BetaNYC.
We have evolved to be a critical local leader and national partner in public interest technology / civic technology, open data, and open government.
Our work empowers individuals and local communities to build a civically engaged technology ecosystem and provide for an honest and inclusive government. We want New York’s governments to work for the people, by the people, for the 21st century.
BetaNYC demystifies design, technology, and data to the point where anyone can use it, create it, and participate in the decision-making process.
Our Purpose
We see our purpose as Improving lives through civic design, public interest technology, and open data.
- We empower the public with tools, education, and data.
- We demystify government, technology, design, and data to improve access to services and information.
- We explore a world of possibilities by providing a safe space for individuals and government to collaborate to improve the city.
Our Values
In 2013, the community wrote the People’s Roadmap to a Digital New York City. This document outlined our values, produced several proposed pieces of legislation, and helped produce several additional laws. The following values govern our programs, policies, and partnerships.
The Freedom to Connect represents the idea that access to high-speed bi-directional internet is a prerequisite to full civic participation. Economic growth, job creation, educational opportunities, public safety, digital government services, and access to affordable health care depend on affordable and fast connectivity. In 1932, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt emphasized communities’ right to provide electricity. Today, communities need infrastructure for high-speed universal access.
The Freedom to Learn is the idea that unrestricted access to knowledge, institutions, code, algorithms, data, and tools, regardless of place of birth, ability, language, identity, age, faith, or income, is essential to an empowered and educated public.
The Freedom to Innovate is central to the advancement of communities and knowledge. Innovation is vital to developing a complex, dynamic, thriving civil society. This City’s heritage claims to be rooted in sharing the land, air, and sea. We need laws and policies that place people before profit, provide universal economic opportunity and care, protect the commons, and allow innovation.
The Freedom to Collaborate supports the idea that participatory democracy is not centralized. Regardless of status and interface, we must be able to engage with our government, wherever and whenever. We must have the power to effect change and be a government by the people, for the people.
A City We Envision
- Government and social services are centered around the constituent and are rooted in harm reduction;
- Individuals are empowered with knowledge and tools to address their community’s problems;
- Individuals, regardless of ability, actively participate in the local governance process;
- Community members are seen as trusted collaborators on impactful solutions;
- Community-based organizations effectively use tools to improve the lives of their clients;
- Elected representatives are capable of proactively and effectively communicating with their constituents
- All parties can collaborate to explore insights and experiment via civic innovation events (i.e., hackathons, datapaloozas, and design-a-thons);
- Education, fellowship, and community are combined to provide a ladder of growth, equity, sustainability, and resilience;
- The future is written in collaboration, not for.
Funders & Collaborators
BetaNYC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization via The Fund for the City of New York’s partner project program. All donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law; our Federal ID / EIN number: 13-2612524. We would appreciate your donation.
We have received funding and support from Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Fund for the City of New York, New York City Council, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Microsoft Civic, Data and Society Research Institution, Blue Ridge Foundation, Mozilla, Socrata, Accela, Carto, NYC Media Lab, Datapolitan, Ontodia, and private donors.
We have received funding and support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Fund for the City of New York, New York City Council, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Microsoft Civic, Data and Society Research Institution, Blue Ridge Foundation, Mozilla, and private donors.BetaNYC is a member of the Alliance of Civic Technologists and was an early member of the Code for America Brigade community.