Jazzy Smith (she/her)
Civic Innovation Fellowship Director
Jazzy is a teacher, a community builder, and an artist. She has a wealth of institutional knowledge, from the inner workings of academia, to the K-12 education system, to nonprofits, and the art world. She knows how operations feel and look on the ground and how important it is to have working systems that prioritize equity and people. Jazzy is unique for her diverse experience, her talent for building welcoming communities, and her commitment to ensuring all voices are heard. She believes asking questions can change the world, more than merely having answers. She rejects the notion that to engage with data, one must have certain credentials or particular educational and professional backgrounds, specific “personalities”, and the myths go on. The next leg of her journey at BetaNYC is to demystify open data and make it accessible to all New Yorkers through our lab’s curriculum.
Jazzy loves horror movies, her friends, making healing a reality, and all cheeses. You can contact her at jazzy@beta.nyc