Cornell Tech Public Interest Technology (PiTech) Showcase

Friday, October 23, 2026
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Tata Innovation Center 591

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Event Details

We are delighted to host the Cornell Tech Public Interest Technology (PiTech) Showcase on Friday, October 23, 2026, from 9:00am to 1:00pm at the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island.

This half-day event celebrates the innovative work accomplished through the 2026 Siegel PiTech PhD Impact Fellowship. The program will feature a special keynote conversation with Commissioner Lisa Gelobter, New York City’s Chief Technology Officer and Commissioner of the Office of Technology & Innovation (OTI), in conversation with Professor Deborah Estrin, Professor of Computer Science and Associate Dean for Impact at Cornell Tech. 

The program will include lightning talks from PiTech PhD Impact Fellows and panel discussions with partner organizations, and will conclude with a networking reception, bringing together Siegel and Rubinstein PiTech PhD Impact Fellows, their host organizations, and leaders from nonprofits and public sector institutions.

Date: Friday, October 23, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Location: Tata Innovation Center, Room 590, 11 E Loop Rd, New York, NY 10044

Invitation Only: Due to limited capacity, attendance is by invitation only. To request consideration for attendance, please email the Cornell Tech Public Interest Tech Initiative at pitech-info@tech.cornell.edu.

Agenda

9:00 AM Doors Open & Registration, Breakfast & Coffee

9:30 AM Welcoming Remarks and Keynote Conversation featuring Commissioner Lisa Gelobter, New York City’s Chief Technology Officer and Commissioner of the Office of Technology & Innovation (OTI), in conversation with Professor Deborah Estrin

10:00 AM Siegel & Rubinstein PiTech PhD Impact Fellow Lightning Talks

  • Crescentia Jung, Ph.D. Student, Information Science

  • Suvadip Sana, Ph.D. Student, Statistics and Data Science

  • Isabel Corpus, Ph.D. Student, Information Science

10:15 AM Panel Discussion: Putting Tech into Practice at NYC Agencies

  • Ariel Kennan, President, Axiom Foundation (moderator)

  • Gavin Myers, Director of Healthcare Justice, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

  • Prince Gupta, Associate Commissioner for Application Engineering, NYC Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI)

10:40 AM Siegel & Rubinstein PiTech PhD Impact Fellow Lightning Talks

  • Anton Derkach, Ph.D. Student, Operations Research and Information Engineering

  • Tan Gemicioglu, Ph.D. Student, Information Science

  • Lilianna Gittoes, Ph.D. Student, Operations Research and Information Engineering

10:55 AM Panel: Inside the Partnerships

  • Kate Nicholson, Director of PiTech Programs and Partnerships, Cornell Tech (moderator)

  • Claire Bleiler, Chief of Staff, Lemontree

  • Juan-Pablo Velez, Executive Director, Switchbox

  • Mayaan Keren, Senior Director, North America, Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM)

11:20 AM Siegel & Rubinstein PiTech PhD Impact Fellow Lightning Talks

  • Alaa Daffalla, Ph.D. Student, Computer Science

  • Mikhail Fadin, Ph.D. Student, Operations Research and Information Engineering

11:30 AM Panel Discussion: Panel: AI & High-stakes Healthcare Conversations 

  • Deborah Estrin, Professor of Computer Science and Associate Dean for Impact, Cornell Tech (moderator)

  • Fred Riccardi, President, Medicare Rights Center

  • Matthew Weissman, MD, MBA, FAAP, Chair of the Department of Medicine, Maimonides Medical Center 

11:55 AM Closing Remarks

12:00 PM Lunch Reception

1:00 PM End

Speakers

  • Lisa Gelobter

    Chief Technology Officer of New York City and Commissioner of the NYC Office of Technology & Innovation (OTI)

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  • Deborah Estrin

    Professor of Computer Science and Associate Dean for Impact at Cornell Tech

    Read Bio

  • Ariel Kennan

    President, Axiom Foundation

    Read Bio

  • Claire Bleiler

    Chief of Staff, Lemontree

    Read Bio

  • Frederic Riccardi

    President, Medicare Rights Center

    Read Bio

  • Gavin Myers

    Director of Healthcare Justice, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

    Read Bio

  • Juan-Pablo Velez

    Executive Director, Switchbox

    Read Bio

  • Kate Nicholson

    PiTech Initiative Director of Programs and Partnerships, Cornell Tech

    Read Bio

  • Matthew Weissman

    MD, MBA, FAAP
    Chair of the Department of Medicine, Maimonides Medical Center

    Read Bio

  • Maayan Keren

    Senior Director, North America, Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM)

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  • Prince Gupta

    Associate Commissioner of Application Engineering, NYC Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI)

    Read Bio

Location

Tata Innovation Center, Room 590

11 E Loop Rd, New York, NY 10044

Enter the Tata Innovation Center from the Tech Walk, check in at the lobby registration desk, and take the elevator to the 5th floor.

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