PiTech Visiting Practitioners (ViP) Program

The Visiting Practitioners (VIP) Program fosters collaborations with tech leaders from a range of impact-oriented organizations to engage in conversations around public interest technology at Cornell Tech.

ViPs engage with Cornell Tech students and other PiTech community members in multiple ways throughout the semester, giving talks, offering office hours, providing feedback on product and business ideas, pursuing their own capstone projects, and informing the direction of PiTech at Cornell Tech.

👋 Meet our Cohorts

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⏱️ Book Office Hours

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👋 Meet our Cohorts ↓ ⏱️ Book Office Hours ↓

2023-24 ViPs Cohort

Cornell Tech’s Public Interest Tech initiative (PiTech) is pleased to welcome its third cohort of ViPs.

  • Karen Bhatia

    Lawyer and Faculty,
    Stanford University

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  • Jessica Cole

    Director -Tech Policy Hub ,
    Aspen Institute Tech Policy Hub

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  • Clarence Wardell

    Senior Program Officer,
    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

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Office Hours for the Cornell Tech Community

You can now book time with any of our Visiting Practitioners.

ViP Office Hours can be a wonderful resource as you navigate your coursework and plans for after graduation. They can help offer insights on a variety of things, including:

  • Advice on your Product Studio ideas

  • Their current work and career trajectory and advice on life after graduation

  • Their domain and sector expertise, having worked at a variety of private, public, and nonprofit sector organizations

The office hours can be on a topic of your choice - some students like to attend with their Product Studio team and get feedback on their product idea, while others like to get to know the VIP's professional trajectory and discuss their own career aspirations. It's really up to you! The VIPs are meant to be a resource for you.

2022-2023 ViPs Cohort

  • Afua Bruce

    Public Interest Technologist / Author

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  • Jorge Fontanez

    CEO of B Lab U.S. & Canada

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  • Stephan Nicoleau

    Partner at FullCycle

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  • Jennifer Park

    Executive Director, Opportunity Accelerator, Results for America

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2021-2022 ViPs Cohort

  • Rhonda Allen

    CEO / /dev/color

    Read Bio +

  • Anjana Rajan

    CTO, Polaris

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  • Oscar Romero

    Program Director, NYC’s Mayor’s Office of the CTO

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  • Roxann Stafford

    Managing Director, Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund

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ViP Talks

We have held a variety of events throughout the academic year on campus intended for the broad Cornell Tech and PiTech community, including Fireside Chats and workshops with Visiting Practitioners. You can see past events we’ve held below.

Would you like to be our next VIP?

Applications and nominations for the 2024-25 Academic Year are considered on a rolling basis. Please reach out to pitech-info@tech.cornell.edu. Preference is given to individuals based in or near NYC.