Małgorzata Rejniak, social entrepreneur most recently with NYC Mayor's Office of Data Analytics, joins Cornell Tech as the Director of the Public Interest Technology Initiative
Małgorzata Rejniak (Małgosia), joins Cornell Tech’s Public Interest Technology Initiative (PiTech) as its inaugural Director. In this new role, Małgosia will focus on developing a strategic roadmap for the initiative, scaling existing and new programs, and building meaningful partnerships with public sector and non-profit organizations in NYC and beyond.
“My vision for the PiTech Initiative is to inspire and empower the next generation of technologists, leaders, and researchers to harness technology and address real-world challenges at public sector and non-profit organizations, and to advance justice, equity, and social welfare,” says Małgosia. “With everything I do, I will strive to not only further this vision but also to position Cornell Tech as a cutting-edge, world-renowned program shaping the conversation on PiTech.”
“We are delighted to have Małgosia at the helm of the Initiative,” says Professor Deborah Estrin, Associate Dean for Impact. “Małgosia brings the perfect mix of professional experiences, in both public and non-profit sectors, to shape the conversation on development and deployment of technology in the public interest.”
Before joining the PiTech Initiative, Małgosia was part of the NYC Open Data Team at the Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics, now a department within the Office of Technology and Innovation at the City of New York. As a public servant, Małgosia led implementation of strategic initiatives for NYC Open Data, including instituting a data quality assurance process and improving data documentation for 3,000+ datasets on the portal. In her role, she also planned and coordinated the rollout of the NYC Open Data Ambassadors Program, an initiative to teach members of the public about NYC Open Data and co-organized Open Data Week, an annual week-long festival celebrating NYC’s public datasets which features over 100 events every year.
Prior to working for the City, Małgosia consulted with What Works Cities, the NYCEDC, the Municipality of Santiago in Chile, Civic Hall, and Microsoft Cities. Her projects ranged from supporting the rollout of CyberNYC, a $30M City initiative to make NYC a global leader in cyber-security, to improving municipal revenue collection and inspection efficiency in Santiago.
Małgosia completed her Master’s of Public Administration in Urban and Social Policy at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University. While in graduate school, she co-founded a technology startup focused on improving motorcyclist safety in developing countries which received 1st place in SIPA’s Dean’s Public Policy Challenge Grant and a $25,000 award.
In between her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Małgosia worked as a management and economic consultant for four years and served a variety of clients in the technology, telecommunications, and media industries. One of her projects involved devising a smart city strategy for one of the leading national telecom providers. Małgosia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Studies from Yale University. She hails from Gdańsk, Poland.