“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.”

Anjana Rajan, a renowned technology executive, social entrepreneur, and applied cryptographer, joins Cornell Tech’s Public Interest Technology initiative (PiTech) as an Entrepreneur in Residence. In this new role, she will work on launching new technology ventures that address important human rights and national security issues.

Mitchell Baker, the CEO of Mozilla Corporation, delivered an inspiring keynote speech to Cornell Tech graduates at the Class of 2022’s Recognition Ceremony. She congratulated the graduating class remarking, “Seeing you, another community of people building something different, is wildly uplifting; a new generation of people attuned to technology and the common good. I am so moved and so buoyed up by the choice you made to come here, and by what you will do as you go forward.” She further recounted how the radical idea of open-source at Mozilla was made possible with “collaboration and a community of people invested in a product” and emphasizing how much good there is to be done by “connecting technology to public benefit and the common good”.

The article delves into how tech companies that prioritize the public interest are essential for a more just future, but they need investments at their earliest stages to thrive.

In 2021 the Public Interest Tech community continued to grow nationally. We brought the public interest lens to our Cornell Tech graduate campus to foster the next generation of innovators, leaders and thinkers who will shape technology toward positive societal outcomes.

PiTech at Cornell Tech consists of three programs (so far!): (1) PiTech Masters studio, (2) Visiting Practitioner's program, and (3) PhD Impact Fellows.

ViP Roxann Stafford recently spoke to Cornell Tech Master’s students at a Fireside Chat about her academic and professional experience, and in conversation with Lyel Resner detailed how students can think about the intersection of technology, media and social change.

Cornell Tech’s newly launched Visiting Practitioners program (ViP) kicked off its first event with ViP Anjana Rajan, CTO of Polaris. Rajan spoke to Cornell Tech Master’s students at a Fireside chat about her academic and professional experience, and detailed how students can think about creating impact at any level of an organization.

Briana Vecchione embedded with Blue Ridge Labs @ Robin Hood this past summer as one of our inaugural PiTech Impact Fellows. She worked with the early-stage social ventures selected for Blue Ridge Labs’ 2021 Catalyst accelerator program, which were Touchdown NYC, Communifi, UnlockEd, and Karen’s Club.

Our first Tech Clinic, launched fall 2019, addresses Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in partnership with the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence. By pairing Cornell Tech’s expertise in human-computer interaction and security with engagement on the part of IPV victims and policymakers, Professors Nicki Dell and Tom Ristenpart developed the Clinic to End Tech Abuse (CETA), a first of its kind computer security clinic that helps IPV survivors navigate technology abuse.

Cornell Tech recently hosted a discussion with Hana Schank and Tara Dawson McGuinness, authors of the newly released book Power to the Public: The Promise of Public Interest Technology, moderated by Deborah Estrin.