mastodon 4.7.3We help New Yorkers access information & use technology.
We are a #civictech organization improving the lives of New Yorkers through #opendata, public interest technology (#pitech) & service design. We want New York’s governments to work for the people, by the people, for the digital era.
Our work equips individuals and local communities to build a civically engaged technology ecosystem and provide for an honest and inclusive government.
NYC government restructured itself in public this week.
Mayor Mamdani removed the Future of NYC commission and announced a Commission on Government Efficiency.
We will be at those hearings — advocating bit by byte for service design, open data, and digital sovereignty.
Have something to share with the BetaNYC community?
Submit your event, job opening, fellowship, project, dataset, report, tool, resource, or community announcement to our weekly newsletter!
BetaNYC's first Builders Night is June 23 — and since it's Pride Month, we're making it a Pride Night too.
Have a queer civic tech project to show off? Email events@beta.nyc to get on the agenda.
Learn more about Builders Night: https://beta.nyc/newsletter-2026-week21
In 1649, a Dutch colonial lawyer went door to door collecting grievances, got thrown in jail for it, and made the case for #opengov. This week, we shipped 4 open-source AI tools.
Same fight. New tools.
Check out our newsletter for 25 opportunities + 17 events + more!
No kings. No shortcuts. Just the work of democracy. 🚫 👑
Support BetaNYC and help power public programming and community action across NYC. Your donation helps us create tools and support New Yorkers as they advocate for their communities.
Support our work today: https://www.beta.nyc/support-us-no-king
Civic learning matters.
Our Fellows showcase reminded us what public interest technology looks like in practice: learning how systems work, then using that knowledge to serve communities.
Now, we are launching AI 101 to help more New Yorkers understand the tools shaping civic life.
We’re celebrating 10 years! 🥳
NYC School of Data is turning 10 and marking the milestone with a 2-day weekend alongside UnSchool of Data. Join us March 28–29 @ CUNY School of Law!
Extreme heat is a growing challenge in NYC, but the new NYC Urban Heat Portal is here to help! 🔥 🌡️
Explore detailed layers on outdoor heat exposure, surface temperature, cool roofs, tree canopy, and more. 📊
Dive into the map: https://urbanheat.nyc/
NYC Open Data Week is turning 10!! 🎉
Join us for the 10th annual festival from Sunday, March 22, through Sunday, March 29. Explore the program, pick your events, and register at https://opendataweek.nyc. 📣
BetaBuilders is here.
BetaNYC's monthly sustaining-donor program, starting at $5 a month.
You know our programs: the weekly newsletter with over 5,000 readers. Open Data classes that trained 1,089 residents in 2025. 21 Mapping for Equity events across all five boroughs.
Help us maintain this work.
More than a monthly donation, it's a commitment to building civic infrastructure.
Join the community and become a BetaBuilder at https://www.beta.nyc/donate
DevNetwork is hosting DeveloperWeek NY from June 9-10, and BetaNYC is proud to be a Community Partner!
We're pleased to offer 50 free OPEN Passes (value $195) to attend: https://link.devnetwork.com/jyD0EI3n
As part of our partnership, we also have access to a 25% discount on PRO and PREMIUM Passes: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/1981378436240/?discount=partner-TechNYC
Get your passes before they run out!
NYC government restructured itself in public this week. Mayor Mamdani removed the Adams "Future of NYC" commission and announced a Commission on Government Efficiency. Public Advocate Williams unveiled a citywide Internet For All plan. The state budget landed in Albany.
Pitchfest closes today — apply now if you want a civic-tech matching with a NYC/NYS agency. Plus 22 jobs in NYC's civic-tech ecosystem.
This week's roundup: https://beta.nyc/newsletter-2026-week22
Come join BetaNYC at Pride Tech Night!
As part of our BetaBuilders: Pride Tech Night on June 23, we're collecting queer tech lightning talks: civic-tech projects, community tools, anything you've been building that the rest of the BetaNYC community should see.
Learn more: https://beta.nyc/newsletter-2026-week22
Learn how to ask better AI questions, get more useful answers, and think critically about privacy.
Join BetaNYC and the Office of Council Member Justin Sanchez for a free virtual AI 101 class.
📅 Thursday, June 18 at 12 pm ET
🔗 RSVP: http://beta.nyc/e260618
Tech changes fast. Training and workforce programs should keep up.
We’re gathering feedback to better align learning, mentoring, hiring, and career pathways with what teams need on the ground today.
Add your voice: https://beta.nyc/wfd-surveys
In 1649, van der Donck went door to door in New Amsterdam collecting grievances, got thrown in jail for it, and still won.
This week, we shipped four open-source AI tools for NYC's City Record, Council data, and city laws. Same fight. New tools.
Learn more: https://beta.nyc/newsletter-2026-week21
New to AI tools?
This free virtual AI 101 class with us and the Office of Council Member Justin Sanchez will help you build practical confidence with today’s tools and understand what risks to watch for.
📅 Thursday, June 18 at 12 pm ET
🔗 RSVP: http://beta.nyc/e260618
Our recap of NYC Open Data Week 2026 is live! 🥳
As we mark 10 years of NYC Open Data Week and NYC School of Data, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the community care and collaboration that carried this year’s events.
Read it here: https://www.beta.nyc/odw26-recap
We're collecting feedback to strengthen workforce pathways into civic tech and public interest tech.
If you work in tech, hire, teach, mentor, or are exploring a tech career, we’d love your perspective on what skills and supports matter most right now.
Take the survey: https://beta.nyc/wfd-surveys
Generative AI is no longer confined to labs or tech companies.
It is influencing how decisions are made, how services are delivered, and how power is exercised. More people need the skills to understand and shape these tools.
That is why we're launching AI 101.
Read the newsletter: https://beta.nyc/newsletter-2026-week20
Join us and the Office of Council Member Justin Sanchez for a free virtual AI 101 workshop!
We’ll cover prompts, useful results, privacy risks, and civic AI tools.
📅 Thursday, June 18 at 12 pm ET
🔗 RSVP: http://beta.nyc/e260618
This week’s newsletter starts with our Civic Innovation Fellows showcase.
Ayela Janjua and Jillian Melough represent the kind of future we are building toward: people who show up, learn how systems work, and put that knowledge in service of their communities.
That work feels urgent as AI tools increasingly shape civic life.
Read more: https://beta.nyc/newsletter-2026-week20
This week in NYC’s #CivicTech: safer streets, public broadband, AI literacy, and civic accountability.
The Stop Super Speeders Act landed in the final state budget. NYC is expanding free Neighborhood Internet in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan. And 22 community organizations are preparing to teach intro-to-AI classes across the city.
Plus: public spending oversight, student data privacy, new civic tools, and 13 jobs.
BetaNYC is a proud Community Partner of DevNetwork's DeveloperWeek NY, taking place from June 9-10!
We have a gift for you! Claim a free OPEN Pass to attend: https://link.devnetwork.com/jyD0EI3n
Or, you can take advantage of this 25% discount on PRO and PREMIUM Passes: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/1981378436240/?discount=partner-TechNYC
Spots are limited, so be sure to secure your pass early!
📣 NYC is revising its Charter, and this Thursday, you can have a say.
Mayor Mamdani's Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE) is holding a public hearing on modernizing government technology this Thursday, June 11, at Brooklyn Law School.
You don't have to be an expert to testify. Show up, share your experience with city services, and help shape how NYC's foundational document gets updated for the digital age.
RSVP and learn more: https://beta.nyc/newsletter-2026-week23
