Public Interest Technology Initiative at Cornell Tech

Fostering the next generation of innovators, leaders, and researchers shaping technology to achieve positive societal outcomes

Class innovation impact technology

Shaping technology for public needs

The societal and economic impacts of digital technology are only becoming more powerful, and with it, the growing desire among graduate students, researchers, and practitioners to intentionally shape technology to serve public needs.

The Public Interest Technology (PiTech) Initiative at Cornell Tech is addressing this demand by curating engagement opportunities for graduate students and researchers to apply technical expertise in service of public needs and incorporate public objectives explicitly into the pursuit of technological innovation.

Our Programs

We are building a community of impact-focused scholars and practitioners through PiTech Impact Studio, our Visiting Practitioner's (VIP) Program, and the Siegel PiTech Impact Fellowships for PhDs, Postdocs, and Faculty. Our activities cater to graduate students, postgraduate trainees, and researchers at key stages of their academic and professional career trajectories.


Master’s Students


PiTech Impact Studio

The primary purpose of the PiTech Impact Studio is to deepen students’ understanding of the opportunities and challenges in public interest technology through their engagement with organizations seeking to apply technology to achieve social impact.

Visiting Practitioners (ViPs) Program

Leading public interest technology practitioners engage with Cornell Tech students and community members throughout the semester, offering office hours, mentoring student teams, and providing feedback on product and business ideas.


PhD Students


Siegel PiTech PhD Impact Fellowship 

Supports Cornell University PhD students in technical fields to work with NYC-based nonprofit and public sector organizations during the summer. 

Impact Fellows gain exposure to the technology challenges facing public interest organizations and contribute their skills and expertise to strategic projects that advance their host organizations' missions.

Postdoc


PiTech Runway Startup Postdoc

Supports postdocs with PhDs in technical fields in harnessing their deep expertise to start a company that addresses the public interest. Fellows join through the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute’s Runway Startups Program.


PiTech Success Stories

Who We Work With

Our NYC-based partner organizations draw from government, civil society, and the nonprofit sector, spanning many critical subject matter domains, including: 

  • Public health: health care provision and accessibility

  • Social justice: food insecurity, criminal justice reform, and economic inequality

  • Trustworthy media ecosystems: combatting racism, hate speech, and misinformation

  • Public services: public service provision, housing, transportation, and civic engagement

  • Environment: sustainability and conservation 

Host organizations