Introducing Matt Klein and Sergio Marrero: PiTech’s Impact Studio and Seminar Instructors from the Robin Hood Foundation
We’re pleased to announce that for Spring 2025, we’re welcoming two exceptional instructors to PiTech: Matthew Klein, the Chief Program & Impact Officer at the Robin Hood Foundation, and Sergio Marrero, the Managing Director of Blue Ridge Labs at Robin Hood.
Matthew Klein, PiTech Impact Studio Instructor
Matt will instruct the Spring 2025 Master’s Studio, PiTech Impact Studio, offering students a unique opportunity to engage with New York City non-profits, government agencies, and social ventures that are dedicated to promoting upward mobility from poverty. Throughout their semester, students will identify, propose, and validate digitally-enabled product and service concepts and prototypes tailored to the needs and missions of partner organizations.
Under Matt’s guidance, students will gain hands-on experience in tech-based innovation in the public sector while deepening their understanding of impact investing and opportunities in the growing field of public interest technology.
Matt brings extensive experience in nonprofit, philanthropic, government, and civic leadership to Cornell Tech. At Robin Hood Foundation, he leads the alignment of their programmatic and public policy teams, overseeing organization-wide goals, metrics, and impact. Previously, Matt led the New York City Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity and served as the Executive Director of Blue Ridge Foundation New York, a philanthropic fund that later merged with Robin Hood as Blue Ridge Labs. Matt has served on numerous civic and nonprofit boards, including those of Robin Hood’s grantees, and has been the recipient of several fellowships, including from Echoing Green, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Results for America.
Sergio Marrero, PiTech Studio Seminar Instructor
Sergio will instruct PiTech’s Spring 2025 Master’s Studio Seminar, Transformative Impact: Using Tech To Drive Change. His class is designed for responsible innovators and social entrepreneurs aiming to build technology to deliver disruptive and scalable impact. In it, students will explore the intersection of social impact, technology, and business, gaining hands-on experience exploring how to build ventures and technology that center on societal good and innovation.
This seminar complements the PiTech Impact Studio, BigCo Studio, and Startup Studio, adding depth in impact investing, impact measurement, co-design with communities, and business model innovation.
As Managing Director of Blue Ridge Labs at Robin Hood's, Sergio brings extensive experience in supporting, incubating, and scaling community-driven tech solutions that address the challenges of people experiencing poverty. Previously, he led the George Schultz Innovation Fund at the University of Chicago and founded Rebel One, an investor community focused on accelerating diversity in venture capital and entrepreneurship. Sergio graduated from Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where he did his thesis on startup studios and accelerating the launch of social enterprises.
Welcome, Matt and Sergio! Your expertise will undoubtedly shape and inspire our students. We are delighted and honored to have you as part of the Cornell Tech community.