About Us
Our Goal
New York is home to some of the world’s top researchers and technical talent, but city agencies do not have an easy way of tapping into that expertise. The Pitchfest aims to close that gap, harnessing the talent of New Yorkers to help the City implement more effective and evidence-based programs and policies.
Our Vision
Effective local government is the foundation of thriving communities. By increasing access to expertise from civic society, we hope to help the city increase its capacity to improve community well-being. And by helping local experts get more civically engaged, we hope to create a crop of future “policy entrepreneurs” who will make positive change.
The History
2022: The Mayor and Governor of New York convened the “New” New York Panel—a coalition of civic, business, and academic leaders—to help New York City recover from the pandemic. One of the Panel’s core initiatives (Initiative 31) was to “make New York the global hub of urban innovation.”
2023: New York City Economic Development Corporation and Cornell Tech published Pilot: New York City, a detailed plan to deliver on Initiative 31. Pilot: New York City contemplated a new matchmaking program to help pair academic researchers with city agencies.
2024: The Pilot Pitchfest was launched as a trial matchmaking program housed at Cornell Tech, with funding from the Sloan Foundation. The first year focused specifically on matching the city’s built environment agencies with STEM-focused academic research teams.
2025: The Pilot Pitchfest spun out into a program of Renaissance Philanthropy. In its new form, it included all city agencies and all academic disciplines, and both academic research and technical assistance project tracks. More than 1,000 individuals attended the second year’s event in person and online.
The Team
Cara Eckholm
Director, Pilot Pitchfest
Brandon Luebbehusen
Manager, Pilot Pitchfest
Anna Harvey
Director of New York Innovation Partnerships, New York University
About Renaissance Philanthropy
The Pitchfest is a program of Renaissance Philanthropy, which supports philanthropists and foundations in developing and implementing ambitious strategies leveraging science, technology, and innovation.
The Judges
Grant decisions are made by a judging pool composed of New York City agency partners and representatives from local and national philanthropies, including the Sloan Foundation, Tow Foundation, and Revson Foundation.