DAY 1 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH

HAZARDS, IMPACTS, AND TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

  • Check in and enjoy complimentary coffee before the program begins.

    • Rohit Aggarwala - Commissioner, New York City Department of Environmental Protection; Chief Climate Officer, New York City

  • How can we tap machine learning (ML) to map and mitigate urban heat islands?

    This panel will explore how ML and artificial intelligence (AI) can augment efforts to identify, analyze, and mitigate urban heat islands—areas within cities that experience significantly higher temperatures than surrounding regions. We’ll look at emerging insights on the health impacts of extreme urban heat, how AI can help governments develop more targeted cooling strategies, and opportunities for tech to support richer engagement and collaboration with communities.

    • Moderator: Chethan Sarabu - Director of Clinical Innovation, Health Tech Hub at Cornell Tech; Co-founder, Climate Health Innovation & Learning Lab (CHILL)

    • Mehdi Heris - Assistant Professor of Urban Data Analytics & Climate Resilience, Hunter College

    • Katie MacDonald - Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Tailwind

    • Anna Bershteyn - Associate Professor of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine

    • Siqi Zhu - Director of Planning and Urban Technology; Associate Principal, Sasaki

    • Kristin Fontenot - Director, Office of Environment and Energy, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

    • Francisco Sanchez - Associate Administrator, Office of Disaster Recovery & Resilience, Small Business Administration

  • How can AI improve resilience and inform adaptation to coastal flooding and severe storms?

    With a sneak peek at the next generation of flood models that will shape urban adaptation plans and a deep look at the data needed to support equitable relocation of  people, homes, and infrastructure from climate-vulnerable locations, this session will explore how AI-driven models can improve early warning systems, optimize infrastructure planning, and facilitate more effective emergency response, all while fostering stronger partnerships between city officials, climate scientists, and local communities.

    • Moderator: Anushree Sreedhar - Director of Innovation Programs, Partnership Fund for New York City

    • Marquise Stillwell - Co-founder, Urban Ocean Lab

    • Hayley Elszasz - Climate Science Advisor, NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice

    • Timon McPhearson - Professor of Urban Ecology & Director of the Urban Systems Lab, The New School

    • Meenakshi Chabba - Ecosystem and Resilience Scientist, The Everglades Foundation

  • Explore the Cornell Tech campus, network with attendees, and enjoy a boxed lunch, included with admission for all attendees.

  • How will new sensing and sensemaking tools enhance our capacity to adapt?

    New technologies for life-like visualizations of real-time urban data promise a better understanding of climate impacts, potential solutions, and collaborative decision making among key stakeholders. But how should digital twins be designed, delivered, and used to promote innovation, ensure transparency, and maximize effectiveness? This session will explore the experiments, ethical challenges, and technological state of the art of urban digital twins for resilience.

    • Moderator: Anthony Townsend - Senior Research Associate, Cornell Tech Urban Tech Hub

    • Farzin Lotfi-Jam - Assistant Professor of Architecture and Director of Realtime Urbanism Lab, Cornell University

    • Mark Mutter - Product Director, Climate Risk Nexus & Digital Twins, Arcadis

    • Rawad Choubassi -  Managing Director & Senior Partner, Systematica

    • David LaShell - NYC Manager, Esri

    • Amy Boncelet - Transportation Electrification Data Scientist, ICF

  • Workshop 1 (ROOM 215)– AI Empower: A Toolkit to Help Communities Utilize AI to Drive Climate Action | Hosted by CIV:LAB x Unified Ground

    Are you ready to harness the power of AI for a sustainable future? Join us to explore how AI can revolutionize climate action and community resilience. This workshop will delve into the intersection of AI, climate change, and social justice. We'll introduce the AI Empower toolkit, in the process of being designed, to empower community-based organizations (CBOs) to leverage AI for impactful climate solutions. You'll have the opportunity to:

    • Learn: Understand the potential of AI to address climate challenges and social inequities.

    • Experience: Get hands-on with beta AI tools to create engaging content and streamline operations.

    • Connect: Network with experts and like-minded individuals to foster collaboration.

    • Contribute: Share your insights and help shape the future of AI for social good.

    By the end of this workshop, you'll be inspired to work with CBOs to drive positive change and build a more sustainable world.

    Workshop 2 (ROOM 225) – Cultivating Trust with AI Climate Risk Tools | Hosted by Climate IQ

    Join the ClimateIQ team for an interactive workshop exploring the use of AI-generated climate hazard information and the challenges and opportunities involved in building trust in AI-driven climate risk tools. This session invites participants to co-create knowledge around effective uses of hazard data and approaches to fostering trust in these emerging tools. Through collaborative activities and open discussion, attendees will consider how hazard data can inform decision-making and how best to build trust in AI solutions. Insights from the session will directly contribute to the ongoing development of ClimateIQ, making this an engaging session for those interested in the future of climate risk management.

    Workshop 3 (ROOM 315)– Climate Budgeting for Resiliency in NYC | Hosted by NYC Mayor's Office of Management and Budget

    • Shawn Inshan - Analyst, NYC Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget

    • Mallory Rutigliano - Supervising Analyst, Environmental Sustainability and Resiliency Task Force, NYC Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget

    Climate Budgeting is a system to integrate climate targets and considerations into the city’s budget process. New York City is a global leader in this effort and is working to holistically incorporate resiliency to heat and flooding into decision making. This workshop will involve a brief presentation about Climate Budgeting for resiliency from staff at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget and breakout-group activities to identify and envision the ways technology, targets, and platforms can be used to support this initiative.

  • How will people and AI work together to design, engineer, and build resilient systems?

    The rapid evolution, excitement, and colossal investments in generative AI models offer new opportunities for sensing, simulating, and streamlining urban adaptation efforts. How might cities take advantage of these tools, and how should humans and AI work together to make the most of the latter’s enormous potential (and carbon footprint)?

    • Elijah Hutchinson - Executive Director, NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice

DAY 2 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20

BUILDING RESILIENT URBAN SYSTEMS

  • Network with attendees and enjoy breakfast on site at the Verizon Executive Education Center. (Premium ticket required.)

  • Check in and enjoy complimentary coffee before the program begins.

  • How can AI help us build faster, cheaper, cleaner, and more resilient systems?

    As cities prepare for a hotter, wetter, lower-carbon future, what technologies can help us construct, retrofit, and future-proof structures that are durable and affordable? This panel will look at how AI, automation, and robotics are enabling new approaches to construction, maintenance, and land use for a resilient future.

    • Moderator: Bryan Boyer - Faculty Director of the Urban Technology Degree Program, University of Michigan

    • Timur Dogan - Associate Professor & Director of Environmental Systems Lab, Cornell University

    • Tanaya Srini - Senior Advisor for Innovation, Policy Development and Research, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

    • Nick Novelli - High Performance Building Specialist, AECOM

    • Marc Zuluaga - Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer, Cadence OneFive

    • Jen Hensley - Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Con Edison

    • Moderator: Alex Bell - Partnerships Manager, CIV:LAB

  • How will we optimize resilient, distributed energy resources at scale?

    Power networks in cities are going through unprecedented transformation, with more renewable energy sources coming online just as climate change is making our infrastructure more vulnerable. This panel will zoom in on new approaches and tools for decentralized energy and risk management that can smooth the transition.

    • Micah Kotch - Partner, Blackhorn Ventures 

    • Tim Dumbleton - Chief Operating Officer, MicroGrid Networks

    • Kelly Sanders - Assistant Director for Energy Systems Innovation, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

    • Clint Plummer - Chief Executive Officer, Rise Light & Power

    • Victoria A. Beard - Professor of City and Regional Planning; Director of Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities, Cornell University

  • Explore the Cornell Tech campus, network with attendees, and enjoy a boxed lunch, included with admission for all attendees.

  • How can we use AI to reduce climate risk and increase resilience for mass transit?

    Amid post-pandemic shifts in demand, increasing climate risks, and setbacks for innovative financing tools, mass transit is being asked to do more than ever with less. This panel will look at emerging urban tech solutions for innovating in and around mass transit systems to reduce risk and increase resilience.

    • Moderator: Sarah Kaufman - Executive Director, NYU Rudin Center for Transportation

    • Leo Tsang - Principal Transportation Planner & Modeler, The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey

    • Eric Wilson - Vice President, Climate Resilience and Sustainability Planning, MTA Construction & Development

    • Stacey Matlen - Senior Vice President for Innovation, Partnership for NYC

  • Workshop 1 (ROOM 215) – The Future of Buildings and the Built Environment in NY State | Hosted by UptakeAlliance

    As of 2023, New York State's built environment faces significant challenges, with over 80% of the state's building stock constructed before 1980.  The future of buildings and the built environment will rapidly change due to significant pressures around sustainability and the rapid pace of technology.  It is estimated that the US will need a 9% annual growth rate in data centers through 2030 to meet the growing demand, a very unique and burgeoning opportunity within the built environment. With increasing complexities and challenges, relying on a multi-faceted approach to ecosystems will determine the future of our built environment. This workshop will explore the critical relationships needed across public-private partners, innovators, investors and the general public.

    Workshop 2 (ROOM 225) – Climate-Ready Communities: How AI Engages Urban Communities and Drives Tech Adoption | Hosted by Con Edison

    • Nick Nyhan - Managing Partner, Upside Analytics

    • Jill Cornell - Community Engagement Specialist, New York City Emergency Management Department

    • Jinean Robinson - Community Engagement Lead, RETI Center 

    • Samuel Robinson - Owner, Field Form

    • Victor Belavus - Owner, 212 HVAC

    • Ethan Castro - AI Learning Engineer, Playlab AI

    • Huimin Ou - Project Specialist; Analytics Manager, Con Edison

    • Marvin Jung - Senior Data Engineer, Con Edison

    • Kaila Wilson - Corporate Affairs Manager, Clean Energy and Tech Careers, Con Edison

    Join us for an engaging workshop on how AI can educate and transform urban citizens into urban tech customers. We’ll showcase real-world examples from Solar, HVAC, Resilience, and City Government, followed by interactive breakout groups where you can share your ideas and ask questions.  Gain a sense of the reality of what it takes; from idea, to initial steps, to watch-outs.  Connect with experts who are actively working in this field and discuss your innovative ideas.

    Workshop 3 (ROOM 315) – Leveraging AI for Resilience Projects: The Federal Government Perspective | Hosted by Bloomberg Philanthropies

    • Jamie Lavin - Government Innovation, Bloomberg Philanthropies 

    • Ben Levine - Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation

    • Tanaya Srini- Senior Advisor for Innovation, Policy Development and Research, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

    This session will explore the evolving intersection of federal infrastructure funding and artificial intelligence policy. Key questions to be addressed include:

    • What are the most important emerging AI innovations for transportation and housing?

    • What should cities be doing to prepare for managing AI risk and establishing effective AI governance for infrastructure projects?

    • How are federal agencies managing the complex procurements involved in AI solutions? What can cities learn about opportunities and challenges raised by AI business models and solution architectures?

    Workshop 4 (MAIN STAGE) – Catalyzing Innovation in Local Government: Introducing the Cornell Tech Urban Innovation Fellowship

    How can the tech community help catalyze more robust innovation processes in city government? Cornell Tech is launching a two-year Urban Innovation Fellows program to embed mid-career technologists directly into New York City agencies across a range of disciplines—including transportation, environmental protection, housing, real estate, sanitation and public procurement—to help answer this question.
    This Workshop will provide attendees with a preview of the projects that incoming Urban Innovation Fellows will be working on, and — in breakout groups — will solicit input on ideas / solutions they should consider, examples of how other cities have successfully dealt with these issues, and of third party providers that are helping develop solutions to these challenges.

    • Jingqin (Jannie) Gao - Assistant Director of Research, C2SMARTER University Transportation Center, NYU

  • How can technology enable seamless, sustainable, and fair movement of goods 24/7/365?

    With e-bikes taking the city by storm and tectonic shifts in retailing transforming the flow of goods in large cities, this panel will focus on visions and realities for the future of urban freight. How is AI enabling new networks and modes to serve city residents and businesses, and what new data and tech are needed to ensure a seamless, sustainable, and equitable logistics system?

    • Moderator: David Gilford - Head of Policy & Strategic Partnerships, Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners

    • Kaan Ozbay - Professor & Director, C2SMART Center, NYU

    • David Hammer - President & Co-Founder, PopWheels

    • Max Taffet - SVP, Ports, Waterfront & Transportation Asset Management, NYCEDC

    • Tara Pham - Urban Tech Fellow, Cornell Tech

    • Ben Snyder - Sr. Solutions Consultant, ElectroTempo