NEW YORK | July 13, 2026 - Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Chief Technology Officer and Office of Technology & Innovation (OTI) Commissioner Lisa Gelobter today announced the launch of "Public Interest Technology (PIT) Crew," a new initiative that will deploy teams of technologists alongside City agencies to tackle public problems with in-house digital solutions.
The first PIT Crew will team up with the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) to build an online portal that allows New Yorkers to easily file complaints against companies that trap customers in hard-to-cancel, costly subscriptions. The tool will support the Mamdani administration's implementation of the nation's first "Click to Cancel" protections.

OTI will deploy a total of five PIT Crews: the first to support Click to Cancel, three more to advance Mayor Mamdani's agenda of affordability and public excellence and an additional team developed with support from The Rockefeller Foundation to the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City. The Rockefeller Foundation has supported efforts to help governments harness the latest technologies to improve processes and systems for underserved communities across the United States.

Each PIT Crew will include product managers, designers, engineers, user researchers and data experts who will work alongside City agencies and New Yorkers to design, build and launch digital solutions on accelerated timelines. Instead of waiting years for new technology, agencies will be able to move from idea to implementation in a matter of months.

"Government should be as responsive and innovative as the people it serves," said Mayor Mamdani. "New Yorkers should not be forced to navigate systems that are confusing, outdated and burdened by bureaucracy. The PIT Crew turns that model on its head. These teams will move quickly and deliberately to solve real problems, make City government easier to use, deliver for working New Yorkers and advance our agenda of affordability and public excellence. It's fitting that our first project will enforce our Click to Cancel law by making it easier to hold companies accountable when they engage in predatory practices to squeeze working people."

"In the twenty-first century, every government service is, in some way, a digital service," said Chief Technology Officer and OTI Commissioner Lisa Gelobter. "Technology is no longer just how government operates behind the scenes - it is how people experience government. Every confusing process, unnecessary step or difficult interaction makes government harder to navigate. Every simpler experience strengthens trust. New Yorkers shouldn't have to understand how government is organized to get the services they need. Our job is to make government work better for people. The PIT Crew gives us a new way to do that - partnering with agencies to understand problems, rapidly test ideas, launch solutions, learn from real users and prove what works. By demonstrating better ways of solving public problems, we can help agencies move faster and give New Yorkers the government they deserve."

"New Yorkers deserve protections that keep pace with technological change, from canceling a recurring subscription with a single click and getting an honest price when booking a hotel, to reporting bad actors without jumping through a labyrinth of bureaucratic hoops. DCWP is thrilled to have a new partner in the NYC PIT Crew to achieve just that," said DCWP Commissioner Samuel A.A. Levine. "No one should have to navigate the maze of subscription traps or junk fees alone, and no one should struggle to access the government resources they already have. Today's announcement sends a clear message: this administration is committed to modernizing government, harnessing technology in the public interest and ensuring market innovation works for New Yorkers - not the other way around."

"At a moment of profound disruption, New Yorkers, like Americans everywhere, want government to deliver for them and we should be able to use today's incredible technological advances to help" said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation. "The Rockefeller Foundation is proud to support our hometown's PIT Crew initiative, which will be a model for how to harness the latest tools to solve problems and expand opportunity for everyone."

Experienced product managers, software engineers, designers, user researchers, service designers and other technologists committed to public service are encouraged to learn more and apply to join a PIT Crew at nyc.gov/pitcrew.

"Government technology should bridge services, not be another barrier to accessing them," said State Senator Kristen Gonzalez. "The PIT Crews will be integral to deploying good government technology by creating in-house solutions to specific problems, and by providing the best possible digital experience for New Yorkers. I commend Mayor Mamdani, Deputy Mayor of Operations Julia Kerson and Chief Technology Officer Lisa Gelobter for setting a new standard for public technology that will improve services and lower costs for New Yorkers."

"New York City has always been a cradle of technological innovation and advancement, serving as an example of how investment in modernity can transform a public good. As Technology Chair at the City Council, I know technology has the potential to solve issues for the everyday New Yorker, like housing and affordability, if we deploy it responsibly, equitably and strategically," said Council Member Carmen De La Rosa. "Access should never be hindered for those who need it when we have the tools to deliver the services. We are excited to see a vision of efficiency come to fruition in the PIT crews, providing opportunities for young talent to shape the future of their city while making it easier to hold bad actors accountable in service of New Yorkers."

"New Yorkers deserve government technology that meets their needs, where they are," said Noel Hidalgo, Executive Director of BetaNYC. "Today's investment strengthens the City's capacity to deliver on housing, child care, worker and consumer protection and affordability. Government technology should always serve people first, and by building in-house teams that deliver faster and more cost-effectively, this investment does exactly that. We commend Mayor Mamdani and his team for this investment and look forward to working with the administration to improve how the City delivers its data and digital services."

"By bringing technologists into genuine partnership with City agencies and community members, New York is modeling an approach to public innovation that other local governments can build on," said Dr. Ruha Benjamin, Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University. "The future of technology isn't just about better code - it's about deeper relationships, broader participation and institutions that are equipped to learn from the people they serve."

"The Mamdani administration is getting it right: tech should be a tool to serve people, and designed and deployed responsibly, it can deliver accessibly and advance Mayor Mamdani's affordability agenda," said Alondra Nelson, former Acting Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. "Done right, digital government can help millions of people save hundreds of millions of dollars, and hours and hours of time. Done wrong, it can be costly, useless, discriminatory or even dangerous. How a City interacts with its people shouldn't be outsourced. It should be local and accountable."

"With this announcement, NYC is taking necessary steps to attract and build more in-house talent, instead of giving away taxpayer dollars to consultancies and big tech," said Katherine Jin and Ajeet Singh MD MPH, NYC-DSA Tech Action OC. "We are making a clear choice. We are choosing a positive vision for technology, a vision that refuses a foundation of exploitation, and instead enables NYers to experience greater freedoms as tenants, workers, consumers and neighbors. By launching tools like the Click-To-Cancel rule and other future PIT Crew projects, the Mamdani Administration commits to building public interest technologies that will address the material needs of NYers."

About The Rockefeller Foundation

Investing $30 billion over the last 113 years to promote the well-being of humanity, The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on unlikely partnerships and innovative solutions that deliver measurable results for people in the United States and around the world. We leverage scientific breakthroughs, artificial intelligence, and new technologies to make big bets across energy, food, health, and finance with our partners and our affiliated public charity, RFCC. For more information, follow us on LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation, X @RockefellerFdn, Instagram @rockefellerfdn, and YouTube @RockefellerFdn, and sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe.

This press release first appeared in www.nyc.gov on July 13th, 2026, and is reposted with permission.

NEW YORK | July 13, 2026 - Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Chief Technology Officer and Office of Technology & Innovation (OTI) Commissioner Lisa Gelobter today announced the launch of "Public Interest Technology (PIT) Crew," a new initiative that will deploy teams of technologists alongside City agencies to tackle public problems with in-house digital solutions.
The first PIT Crew will team up with the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) to build an online portal that allows New Yorkers to easily file complaints against companies that trap customers in hard-to-cancel, costly subscriptions. The tool will support the Mamdani administration's implementation of the nation's first "Click to Cancel" protections.

OTI will deploy a total of five PIT Crews: the first to support Click to Cancel, three more to advance Mayor Mamdani's agenda of affordability and public excellence and an additional team developed with support from The Rockefeller Foundation to the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City. The Rockefeller Foundation has supported efforts to help governments harness the latest technologies to improve processes and systems for underserved communities across the United States.

Each PIT Crew will include product managers, designers, engineers, user researchers and data experts who will work alongside City agencies and New Yorkers to design, build and launch digital solutions on accelerated timelines. Instead of waiting years for new technology, agencies will be able to move from idea to implementation in a matter of months.

"Government should be as responsive and innovative as the people it serves," said Mayor Mamdani. "New Yorkers should not be forced to navigate systems that are confusing, outdated and burdened by bureaucracy. The PIT Crew turns that model on its head. These teams will move quickly and deliberately to solve real problems, make City government easier to use, deliver for working New Yorkers and advance our agenda of affordability and public excellence. It's fitting that our first project will enforce our Click to Cancel law by making it easier to hold companies accountable when they engage in predatory practices to squeeze working people."

"In the twenty-first century, every government service is, in some way, a digital service," said Chief Technology Officer and OTI Commissioner Lisa Gelobter. "Technology is no longer just how government operates behind the scenes - it is how people experience government. Every confusing process, unnecessary step or difficult interaction makes government harder to navigate. Every simpler experience strengthens trust. New Yorkers shouldn't have to understand how government is organized to get the services they need. Our job is to make government work better for people. The PIT Crew gives us a new way to do that - partnering with agencies to understand problems, rapidly test ideas, launch solutions, learn from real users and prove what works. By demonstrating better ways of solving public problems, we can help agencies move faster and give New Yorkers the government they deserve."

"New Yorkers deserve protections that keep pace with technological change, from canceling a recurring subscription with a single click and getting an honest price when booking a hotel, to reporting bad actors without jumping through a labyrinth of bureaucratic hoops. DCWP is thrilled to have a new partner in the NYC PIT Crew to achieve just that," said DCWP Commissioner Samuel A.A. Levine. "No one should have to navigate the maze of subscription traps or junk fees alone, and no one should struggle to access the government resources they already have. Today's announcement sends a clear message: this administration is committed to modernizing government, harnessing technology in the public interest and ensuring market innovation works for New Yorkers - not the other way around."

"At a moment of profound disruption, New Yorkers, like Americans everywhere, want government to deliver for them and we should be able to use today's incredible technological advances to help" said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation. "The Rockefeller Foundation is proud to support our hometown's PIT Crew initiative, which will be a model for how to harness the latest tools to solve problems and expand opportunity for everyone."

Experienced product managers, software engineers, designers, user researchers, service designers and other technologists committed to public service are encouraged to learn more and apply to join a PIT Crew at nyc.gov/pitcrew.

"Government technology should bridge services, not be another barrier to accessing them," said State Senator Kristen Gonzalez. "The PIT Crews will be integral to deploying good government technology by creating in-house solutions to specific problems, and by providing the best possible digital experience for New Yorkers. I commend Mayor Mamdani, Deputy Mayor of Operations Julia Kerson and Chief Technology Officer Lisa Gelobter for setting a new standard for public technology that will improve services and lower costs for New Yorkers."

"New York City has always been a cradle of technological innovation and advancement, serving as an example of how investment in modernity can transform a public good. As Technology Chair at the City Council, I know technology has the potential to solve issues for the everyday New Yorker, like housing and affordability, if we deploy it responsibly, equitably and strategically," said Council Member Carmen De La Rosa. "Access should never be hindered for those who need it when we have the tools to deliver the services. We are excited to see a vision of efficiency come to fruition in the PIT crews, providing opportunities for young talent to shape the future of their city while making it easier to hold bad actors accountable in service of New Yorkers."

"New Yorkers deserve government technology that meets their needs, where they are," said Noel Hidalgo, Executive Director of BetaNYC. "Today's investment strengthens the City's capacity to deliver on housing, child care, worker and consumer protection and affordability. Government technology should always serve people first, and by building in-house teams that deliver faster and more cost-effectively, this investment does exactly that. We commend Mayor Mamdani and his team for this investment and look forward to working with the administration to improve how the City delivers its data and digital services."

"By bringing technologists into genuine partnership with City agencies and community members, New York is modeling an approach to public innovation that other local governments can build on," said Dr. Ruha Benjamin, Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University. "The future of technology isn't just about better code - it's about deeper relationships, broader participation and institutions that are equipped to learn from the people they serve."

"The Mamdani administration is getting it right: tech should be a tool to serve people, and designed and deployed responsibly, it can deliver accessibly and advance Mayor Mamdani's affordability agenda," said Alondra Nelson, former Acting Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. "Done right, digital government can help millions of people save hundreds of millions of dollars, and hours and hours of time. Done wrong, it can be costly, useless, discriminatory or even dangerous. How a City interacts with its people shouldn't be outsourced. It should be local and accountable."

"With this announcement, NYC is taking necessary steps to attract and build more in-house talent, instead of giving away taxpayer dollars to consultancies and big tech," said Katherine Jin and Ajeet Singh MD MPH, NYC-DSA Tech Action OC. "We are making a clear choice. We are choosing a positive vision for technology, a vision that refuses a foundation of exploitation, and instead enables NYers to experience greater freedoms as tenants, workers, consumers and neighbors. By launching tools like the Click-To-Cancel rule and other future PIT Crew projects, the Mamdani Administration commits to building public interest technologies that will address the material needs of NYers."

About The Rockefeller Foundation

Investing $30 billion over the last 113 years to promote the well-being of humanity, The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on unlikely partnerships and innovative solutions that deliver measurable results for people in the United States and around the world. We leverage scientific breakthroughs, artificial intelligence, and new technologies to make big bets across energy, food, health, and finance with our partners and our affiliated public charity, RFCC. For more information, follow us on LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation, X @RockefellerFdn, Instagram @rockefellerfdn, and YouTube @RockefellerFdn, and sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe.

This press release first appeared in www.nyc.gov on July 13th, 2026, and is reposted with permission.

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