Impact
Co-founded and has led BetaNYC since
Advocate for NYC's Open Data Law of 2012
Community ideas in the People's Roadmap — more than 10 now law
Members in the BetaNYC community
From civic hacker to institution builder.
Noel Hidalgo is the co-founder and Executive Director of BetaNYC, the nation's largest open government and civic technology organization, with a community of more than 5,700 members. Since 2009 he has built the institutions, policies, and communities that make government technology work for people.
His advocacy helped pass New York City's Local Law 11 of 2012 — one of the strongest municipal open data laws in the country. The People's Roadmap to a Digital New York City put 34 community ideas forward, more than ten of which are now law. He serves on New York City's Commission on Public Information and Communication (COPIC).
Before BetaNYC, he was Director of Technology Innovation for the New York State Senate, led technology at the World Economic Forum, and managed Code for America's New York City program. He serves on the board of the Alliance for Civic Technology and was an inaugural member of Code for America's National Advisory Council. He is a former Technology and Democracy Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center and a Data & Society affiliate and former fellow. He is an Eagle Scout.
Work
- Co-founder & Executive Director, BetaNYC 2009 – present
- Program Manager, Code for America (NYC)2012 – 2013
- Technology, World Economic Forum 2011 – 2012
- Director of Technology Innovation, NY State Senate 2009 – 2011
Boards & fellowships
- Alliance for Civic Technology (board)
- Code for America National Advisory Council (inaugural)
- NYC COPIC (member)
- Harvard Kennedy School Ash Center (former fellow)
- Data & Society (affiliate)
Civic foundations
Press & speaking
- The New York Times · 2013
Quoted in "Mayor Bloomberg's Geek Squad." - NYU Tandon (CUSP) · 2026
Keynote: "A 'Brief' History of Civic Hacking." - Urban Omnibus · 2018
"Hacking the Civic Architecture" — interview. - Data & Society · 2016
Databite No. 87: "The future of municipal open data, smart cities, and civic technology." - Gothamist (WNYC) · 2023
Quoted on mapping NYC's missing park benches and public-seating equity.
Connect
Government & policy partners
Open data, digital literacy, and civic technology policy.
Start a conversationFunders
Building infrastructure for a more transparent city.
BetaNYC's workConference organizers
Talks on public interest technology and open government.
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