Announcing the Expansion of Tech:NYC’s Team

Today, we’re excited to announce three new hires have joined the Tech:NYC team: former New York City Council Member Marjorie Velázquez as the organization’s Vice President of Policy, former Adams Administration Senior Policy Advisor Lisi McCall as Chief of Staff, and Bryan Lozano, formerly of Empire State Development, as Director of the Tech:NYC Foundation. Sarah Brown, the organization’s founding Chief of Staff, will be moving into the role of Chief Strategy Officer. 

“Tech:NYC is growing rapidly alongside the New York tech sector, and our newest hires will propel us forward as we look to 2024 and beyond,” said Julie Samuels, President & CEO of Tech:NYC. “I’m incredibly proud of everything the Tech:NYC team has accomplished in the past eight years, growing the organization from five founding members to 800 and counting. We are thrilled to welcome Marjorie, Lisi, and Bryan to Tech:NYC as we continue to bring together New Yorkers to foster a dynamic and creative tech ecosystem.”

MARJORIE VELÁZQUEZ served on the New York City Council representing District 13, covering the Northeast Bronx, from 2022 to 2023. As Council Member she served as Chair of the Consumer and Worker Protection Committee, overseeing the passage of the landmark ruling mandating a minimum wage for gig economy workers, working to secure funding for public transit and safety, and passing bills to strengthen tenant rights. Velázquez will serve as Vice President of Policy to continue bridging City Hall and Albany with New York’s growing tech sector.

LISI MCCALL joins Tech:NYC after three years in the New York City Mayor’s Office of Operations, where she served as Senior Policy Advisor. McCall brings her experience managing diverse portfolios of interagency programs and executive initiatives, and working directly with decision makers in local government. She will support Tech:NYC’s growth as Chief of Staff.

BRYAN LOZANO returns to Tech:NYC after three years, during which he served as Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives at Empire State Development and Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at Per Scholas, a New York-based nonprofit working to advance economic equity through training for tech careers. He will be leading the Tech:NYC foundation to scale the organization’s K-12 computer science education and workforce development initiatives and deepen the sector’s support of other local economic development and social impact issues.

Tech:NYC announces the new hires at a critical point in the evolution of the local tech sector, as a new report from the NYC Economic Development Corporation finds that the number of New Yorkers working in STEM-related jobs grew by 67% between 2011 and 2022 to 193,000, about the same number of jobs on Wall Street. A 2022 study from Tech:NYC and the Center for an Urban Future found that from 2010 to 2022, NYC’s tech sector experienced growth of 142%, 17x faster than finance and insurance (8.4%), 5x faster than advertising (29.7%), and 3x faster than healthcare (46.1%). 

Join us in welcoming Marjorie, Lisi, and Bryan to Tech:NYC!