Zoran Mamdani's unexpected rise was driven primarily by New Yorkers' deep concern that our city was becoming unaffordable. It's unclear whether our next mayor's policies will help solve this problem for New Yorkers, but make no mistake: lack of affordability is an existential threat to our city and our country.
As someone who invests in value-based startups and helps entrepreneurs solve big civic issues, I see every day how innovation can be a force for improving the lives of New Yorkers. Mamdani must work with the tech sector to help address the root causes of what pushes New Yorkers to the brink, from affordability to safety to access to vital city services.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch Leaders from the NYPD and formerly the Department of Sanitation offer models for how technology can improve city governance. New York has implemented the nation's largest curbside composting program and has begun the process of containerizing trash. This has been made possible by incorporating technology into every process, moving from pen and paper to GPS and providing real-time tracking.
Similarly, the NYPD has implemented a mobile app that provides officers with real-time emergency information, replacing an outdated system that relied on radio and paper files. The decision to retain Tisch as police commissioner is an early positive sign that Mamdani will welcome technological innovation to improve public services.
Housing can also be improved through technology. While much of the debate rightly focuses on zoning reform and investment in public housing, there is a huge space right now to use technology to make housing more affordable and efficient. Startups and nonprofits are building tools to digitize and streamline housing voucher applications, prepare eviction defenses, and more.
Kissfor example, helps renters build credit through on-time rent payments, which for millions of Americans is often their largest monthly expense but is not typically reported to the credit bureaus.
In every community, we see signs that government systems are cracking under the weight of analogue processes in the digital age. IN H/L Ventureswe support companies solving real urban problems, e.g. Summerhelping New Yorkers with student loans and planning for college expenses; Carstraffic reduction and double parking; inCitehelping communities visualize new development; And Livehelping companies offer early education and care to working families.
These are not lunar pictures. These are practical, proven and scalable solutions that can better serve New Yorkers.
To be clear, embracing technology does not mean handing over the keys to City Hall to the private sector. This means building smart, values-based collaboration between government, the tech sector, and civic institutions to achieve better outcomes for real people.
That means creating modern procurement mechanisms so startups can work with the city without getting bogged down in bureaucratic red tape or waiting years for a pilot contract. And that means treating technology not as an industry silo, but as a comprehensive enabler of better policy, job creation, and efficiency for our citizens.
One of the most promising opportunities lies in unlocking the enormous value of city data to drive real-time innovation. Technology: New Yorkof which I am a board member, proposed RealTimeNYC, a citywide data access platform that would enable startups, researchers, and communities to create technology solutions to urban problems using secure and accessible real-time data feeds.
Imagine if local developers could access data that shows in real time where traffic bottlenecks form, which public trash cans are overflowing, or how air quality fluctuates block by block. Using this data, startups could pilot low-cost sensor networks to optimize waste collection, create apps that steer drivers away from congestion, or alert vulnerable residents about public health events.
The issues that concern New Yorkers most are real, immediate and deeply personal. But they are not insoluble. The way forward is not just ideology, but also implementation. It's about working with technologists, builders and entrepreneurs who are already solving these problems in smarter, faster and fairer ways.
The vitality of our city was the defining issue of this election. The Mamdani administration must make every effort to resolve it during his time in power. As I like to say, they should help provide a solid foundation below which New Yorkers should not fall, but also offer no ceiling on what our business and innovation can strive for.
Libby is the Managing Partner of H/L Ventures.
