Origin Stories

Along the 215 miles connecting Boston and New York City runs one of the world's most concentrated pathways of intellectual capital, research infrastructure, and innovation capacity. Yet this corridor has largely functioned as a collection of distinct regional ecosystems rather than as an integrated system. The question is no longer whether these cities can innovate independently—they demonstrably can, but by how much can their collective impact on society’s most pressing chal

United Nations Headquarters, New York City By: Khahlil A, Louisy This piece was originally published by the Data-Smart City Solutions Program at Harvard University. Read the full thing here . As global leaders gathered in New York for the 80th UN General Assembly and Climate Week NYC, a powerful consensus emerged: tackling climate change and public health must go hand in hand, demanding new metrics, investments, and solutions. New York City became the epicenter of global clim

Stephen Caines, San Jose's Chief Innovation Officer and Budget Director, navigates a unique challenge: meeting Silicon Valley-level expectations for innovation while operating within municipal constraints. In this conversation, he reveals how cities actually evaluate technology, why most startup pitches miss the mark, and what it takes to build lasting civic innovation infrastructure.