Alby B.

Background

About Alby B.

Alby Bocanegra is a visionary leader at the intersection of urban technology and public-private partnerships, driving innovation in global smart cities. As Head of Government & Strategic Partnerships at Ecosystems Informatics Inc, Alby leads efforts to prioritize air quality in urban development, pushing for healthier and more sustainable cities worldwide. His commitment to making air quality top of mind for city leaders reflects his broader mission to enhance urban living through technology and strategic collaboration. Formerly New York City’s Chief Technology Officer and Mastercard’s VP of Global City and Tech Partnerships, Alby has a proven track record of pioneering smart city transformations. At Mastercard, he scaled the City Possible network to 335+ cities, and launched the 24-Hour Cities Network, empowering governments to improve night-time economies. His leadership in New York City also led to the development of what would later be known as the NYC Internet Master plan, co-founding of the Cities Coalition for Digital Rights, a global movement advocating for digital equity and privacy across more than 50 cities, and countless innovative community-based technology projects across all 5 boroughs serving more than 8 million residents. Alby’s expertise has earned him past roles as an Advisory Board Member on Digital Twins for the World Economic Forum and as "Futurist in Residence" at the Smart Cities Council, where he curated global discussions on urban tech challenges. Through his consultancy, The Urban Futurist Inc, he has led transformative partnerships between global governments in Africa, Europe, South America, Asia, Oceana, North America and the private sector. Most recently, Alby served as Strategic Advisor at the Charter Cities Institute, advancing governance models and partnerships to accelerate economic growth in Africa’s emerging cities. His most recent work as a board member and Smart Cities Advisor at Create Labs, an AI startup focused startup, has him leading the exploration of the application of Ai, virtual humans and the metaverse on public engagement and politics. The work he is leading with Create Labs will make a lasting impact on cities, culture, economy and tourism. With a career that spans government, academia, and a decorated military service, Alby’s deep commitment urban innovation and sustainability continues to shape smarter, more equitable cities for future generations.