Jazzy Smith (she/her)
Former Chief of Staff
Jazzy Smith is a teacher, community builder, and artist dedicated to advancing equity, education, and public interest technology. She served as Chief of Staff at BetaNYC and is a member of the Board of Directors for OpenStreetMap US, and she brings her extensive experience across academia, K–12 education, nonprofits, and the arts to foster inclusive and effective systems.
Jazzy is renowned for creating welcoming spaces where diverse voices are empowered and heard. She believes that posing insightful questions can be more transformative than merely providing answers, and she challenges the notion that engaging with data requires specific credentials or backgrounds.
Her journey with BetaNYC began in 2022 during Open Data Week and the School of Data. As Chief of Staff, and later as a consultant, Jazzy focused on demystifying open data and making it accessible to all New Yorkers through the development of inclusive, community-centered curricula within the Civic Innovation Fellowship program.