About

The Transit Innovation Partnership is a public-private initiative launched by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Partnership for New York City with the mission to make New York the global leader in public transit.

The future of public transit is the future of New York City. A reliable, efficient mass transportation system is critical to New York’s economy and position as a competitive global hub.

Today, we have a public transit system in crisis. To address severe declines in subway performance Governor Andrew M. Cuomo declared a state of emergency, installed new leadership at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and called on the private sector to help modernize the system.

In response, the Partnership for New York City, representing the region’s largest employers, and the MTA jointly created the Transit Innovation Partnership, a public-private initiative with the mission to make New York the global leader in mass transportation.

An advisory board of leaders from academia, business, civic organizations and government guides the Transit Innovation Partnership, which brings together diverse stakeholders to realize public-private projects that improve transit performance and customer service.

The inaugural initiative of the Transit Innovation Partnership is the Transit Tech Lab, the nation's first public transit pilot accelerator.

Leadership

Transit Innovation Partnership

Transit Innovation Partnership
Advisory Board

Alan H. Fishman
Chair

David Belt
Co-Founder, New Lab & President, Macro Sea

Kenneth A. Bronfin
Senior Managing Director & Head of International Investments, Hearst Interactive Media

Kara Carscaden
Executive Director, Global Public Affairs,
The Estee Lauder Companies Inc.

Kevin G. Chavers
Managing Director,
BlackRock, Inc.

Michele Gilliam
Director of Campaigns & Elections,
TWU Local 100

Maria Gotsch
President & CEO, Partnership Fund for New York City

Nick Grossman
Partner, Union Square Ventures

Alan H. Fishman
Advisory Board Chair

David Belt
Co-Founder, New Lab & President, Macro Sea

Kenneth A. Bronfin
Senior Managing Director & Head of International Investments, Hearst Interactive Media

Kevin G. Chavers
Managing Director,
BlackRock, Inc.

Michele Gilliam
Director of Campaigns & Elections,
TWU Local 100

Maria Gotsch
President & CEO, Partnership Fund for New York City

Nick Grossman
General Manager, Union Square Ventures

Sarah Kaufman
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Urban Planning, New York University

Sarah Kaufman
Associate Director, New York University Rudin Center for Transportation

Carol Kellermann
Former President, Citizens Budget Commission

Linda Kirkpatrick
Executive Vice President, U.S. Market Development, Mastercard

David Levin
University Entrepreneur in Residence, Arizona State University

William J. Mulrow
Senior Managing Director, Blackstone

Charles E. Phillips, Jr.
Chairman, Infor

Steven Rubenstein
President, Rubenstein Communications, Inc.

William C. Rudin
Co-Chairman & CEO, Rudin Management Company, Inc.

Carol Kellermann
Former President, Citizens Budget Commission

Linda Kirkpatrick
Executive Vice President, U.S. Market Development, Mastercard

David Levin
Former CEO, McGraw-Hill Education, Inc.

Nancy M. Louden
Senior Vice President, Global Government Relations, The Estée Lauder Companies, Inc.

William J. Mulrow
Senior Managing Director, Blackstone

Charles E. Phillips, Jr.
Chief Executive Officer, Infor

Steven Rubenstein
President, Rubenstein Communications, Inc.

William C. Rudin
Co-Chairman & CEO, Rudin Management Company, Inc.

Kevin P. Ryan
Chairman & Founder, MongoDB, Zola, Workframe, Nomad Health

Scott Salmirs
President & CEO, ABM Industries Inc.

Edward Skyler
Executive Vice President, Global Public Affairs, Citi, Citigroup Inc.

Polly Trottenberg
Commissioner, NYC Department of Transportation

Thomas Wright
President, Regional Plan Association

Kathryn S. Wylde
President & CEO, Partnership for New York City

Kevin P. Ryan
Chairman & Founder, MongoDB, Zola, Workframe, Nomad Health

Scott Salmirs
President & CEO, ABM Industries Inc.

Edward Skyler
Executive Vice President, Global Public Affairs, Citi, Citigroup Inc.

Polly Trottenberg
Commissioner, NYC Department of Transportation

Veronica Vanterpool
Deputy Director, Vision Zero Network

Thomas Wright
President, Regional Plan Association

Kathryn S. Wylde
President & CEO, Partnership for New York City

Ex Officio

Patrick Foye
Chairman and CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Mark Dowd
Chief Innovation Officer, Metropolitan Transportation Authority

John N. Lieber
Chief Development Officer, Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Phillip Eng
President, Long Island Rail Road

Catherine Rinaldi
President, MetroNorth Rail Road

Advisory Board
Ex Officio

Patrick Foye
President, Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Veronique Hakim
Managing Director, Metropolitan Transportation Authority

John N. Lieber
Chief Development Officer, Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Andy Byford
President, New York City Transit

Phil Eng
President, Long Island Rail Road

Catherine Rinaldi
President, MetroNorth Rail Road

Alan Fishman

Chair, Transit Innovation Partnership

Alan H. Fishman is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ladder Capital. Mr. Fishman has had an extensive career in the financial services industry; most recently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Washington Mutual Inc. Mr. Fishman also served as the Chairman of Meridian Capital Group and as President of Sovereign Bancorp. From March 2001 until the sale of Independence Community Bank to Sovereign in June 2006, Mr. Fishman had served as Independence Community Bank’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Previously, Mr. Fishman served as the President and Chief Executive Officer at ContiFinancial Corp. Mr. Fishman has been a private equity investor focusing on financial services at Neuberger and Berman, Adler & Shaykin and at his own firm, Columbia Financial Partners LP, and has held a variety of senior executive positions at Chemical Bank and American International Group. Mr. Fishman is a member of the board of directors of Santander Holdings USA, Inc. and is the lead independent director of its subsidiary, Santander Bank, N.A. Mr. Fishman is Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Co-Chairman of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, Chairman of Brooklyn Community Foundation and on the Boards of several other not-for-profit and civic organizations. Mr. Fishman holds a B.S. from Brown University and a Masters in Economics from Columbia University.

Alan Fishman

Advisory Board Chair, Transit Innovation Partnership

Alan H. Fishman is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ladder Capital. Mr. Fishman has had an extensive career in the financial services industry; most recently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Washington Mutual Inc. Mr. Fishman also served as the Chairman of Meridian Capital Group and as President of Sovereign Bancorp. From March 2001 until the sale of Independence Community Bank to Sovereign in June 2006, Mr. Fishman had served as Independence Community Bank’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Previously, Mr. Fishman served as the President and Chief Executive Officer at ContiFinancial Corp. Mr. Fishman has been a private equity investor focusing on financial services at Neuberger and Berman, Adler & Shaykin and at his own firm, Columbia Financial Partners LP, and has held a variety of senior executive positions at Chemical Bank and American International Group. Mr. Fishman is a member of the board of directors of Santander Holdings USA, Inc. and is the lead independent director of its subsidiary, Santander Bank, N.A. Mr. Fishman is Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Co-Chairman of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, Chairman of Brooklyn Community Foundation and on the Boards of several other not-for-profit and civic organizations. Mr. Fishman holds a B.S. from Brown University and a Masters in Economics from Columbia University.

Rachel Haot

Executive Director, Transit Innovation Partnership

Rachel Haot is Executive Director of the Transit Innovation Partnership, a public-private initiative of the Partnership for New York City and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority with the mission to modernize the transit system. Rachel previously served as the first Chief Digital Officer for New York City and the first Chief Digital Officer for New York State. Earlier in her career she was Founder and CEO of global news platform GroundReport. Rachel received her bachelor’s degree in history from New York University and is a Board Member of Tech:NYC, the Regional Plan Association and the Jamaica Bay Rockaway Parks Conservancy.

Rachel Haot

Executive Director, Transit Innovation Partnership

Rachel Haot is Executive Director of the Transit Innovation Partnership. Prior to this role, Rachel was Managing Director for 1776, an incubator and seed fund for startups in highly regulated sectors. Rachel previously served as Chief Digital Officer and Deputy Secretary for Technology for New York State under Governor Cuomo from 2014-2015, and Chief Digital Officer for the City of New York under Mayor Bloomberg from 2011-2013. Earlier in her career she was Founder and Chief Executive Officer of global news platform GroundReport. Rachel holds a B.A. from New York University and is a Board Member of Tech:NYC, Regional Plan Association and Jamaica Bay Rockaway Parks Conservancy.

Natalia Quintero

Director, Transit Tech Lab

As founding director of the Transit Tech Lab, Natalia works with technology innovators and leaders at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to help shape the future of transit in New York City. Previously, she built and ran the Parity Professional Program, now Declare, a community of 500+ women in venture capital, private equity and technology across London, New York and San Francisco. She is a graduate of Columbia University.

Natalia Quintero

Director, Transit Tech Lab

As founding director of the Transit Tech Lab Natalia works with technology innovators and leaders at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to help shape the future of transit in New York City. She joins from Parity Partners where she built the Parity Professional Program (P3) an organization of over 500 women in venture capital, private equity and technology across London, New York and San Francisco.

Previously, Natalia worked at Socialatom Ventures as head of platform and Government Affairs in Latin America. In that role she collaborated with governments across Latin America to develop policy and projects that created economic development for the region. Before that, she served as an analyst to the CFO of Citigroup in New York.

She is interested in ways to leverage technology as a tool that promotes access and equity. Natalia is a graduate of Columbia University and originally from Los Angeles, California, and Bogota, Colombia. She is based in New York City.