Getting To Know Thatcher Bell
Thatcher Bell is our fearless Chairman of the NY Tech Alliance Board. He’s a seasoned technology advocate who focuses on clean energy, sustainability, and climate tech. Bell currently serves not only as the Chair of the NY Tech Alliance, but as the program director of The Clean Fight, New Energy Nexus New York, and as a visiting instructor at the Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University and his M.B.A. from the Wharton School. You can learn more about him on his website here.
Thatcher Bell is an incredible resource to our community and we hope you get to know him a little bit better!
NYTA: What’s the best part about being involved with the NYTA?
TB: Welcoming new members of the NYC tech community
NYTA: Why is the NYC area a great place for tech businesses?
TB: Talent. And a culture that embraces newcomers.
NYTA: Any favorite NYTM demo moments?
TB: KeyMe. And flying drones in Skirball.
NYTA: What is the biggest issue NYC’s next mayor will need to address?
TB: The need to empower traditionally underserved communities to address challenges like climate change and inequality.
NYTA: What’s a book you always give out as a gift and why?
TB: Sapiens by Yuval Harari, because it changed how I think about nearly everything.
NYTA: What was the first piece of technology that had an impact on your life?
TB: My Vic-20 computer because it opened a small window to the future
NYTA: Tell us about an unusual habit of yours
TB: I stretch for 15 minutes everyday. I just got tired of injuring myself because of inflexibility.
NYTA: What’s one of your favorite failures? (A lesson learned the hard way?)
TB: In my personal and professional lives, I’ve sometimes tried too hard to make a bad relationship work. Sometimes it’s better to move on sooner rather than working too hard at the wrong thing.
NYTA: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
TB: Listen at least twice as much as you talk
About New York Tech Alliance
The mission of the NY Tech Alliance is to represent, inspire, support, and help lead the New York technology community and ecosystem to create a better future for all. Founded in 2016 with the merger of NY Tech Meetup and the New York Technology Council, the organization has over 60,000 individual and institutional members, reflecting the full spectrum of the greater New York area tech community and making it the largest tech organization in the region. Led by Executive Director Andy Saldaña with Acting Chair Thatcher Bell, the NY Tech Alliance continues the work of its predecessor organizations, hosts a monthly Meetup as well as educational and social events, and continues to focus programming and advocacy efforts on issues important to the technology sector and New York.
