Creative Pathways: Andy Saldaña, Executive Director at NY Tech Alliance

NY Tech Alliance’s Eustacio Andy Saldaña (pronouns: he/his) is an eight-year veteran of the organization and a strong community leader in the New York City tech ecosystem. Elevated to the role of Executive Director in 2018, Andy works alongside the full NY Tech Alliance Board of Directors and the organization’s 60,000-plus members to encourage growth and innovation in the New York tech startup ecosystem by driving access, equity, and inclusion forward to make it the most diverse and dynamic in the world. Andy is key in leading and planning the organization’s programs and monthly event, the NY Tech Meetup (NYTM), and has forged relationships that have led to NY Tech Alliance programs such as Developing Pride, Latina Luminaries, Founder Spotlights, and NY Tech Meetup Celebrating Black Women Founders. NYTM was regularly ranked by BizBash as one of the top Tech events in NYC, but in response to the COVID lockdown, he successfully transitioned all the organization’s events from in-person to online, expanding partnerships with Grasshopper, NationBuilder, and Withum. In November, the organization launched NY Tech Volunteer Corp, supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and in partnership with Civic Hall, to match people that can donate their time and skills with organizations that need them. Initial projects include the NY chapter of the League of Women Voters, GrowNYC, and The Actors Theater Workshop. Andy was named to Crain’s New York Business 2020 Notable LGBTQ Leaders and Executives list, and in 2019, was named to the Tech Power 50 in New York’s technology community by City & State, the leading media company covering government and politics in New York. Andy is also a co-founder of QueerTech, a non-profit based in Montreal focused on empowering, connecting, and increasing the visibility of LGBTQ2S+ entrepreneurs and technologists. Other projects and volunteer ventures include organizing the mentoring for Techstars New York and Founder Institute New York and previously serving on the programming board of StartOut. Prior to moving to New York in 2013 and joining the NY Tech Alliance, Andy was Senior Operations Manager at United Business Media, LLC from 2007, where he managed operations for large-scale tech conferences becoming an expert in event/project management, content planning, sponsor management, and attendee experience. Prior to that, he served stints as Research Center Manager for the US Santa Cruz Chicano Latino Research Center, and Senior Development Advocate for the Trust for Public Land. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Business Foundations.