Blue promotional graphic for the “BetaNYC ’25–’26 Civic Innovation Fellows’ Showcase and Celebration” event. The BetaNYC “BetaBAGELS” logo appears at top left. Large white text announces the event title in the center-left, with the date “May 8, 2026” below. A white speech bubble at top right reads: “Civic Innovation Fellows Jillian Melough and Ayela Janjua.” The bottom left shows “[www.beta.nyc,”](http://www.beta.nyc,”) while the bottom right includes the text “Archived by ISOC.LIVE.”
1:18 pm on May 19, 2026 · 2026 (278), betaNYC (31), civictech (22)

RECAP 8 May 2026 – BetaBagels 015: ’25-’26 Civic Innovation Fellows’ Showcase & Celebration

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Blue promotional graphic for the “BetaNYC ’25–’26 Civic Innovation Fellows’ Showcase and Celebration” event. The BetaNYC “BetaBAGELS” logo appears at top left. Large white text announces the event title in the center-left, with the date “May 8, 2026” below. A white speech bubble at top right reads: “Civic Innovation Fellows Jillian Melough and Ayela Janjua.” The bottom left shows “[www.beta.nyc,”](http://www.beta.nyc,”) while the bottom right includes the text “Archived by ISOC.LIVE.”
VIDEO | AUDIO | RECAP | ARCHIVE | PERMALINK

On May 8, 2026, BetaNYC hosted a BetaBagels conversation with its 13th cohort of Civic Innovation Fellows, Ayela Janjua and Jillian Melough. The session traced the Fellows’ journey from the College of Staten Island to organizing digital and data literacy events across New York City, including BetaNYC’s inaugural Mapping for Equity events on Staten Island, and how public interest technology influenced their academic and professional growth.

SPEAKERS
Esther Caroline – Director of Policy, Manhattan Borough President’s Office
Ishrat Chowdhury – BetaNYC Alum and Consultant, Accenture
Ayela Janjua – Civic Innovation Fellow, BetaNYC
Jillian Melough – Civic Innovation Fellow, BetaNYC
Rev. Kathleen (Katie) M. Cumiskey, PhD – Director, CUNY Public Interest Tech Lab

MODERATORS
Dimitri Mimy – Manager, Educational Programs and Community Initiatives, BetaNYC
Naeema Haque – Development and Strategy Manager, BetaNYC

HOST / FACILITATOR
Jazzy Smith – Chief of Staff, BetaNYC

#CivicTech #OpenData #PITech #MappingForEquity