Columbia in Tech (CiT) has announced a new $100,000 initiative to help support Columbia students and alumni in technology over the next decade. The initiative aims to provide resources for students and alumni to pursue careers in technology and propel the University’s presence in technological innovation. 

Columbia in Tech (CiT), a rapidly growing alumni group, has pledged $100,000 over the coming decade to help fund Columbia student and alumni initiatives in technology. 

CiT arose from the work of multiple Columbia alumni who embarked in the field of tech, which the group described as “a more unstructured field.” Since 2014, the alumni group has worked to connect alumni and form “a shared community [which] is an incredibly valuable resource.” 

Their $100,000 grant comes after CiT declared a new mission of making Columbia University the best university for impact in tech. 

All individuals, student groups, and alumni are eligible to apply for the CiT grant. Additionally, all student- or alumni-led projects are eligible as well, as CiT is “open-minded on eligibility” and “wants [s] to prioritize the ideas of the community, but have some ideas of [their] own.”  

“CiT changed the trajectory of my career—after four years of investment banking and private equity, I was sure that I’d stay in finance for the rest of my career… until I attended a CiT dinner in San Francisco hosted by my friend Shensi Ding in 2019,” CiT alum Max Segali (CC’14) said to Bwog. “I wouldn’t be working in tech, and I wouldn’t have nearly as much career fulfillment if it weren’t for CiT.” 

“Columbia has an important role to play in catalyzing NYC’s growth as a tech market rivaling the impact that San Francisco has had on the world,” he said. “CiT bridges the connection between the hundreds of eager students looking to contribute to NYC’s growth as a tech hub and the job market.”

As part of CiT’s “New Horizon” initiative, this grant pledges over $100,000 in grant funding to support Columbia-affiliated ventures that align with its mission of pushing tech forward: ethically, creatively, and impactfully. The CiT grant is open to students and alumni whose work intersects with key areas like bioengineering, climate tech, and decentralizing finance.  The grant is an extension of CiT’s larger vision of turning Columbia into a central force in NYC’s growing tech ecosystem.

This new initiative will be called the Hsing Fellowship and will be a cohort-based mentorship program connecting some of the most promising young alumni with experience and perspectives across the technology industry.

CiT continues to publish updated information about their upcoming grants. “An important part of the message we are trying to reinforce here is that each of us can be part of the solution in helping our Columbia community learn, grow, and make a bigger impact in technology,” their webpage states.

CiT has seen much development over the years, largely due to Segali’s help. He has hired several Columbia students, helped dozens more secure valuable job opportunities through his network, and regularly participates in CiT events. “The Columbia tech alumni community is tight-knit and wants to help. It’s changed the trajectory of my career, and I’m motivated to pay that forward to as many current students and alums as I can.” Max stated.

Header image via CiT