ReAssembly: Where Policy, Innovation, and Global Collaboration Meet

During my tenure as New York City’s Commissioner for International Affairs, my focus was on opening doors, creating new avenues for global collaboration that positioned New York not merely as a destination, but as a dynamic partner in innovation and investment. I wanted the world to see what New Yorkers already know: that this city’s greatest strength lies in its diversity, its openness to ideas, and its ability to transform challenges into opportunity. From the outset, my mission was to connect diplomacy with development, to show that economic growth and social progress are not competing objectives but two sides of the same coin.

From 2022 to 2025, I had the privilege of directing New York City’s relationships with the United Nations, the consular corps, and the international diplomatic community, engaging with more than 190 UN missions, 116 consulates, and 70 economic missions. This work positioned New York as both the world’s diplomatic capital and a leading hub for innovation. Our approach to subnational diplomacy reframed what city leadership could accomplish: attracting foreign direct investment, fostering economic resilience, and cultivating international cooperation to address global challenges.

In partnership with the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC), the Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI), and the broader business community, we strengthened New York’s role as a magnet for global business and talent. The city diversified far beyond finance, fueling growth in technology, life sciences, fintech, and climate innovation.

Today, New York stands as the #1 destination for innovation and global opportunity, home to more tech jobs than finance jobs, and a model for cities seeking to link diplomacy with sustainable economic development.

That same spirit of collaboration was powerfully reflected at The ReAssembly, held recently at Hudson Yards. The gathering united global investors, entrepreneurs, and visionaries working to accelerate sustainable transformation, proving that policy, innovation, and investment are most effective when they work in concert. It was an honor to open the event and set the tone for a day defined by purpose and momentum.

From discussions on climate technology and regenerative design to the future of food, water, and materials, The ReAssembly showcased the ingenuity and resolve driving the next chapter of the global economy. Participants, from Regeneration.VC founders and Greyparrot to Cruz Foam and TULU, offered powerful examples of how circularity and creativity can reshape entire industries.

As Jean Oelwang of Planetary Guardians reminded us, collaboration is the key to reassembling our world within planetary boundaries. This is where cities like New York have an essential role to play: as conveners of talent, testbeds for innovation, and catalysts for scalable solutions.

Standing on the 90th floor overlooking New York’s skyline, I was reminded that progress begins when vision meets partnership. The city continues to lead not because of size or wealth, but because of its capacity to connect, across sectors, across borders, and across ideas.

My thanks to the organizers and participants of The ReAssembly for creating such a meaningful forum. Together, we continue to prove that diplomacy and business growth are not opposing forces, they are the shared language of the future.