Jeff Merritt is an expert in the design and implementation of innovative civic engagement and good government programs with more than 15 years of on-the-ground leadership in the US and abroad. Jeff began his career working with U.S. State Department-sponsored democracy programs in Croatia, Macedonia, Albania, Serbia and Montenegro. Upon returning to the U.S., he served as Executive Director for the Center for Civic Responsibility and in 2005 founded Grassroots Initiative, the nation’s first not-for-profit election consulting firm. At Grassroots Initiative, Jeff helped organize the first entirely online public election in U.S. history as part of a 2009 contract with the New York City Department of Education.

In 2010, he joined New York City government as a Senior Advisor to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and in 2012 was named one of City & State’s “New York City Rising Stars: 40 Under 40″. At the Public Advocate’s office, Jeff helped develop the City’s first open-source technology tools and led national coalitions on issues of corporate political spending and gun divestment. In 2014, he helped to establish the Mayor’s Office of Technology and Innovation, where he has led a range of technology efforts including the launch of the .nyc top-level domain and announcement of LinkNYC, New York City’s plan to build the largest and fastest municipal Wi-Fi network in the world.