Executive Director | Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University

David Margalit is Executive Director of the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University. The University-wide center strengthens the capacity of city leaders and institutions to solve complex urban challenges. It generates actionable research and insights that advance effective city leadership and governance, supports Harvard students in becoming part of a new generation of municipal leaders, and offers leadership development and training to equip mayors and senior city officials with the skills, tools, and techniques to tackle the challenges they face in their cities. Throughout his career, David has led teams that combine and harness insight and expertise from the private, public, and non-profit sectors to improve how people live and organizations deliver. He has reimagined government services and operating models – overcoming constraints and inertia to foster innovation, build new approaches and expand impact. As Chief Operating Officer of the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA), he repositioned the agency responsible for NY’s $5 billion Clean Energy Fund to drive greater private sector investment in technologies such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, and electric vehicles. His experiences in New York City government include: leading efforts to make government more user-centered for businesses, turning around workforce development and training services, revitalizing services for small businesses and entrepreneurs, expanding access to financing for traditionally underserved markets, and improving customer service across multiple agencies. David combines leadership in technology and public service. As a software executive, he guided teams delivering solutions that help cities modernize operations and manage vital infrastructure. He has also taught as an adjunct professor and advised students and startups, supporting innovation with civic purpose. He holds a BS from the University of Delaware, where he was a Eugene DuPont Distinguished Scholar, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.