Details
| Headline | Urban Innovator with a passion for history and no-nonsense real solutions |
| First Name | Gianluca |
| Last Name | Galletto |
| Nickname | ggalletto |
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| Biography | Gianluca is an economist, executive, and author specializing in urban tech and finance, and a former advisor to New York’s mayor on tech foreign direct investments. With three decades of experience across business, government, and technology, he leads DG Advisors, guiding governments, corporations, and nonprofits to design and implement tech-enabled strategies that advance productivity, sustainability, and equity. Expertise includes crafting and scaling innovation ecosystems, forging partnerships, and business development for innovative, international businesses. Notable engagements include work with the EU Commission, Lendlease, Milan Innovation District, GEO.works, Amundi, the City of New York, IBIS Power, the World Bank, Smart City Expo Usa, and several companies and cities. He has served as a judge for the European Capital of Innovation (evaluating 60+ city proposals) and European Women Entrepreneurs Awards. As Managing Director for Tech & Innovation Partnerships at the NYC Housing Authority, Gianluca advanced building and property management solutions and decarbonization initiatives. Earlier, as Director of International at NYCEDC, he led the city’s FDI strategy, launched IN2NYC, the first city-based U.S. startup visa program, and built lasting partnerships with international business and government leaders. Before public service, he spent 13 years in finance at Muzinich & Co., managing $350M in credit portfolios and contributing to $1.7B in new asset growth. His book, Viva New York (2023), with a foreword by former Mayor Bill de Blasio, explores NYC’s rise as a global capital of inclusive innovation and sustainability, providing practical examples for other cities.
Gianluca is Chair and Co-Founder of I³/NYC – Italian Innovators Initiative, a nonprofit endorsed by Italy’s Consulate in New York, and Co-Founder of Smart Cities New York. A frequent speaker and media contributor, he is fluent in four languages and holds Master’s degrees from Yale University (Fulbright Scholar) and Bocconi University. |
| Accomplishments | International Innovators Initiative or IN2NYC, the first city-based U.S. startup visa program to attract and retain international/immigrant entrepreneurs by leveraging some special features of the US immigration law to provide uncapped visa sponsorships. An integral part of this program required a partnership with universities which we crafted with seven colleges of the City University of New York (CUNY), with at least one in each of the five boroughs. CUNY is the public university system of New York City, made of 24 colleges and a graduate center, spread throughout the five boroughs. This program built lasting partnerships with a global network of international business and government organizations and it was featured in the New York Times, CNN and NY1. Another accomplishment I am proud of is the introduction of the concept and models of thermal energy networks (heat networks) as a solution for decarbonization at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest residential landlord in NYC, consisting of 326 development 2300 buildings, 180,000 units and about 500,000 residents across Manhattan, The Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island. NYCHA is the largest public housing authority in the US and the probably the largest public housing system in the western hemisphere. Residents need to qualify based on low income and they pay 30% of their annual income, all included. |