MICHAEL ZIGMAN
Michael has spent over 25 years operating, scaling, advising and financing education and technology companies. He is currently CEO of NYC FIRST, one of the largest and impactful K-12 STEM education organizations in NYC, running robotics leagues and STEM education programs that serve over 7,000 students annually, across over 600 robotics teams and two STEM Centers – at Cornell Tech and New York Public Library. NYC FIRST focuses on bringing STEM education resources to communities, schools and demographic groups that typically do not get access to the resources they need and deserve. It is supported by Bloomberg, Two Sigma, Con Edison, Goldman Sachs, and Siegel Family Endowment, among others.
Prior to NYC FIRST, Mr. Zigman helped found i2 Learning, which ran week-long STEM education immersion programs across the United States and globally. From 2011 through 2013, Mr. Zigman served in senior leadership positions at Nanotronics Imaging and Systar SA, technology hardware and software companies. Prior to 2011, Mr. Zigman spent 17 years in senior roles in the financial technology and investment banking industries, including at WR Hambrecht and SoundView Technology Group, which was spun out of Gartner Group, the world's leading IT research firm.
Mr. Zigman serves on the Board of Governors of The New York Academy of Sciences, the third oldest scientific society in the United States. He also serves as a Trustee on the Foundation Board of Macaulay Honors College, the highly selective honors college of The City University of New York. Mr. Zigman holds a BA from Dartmouth College.