Decoded Futures Academy

Learn the model in New York. Run it in your city.

Over two years, Decoded Futures has worked with more than 1,500 organizations globally, pairing nonprofits with volunteer technologists to put AI to work. The Academy prepares a small group of Academy Partners to bring that model to their home communities.

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Applications are due January 15, 2027.

Learn alongside the Decoded Futures team inside a working cohort, and shape how the work will run in your community with their support and context.

Why the Academy

Lasting change is led from within

  • Starts with the community

    Two years and more than 1,500 organizations have taught us a simple lesson: AI capacity creates meaningful impact when it starts with the community.

  • Prepares local leaders

    Every city has organizations ready to put AI to work, and the leaders best placed to guide them are already there.

  • Provides a proven model

    The Academy exists to put a proven model in their hands, so the impact belongs to the community and keeps growing long after the cohort ends.

Who it’s for

Leaders ready to build locally

Partners come from across the social sector.

  • Nonprofits and social enterprise
  • Government innovation offices
  • Universities
  • Philanthropy
  • Corporate social responsibility

  • What applicants need

    • Apply on your own or as a team of two.
    • An institutional home independent of Decoded Futures: a legal entity, such as a 501(c)(3) or LLC, that can raise, receive, and spend money for a local program.
    • A realistic path to funding the work.
    • Three named leads: programmatic, fiscal, and logistics. One person can hold more than one.
    • At least one team member who understands what AI can do for an organization. No engineers required.

  • What we ask of Partners

    • Show up to every required session ready to learn and partner with the DF team.
    • Leave with a scoped plan for your city.
    • Share monthly updates along the way.

  • What Partners get

    • In-person sessions and ongoing support.
    • A private community of fellow Partners.
    • Early access to Decoded Futures materials as they're published.
    • Invitations to our events in New York.

What it is

Four months, two trips to New York

Partners receive a stipend toward travel and lodging for both visits

  1. March

    Virtual orientation

    The Decoded Futures approach, the arc of a cohort, and the materials behind it.

  2. Late March

    First New York visit

    Two days inside a cohort as it opens, followed by a structured debrief with our team.

  3. April

    Local planning

    A 1:1 session focused on your city: your community, your partners, your constraints.

  4. May

    Second New York visit

    Two more days in the cohort, this time in a live working session, then finalizing your plan.

  5. May, optional

    Demo Day

    Stay to watch the cohort present what they built over the season.

  6. As you approach launch

    Pre-launch consultancy

    A 1:1 consultation scheduled with each Partner once their plan is ready to move.

How selection works

Three to five Partners, starting early 2027

Apply by January 15, 2027. Finalists are invited to a short interview, and the inaugural Academy begins soon after.

APPLY

Questions? Email decodedfutures@technyc.org