Join us in Welcoming NYC Opportunity’s Urban Fellow

The Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity (NYC Opportunity) is pleased to introduce Coura Fall, our 2023–2024 Urban Fellow!

Tell us who you are, and why you’re excited to join the NYC Opportunity team as a P&E Fellow.

My name is Coura Fall (she/her) and I am excited to join NYC Opportunity as an Urban Fellow because I was really drawn to the equity framework that grounds P&E’s agenda, as well as the broad array of issues that P&E works on. Through my conversation with Parker and Jin when interviewing for the role, I felt that the team was an environment that supported growth and curiosity, aspects I am excited to bring to the team!

What brought you to our team, and to this work?

I’ve been fortunate to have worked in research on the ideas side of policy making and implementation, where empirical research methods were used to envision how a particular policy intervention can yield positive results. However, I have not yet worked in evaluation, where thought is intentionally given to how a program is working and interrogating the ways it can function better and more fairly. Joining the P&E team feels like an exciting new challenge to expand my interests in policy, and better understand the role of government using innovation to improve New Yorkers’ lives.

What were you doing before this?

Before joining the team I worked at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, first as a research assistant and recently as our team’s Center Coordinator.

What are your goals for your time as an Urban Fellow?

My goals for the Urban Fellows Program is to be a sponge and learn as much as I can about this field, and approach things with curiosity and open-mindedness. I hope to have ownership over a project during the course of my time, as well as find mentors on the team to learn and grow from!

What is something we may not know about you?

I’m an avid record collector! I started last year after inheriting a record player from a friend. I love the idea of physically owning my favorite music, along with the stories you can tell about them. I’m excited to find cool record stores in the City to continue expanding my collection!