John Paul Farmer is the President of WeLink Cities, where he is bringing revolutionary broadband technology to American cities to address the longstanding digital divide, while simultaneously developing high-impact international partnerships to produce digital equity in densely populated cities worldwide.

Previously, John was appointed by the Mayor to serve as the 3rd Chief Technology Officer of the City of New York, where he led a diverse team in building a more future-ready city. John spearheaded technology policy such as the award-winning NYC Artificial Intelligence Strategy, NYC Internet of Things Strategy, and the NYC Internet Master Plan. He created key programs such as the NYC Digital Service, NYC Digital Reserve, and NYC Innovation Fellows, which collectively delivered a range of digital products to better serve New Yorkers. He also co-chaired the 50-member Cities Coalition for Digital Rights. John was named an adjunct associate professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, focusing on the United Nation's relationship with applied emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

John was Managing Director of Microsoft Cities, based in New York. There, he led a cross-functional team to build partnerships and co-design technology products that make communities more livable, more vibrant, and more equitable. As the Founder & CEO of The Innovation Project, John spread innovation best practices worldwide. His work has been featured in Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company, WIRED, the Washington Post, TechCrunch, and the Harvard Business Review.

John served as the Senior Advisor for Innovation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under President Barack Obama, where he co-founded and led the Presidential Innovation Fellows program to attract top private sector change-makers for focused tours of duty in government. Prior to the U.S. government, John built new business units in the private sector. He played professional baseball in the minor league systems of the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers.

John has been a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He holds an M.B.A. with honors from the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University and an A.B. with honors from Harvard University.