Crystal Peñalosa

Crystal Peñalosa (she/they) is an artist, civic technologist, and interdisciplinary designer. Within the Office of Innovation, Crystal serves as the digital product lead for the Data for the American Dream initiative, leading the project’s human centered design, research, and product management in collaboration with New Jersey Department of Labor.

Crystal is active with the civic hacking and LGBTQIA+ communities, designing workshops on urban accessibility, public art, civic technology, and self-compassion practices. They also bring experience from a civic tech start-up working with innovation and IT teams on solution engineering and human-centered research that make it easier for cities to rapidly prototype and iterate on digital services. Her work in the civic tech space impacted communities in Detroit, Jersey City, Guilford County, San Francisco, and New York.

Crystal received a Master in Urban Planning from NYU’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from San Francisco State University. Outside of work at the Office of Innovation, Crystal is a sound artist, performing collaboratively and commissioned work at venues such as The New School, MoMA PS1, and Roulette Intermedium. She also volunteers with the underground record label Generations Unlimited and the creative support network Voluminous Arts.