Simon is the Executive Director of CIV:LAB, a non-profit dedicated to scaling solutions for cities globally. Previously, Simon was the Managing Director at Global Futures Group, spearheading products and programs driving urban innovation and co-founded and produced Smart Cities New York, North America’s largest smart city event and global convening of Mayors, where he led strategy and business development.

During the Obama administration Simon was a Strategic Advisor to the US Department of Commerce and the International Trade Administration on cities. He is in his fifth year as an Adjunct Professor at NYU's Center for Global Affairs where he created the masters course, Global Entrepreneurship. Simon is also a Business Advisory Board Member for Imperial Business School’s Global MBA.

Simon is an appointed member of the Brooklyn Innovation Council, an Advisor for Company (formerly GCT), a mentor for Dreamit Ventures and the Founder of Urban Data NYC - NYC’s largest smart city Meetup (+1,400 members). Simon holds an MS in Global Affairs from NYU where he was the O'Mara Energy Fellow and a Shell New Energy Fellow and a BS Honours in Economics and Philosophy from the University of Sussex.