Ten years at IBM fixing government tech. Then she stared down developers and doubled affordable housing as NYC Councilwoman
About
Julie Won represents New York City Council District 26, covering Long Island City, Sunnyside, Astoria, and Woodside, and is the first woman and first immigrant to hold the seat. Born in South Korea, she immigrated to Queens at age eight and spent a decade at IBM as a digital strategy consultant, advising federal agencies on modernizing the technology behind public services. On the Council, she led the 2022 negotiations over Innovation QNS, one of the largest private rezonings in Queens history, holding out until developers doubled the affordable housing commitment from 711 to 1,436 units with unprecedented deep-affordability terms for a private application. A former Queens Community Board 2 member and co-founder of the Queens Small Business Alliance, she was re-elected in 2023 and 2025. Her legislative work centers on affordable housing, digital equity, and universal broadband access.