Devin Abraham’s Startup, Liiv, Uses AI to Address the Problem of Paperwork Overload

Administrative work can eat up a lot of time and effort, causing staff to get bogged down and cutting down on time they have to address other important aspects of their work that need attention. Devin Abraham, MBA ’25, saw this firsthand during his time at the New York City Housing Authority. Frontline staff—deeply committed to serving residents—were spending countless hours buried in paperwork: logging tenant requests, updating compliance reports, and manually processing vouchers. “Meanwhile, the real challenges of public housing—urgent maintenance delays, unresolved safety and harassment complaints, stalled voucher approvals, and missed connections to eviction prevention or supportive services—continued to mount,” he said. “The issue wasn’t effort. It was infrastructure. The system relied on outdated tools that simply couldn’t keep pace with the complexity or urgency of the work.”

That’s why Abraham founded Liiv, a startup that uses AI agents to automate and streamline workflows, saving municipalities, civic agencies, and nonprofits valuable time and freeing up staff time to focus on other things. “We’ve built AI tools that are already saving cities thousands of hours — and we’re just getting started,” Abraham says.

Abraham credits the Executive MBA Metro NY program at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, part of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, with getting Liiv off the ground. He’s grateful to classmates who made him think bigger and take risks, to faculty mentors who kept him grounded and inspired confidence, and to the Johnson Summer Accelerator for funding and feedback.

Learn more about Abraham and Liiv in this Q&A.

What does Liiv do? What problem or opportunity does it address?

Abraham: Liiv delivers automation-as-a-service, using AI agents to automate up to 80 percent of manual workflows across nonprofits and local governments as well as startups and private equity funds. Teams today are understaffed, overworked, and facing constant budget cuts—yet still buried in outdated systems, fragmented tools, and repetitive admin tasks. We’re here to automate the work you don’t want to do.

What inspired you to launch Liiv?

Abraham: The idea for Liiv came from my background in M&A, where I focused on driving operational efficiency across deals. But it was my time working inside NYCHA—New York City’s Public Housing Authority—that revealed the real opportunity. I saw outdated software, siloed systems, and dedicated staff drowning in paperwork just to process basic tenant requests. Families waited weeks—sometimes months—for simple approvals. It wasn’t a lack of care; it was a lack of tools.

That experience stayed with me. I kept thinking about something I read in Unequal Childhoods by Annette Lareau: “Your zip code shapes nearly 90 percent of your life trajectory.” I grew up in a middle-class neighborhood on Long Island, stable and safe—but just blocks away, a redlined district had a graduation rate one-third of mine. I’ve always carried the weight of that contrast. My parents were immigrants who sacrificed everything to give me access to something more. They worked tirelessly so I could have the education, safety, and opportunities they never did. I wasn’t born into wealth, but I was born into access—and I knew I had to work even harder: to compete, to prove I belonged, and to always create more opportunities for others.

What stage are you at in financing Liiv?

Abraham: We’re raising a $1M pre-seed round to scale Liiv’s growth. Since June 3, we’ve gone from 3 to 20+ customers. Backed by the Robin Hood Foundation, Visible Hands, Techstars, and other strategic angels, we’ve raised $210K to date. We’re currently generating $7,500 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR) and are on track to reach $25,000 MRR by Q4. 

What are some of the most memorable moments in your startup journey?

Abraham: Some of the most memorable moments in my journey weren’t the highlights; they were the pivots. The moments when plans unraveled, timelines slipped, and we had to rethink the approach entirely. Those challenges pushed me to stay agile, focused, and level-headed. But what stands out most was my time at the Robin Hood Foundation, New York City’s largest poverty-fighting nonprofit, which helps support bold, data-driven solutions backed by over $130 million in annual funding to uplift families across the city. I had the chance to build alongside a cohort of mission-driven founders—backed by leaders like Sergio Marrero, managing director, and Eugene Lewis, head of catalyst, who championed our growth through the Catalyst program and saw potential early on. I’m also deeply grateful to Justin Kang, cofounder and general partner at Visible Hands, whose early belief in me during the founder fellowship laid the groundwork for what came next. That trust became a driving force. I wasn’t just building a company—I was carrying a mission forward. 

What obstacles did you face and overcome in your startup journey?

Abraham: One of the biggest challenges was learning to build while flying. In M&A, you optimize existing structures, while startups demand you create them from nothing. That shift required me to let go of perfection and move with precision under pressure. There was also a cultural reality. I didn’t grow up around venture-backed founders. In my world, success meant becoming a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. Entrepreneurship wasn’t the expected path—it was the riskier one. I had the privilege of support, especially from my older brothers, Rev. Dennis Abraham and Derek Abraham, who chose paths no one carved for them. That gave me permission to do the same. There were pivots, late nights, and moments that tested everything. But I’ve learned that resilience isn’t just about pushing through—it’s about staying grounded, building with conviction, and knowing why you’re in the arena. 

Did you draw on any Cornell resources to help launch Liiv?

Abraham: Absolutely. My classmates have been the heart of this journey—constantly pushing me to think bigger, take risks, and stay accountable. I didn’t want to let them down. Classmate Tomer Joshua, MBA ’25, associate director of Runway and Spinouts at Cornell Tech, opened pivotal doors. Calvin Lock, MBA ’25, a classmate and former startup banker, made critical introductions in government technology (govtech) and venture debt. The Johnson Summer Accelerator provided us with mentorship, funding, and direct investor feedback.

But more than anything, it was the community. I chose Cornell over other Ivies because I believe deeply in Cornell’s vision to be the model comprehensive research university for the 21st century. What sets Cornell apart is its rare blend of academic excellence and breadth, a culture rooted in openness, innovation, and inclusion, and its land-grant mission of public service—across both rural and urban campuses. And in a city like New York, where impact is needed most, Cornell opened doors in every sense.

Cornell’s alumni network is unmatched—not a single Cornellian ever declined a conversation. Walking into a room with an MBA from Cornell positioned me as a de-risked investment: credible, vetted, and backed by a community that consistently showed up to support, advise, and champion the work.

Is there any particular faculty member who influenced you on your path to becoming an entrepreneur?

Yes—Tomer Joshua played a pivotal role as a classmate and conduit to Cornell Tech. As associate director of Runway and Spinouts, he didn’t just open doors—he offered honest, strategic guidance that helped shape both the company and my mindset as a founder. His belief in the mission, paired with his no-nonsense advice, kept me focused and grounded through critical moments.

I also have to mention Professor Risa M. Mish [professor of practice and the Day Family Senior Lecturer of Business Ethics at the Johnson School]. Her course, Critical and Strategic Thinking, was the first one I took in my MBA program, and though we only had a handful of direct interactions, her impact was felt deeply. She had this remarkable ability to connect with every student, to make you feel seen, challenged, and capable. That presence stuck with me. It inspired how I lead at Liiv—and how we serve the companies and communities we work with. 

What are the most valuable things you learned at Cornell that helped in launching Liiv? And what’s most helpful now, in running your new business?

Abraham: At launch, speed and clarity were everything. Cornell helped me sharpen both. From the Johnson Summer Accelerator to feedback-heavy courses at Cornell, I learned how to quickly test ideas, build lean, and communicate value in a way that resonates. The access to real-time feedback—from professors, peers, and mentors—helped us launch with focus, not fluff. 

What advice do you have for other aspiring entrepreneurs?

Abraham:

• Build a real business that produces income—revenue solves most problems. Don’t chase venture funding by default. Most companies don’t need it, and many won’t qualify. Venture capital only makes sense if your growth is exponential.
• Solve one problem better than anyone else. It’s harder than it looks, both mentally and emotionally, and most people won’t understand what you’re building. That’s fine. Keep building anyway.
• Have no ego. Ask for help. Closed mouths don’t get fed.
• Don’t spend weeks perfecting a pitch deck. Talk to customers, refine the product, and get it into the world.
• Find a problem that matters deeply to you. There will be days when quitting feels easier. But if it’s personal, you’ll keep showing up—because if you don’t solve it, maybe no one will. And if you have the chance to do this full-time, recognize it for what it is: a privilege. Don’t waste it. Earn it.